Dive Boats, Your Guide to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
John Francis
 A bow-to-stern, port-to-starboard guide to what you should look for next time you choose a dive boat.
Before considering a dive boat's schedule and price, you should look at its safety and suitability for diving. And don't forget creature comforts, which assume greater importance at the end of a long day of diving than might seem likely when you made your reservations.
Of course, no one boat will have it all. The skiff that makes a 10-minute hop from the resort to the reef has far different capabilities than an oceangoing vessel that will stay out all day. Provided the smaller boat stays within its capabilities, it can be just as safe, dive ready and fun as a larger one.
The safety considerations for a trip to the California Channel Islands or the New Jersey wrecks are different from those for a short ride inside the reef. But any boat in water deep enough to drown you must meet certain basic safety requirements. After that come extras. Your dive boat must have:
- Fire extinguisher, life jackets and radio. The radio isn't a convenience, but a necessity for emergencies.
- Coast Guard certification. All boats carrying more than six paying passengers and operating from U.S. ports must be inspected and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard every year. Inspection is rigorous and covers condition of hull, machinery and electronics, safety equipment and much more. But rogue operations exist: Ask if the boat has had a recent Coast Guard inspection.
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