Would there be interest in a CCR-only dayboat operation in the Red Sea?

[RedSeaDiver]

Would there be any interest in a small dayboat diving operation in the Red Sea that only catered to CCR's? Potentially a 9 metre RIB set up with proper seating with racks, boarding ladder etc, taking a max of 6 CCR divers. Just trying to gauge interest.

[jturner]

Would there be any interest in a small dayboat diving operation in the Red Sea that only catered to CCR's? Potentially a 9 metre RIB set up with proper seating with racks, boarding ladder etc, taking a max of 6 CCR divers. Just trying to gauge interest.

Can't say it would appeal to me to be honest. If 'm going CCR diving, I'd rather be going more than 1 day at a time, have everything I need stored on a boat and rhibs aren't the nicest kitting up platforms in the world. A day hard boat would address much of that but again, why only 1 day's CCR diving at a time if on holiday?

[graham_hk]

Can't say it would appeal to me to be honest. If 'm going CCR diving, I'd rather be going more than 1 day at a time, have everything I need stored on a boat and rhibs aren't the nicest kitting up platforms in the world. A day hard boat would address much of that but again, why only 1 day's CCR diving at a time if on holiday?

That's interesting as I'd chose a rhib over a hard boat any time - getting in easier, getting out easier (4-5 steps up, swing around and sit down -easier than lift). Faster and more manoeuvrable

[notdeadyet]

I hate RHIBS in hot weather. There's no shade, there's no escape, there's no comfort. I don't particularly enjoy having the crap rattled out of my unit either. I'm not a huge fan of RHIBS, good for a quick shuttle but I wouldn't want to spend the day in one. Anything more than a quick run to a site and it wouldn't appeal but if I'd gone to the bother of bringing my rebreather then I'd probably be wanting something a bit more adventurous than that so couldn't see me booking a RHIB on holiday.

[RedSeaDiver]

OK thanks every one for the feedback so far.

The RIB will have an awning sort of arrangement over the top to take care of the sunburn aspect.

As far as the layout of the RIB goes it won't be the traditional "empty" RIB - it will have seats with racks for each person etc - that is part of the reason for only six divers on a nine metre RIB so kitting up will be very similar to a regular day boat. There will be boarding ladders too.

The plan is to run three dives per day, a deep technical dive first thing in the morning, the RIB will leave early to meet the vehicles with divers and kit at the bay closest to the chosen dive site so that way there will only be a short boat commute to the dive site itself, and then after the dive it will return to the same bay to offload divers and kit and take them back to the accommodation. The RIB will then head to the bay closest to the chosen dive site for the second dive which will be a deep air diluent dive site and again the vehicle will meet the divers there, and the same process will occur, and then the same process will occur on the third dive which will be a slightly shallower air dil dive but in and out of one of the bays rather than the RIB

Run times are expected to be about up to 3 hours for the first dive, 2.5 hours for the second dive and two hours for the third dive, with the thought being that the more technical/trimix orientated divers will do first dive and third dives to give them a decent surface interval in between, those that want a sleep in or aren't trimix qualified can do the second and third dives. This is just a very rough draft of how it may work - plenty of refinement to be done and probably lots of things I haven't thought of.

[barnaby_s]

Why not have CCR only weeks so can allow for most divers most of the time and then have a CCR only week once a month or something?

[RedSeaDiver]

Why not have CCR only weeks so can allow for most divers most of the time and then have a CCR only week once a month or something?

Adds a lot of complication that I would rather avoid.

[jturner]

It's an interesting idea for sure. I have a few more thoughts/questions for you though.

The RIB will have an awning sort of arrangement over the top to take care of the sunburn aspect.

As far as the layout of the RIB goes it won't be the traditional "empty" RIB - it will have seats with racks for each person etc - that is part of the reason for only six divers on a nine metre RIB so kitting up will be very similar to a regular day boat. There will be boarding ladders too.

I'm struggling to visualise this thing at the moment. I haven't yet come across a rhib that was that comfy except for pleasure boat ones but even then, the awning would have to be huge to provide enough shade and the seats weren't that comfy. I've also yet to see a rhib boat ladder that didn't require gymnastics to get your feet on it which won't be fun in tech kit. Do-able but not much fun. Do you have a picture you can share?

The plan is to run three dives per day, a deep technical dive first thing in the morning, the RIB will leave early to meet the vehicles with divers and kit at the bay closest to the chosen dive site so that way there will only be a short boat commute to the dive site itself, and then after the dive it will return to the same bay to offload divers and kit and take them back to the accommodation. The RIB will then head to the bay closest to the chosen dive site for the second dive which will be a deep air diluent dive site and again the vehicle will meet the divers there, and the same process will occur, and then the same process will occur on the third dive which will be a slightly shallower air dil dive but in and out of one of the bays rather than the RIB

If these bays don't have jetties, then you'll be asking customers to wade out with CCRs, stages etc then climb aboard, and the reverse at the end? That sounds potentially a PITA - not too bad if it is flat, firm sand but a 'mare if rocky and uneven. Less of an issue if you have jetties though you'll need some helpers to get the kit shifted perhaps?

Run times are expected to be about up to 3 hours for the first dive, 2.5 hours for the second dive and two hours for the third dive, with the thought being that the more technical/trimix orientated divers will do first dive and third dives to give them a decent surface interval in between, those that want a sleep in or aren't trimix qualified can do the second and third dives. This is just a very rough draft of how it may work - plenty of refinement to be done and probably lots of things I haven't thought of.

Those are fairly big dives! There will be a lot of unloading and unloading between dives I assume? 1st group all off with all kit off, when 2nd group on, out, back, 2nd group off etc etc. I suspect you'll be right about the early start!!! A more pressing question for me though is where do you plan on going for these dives? A 3 hour dive, site-seeing on a generic Egyptian reef might be ok for a day or so but then what? Are you actually going to be able to fill the spaces with this kind of itinerary? I did a 3hr dive in Grenada but they made it work by piggy-backing it onto the dayboat OC divers: everyone went in together on a long reef (with several dive sites on it), the OC guys did about an hour, came up, had an hour in the sun whilst the boat moved down the coast a little, then they went in again, and then we were all reunited further along and finished more or less together - the CCR divers just stayed under throughout, with a max depth 40m or so, about 20mins of deco and a lot of wandering around seeing what was there. That was fine; the boat was going anyway and we were happy to mooch around and see what there was to see. But I'm not sure I'd want to do it several times in a week. To do a 3hr dive that was 40-100m was possible too but as a special charter (which is more like your proposed scheme) but for a special charter, I would definitely have high expectations and want to be seeing something interesting/special. How many sites like that are available in the area? If you want people to come for a week or so, you'll need a lot I'd have thought? I don't know Egypt's deep sites well enough to know if that's feasible; maybe it is.

[Woz]

The lovely thing about diving off a liveaboard is you only hump your kit once, and in between dives you have a lovely snooze in an air conditioned cabin, or have a nice meal, or read a book in the sun while the boat potters to the next site. That's half the attraction of the Red Sea- the diving doesn't get any easier than falling off one of those boats.

I for one wouldn't fancy humping a unit and bailouts up and down a beach a few times a day in the Egyptian sun. That is a holiday ruining experience and would put me right off. Plus you would have to be doing deep wreck stuff all week as all the colourful life is in the shallows so you may as well use a single of 32 all week and don't bother with all the CCR faff.

[RedSeaDiver]

A bit of an update - have been persuaded by someone that has tried it that a RIB won't work - for some of the reasons mentioned. Looking at other options