RIB recommendations

[Coos-spearo]

I want to purchase a RIB for diving from Northern California up through Washington. It would need to haul 2-3 divers. I want to be able to go offshore for albacore 5-6 times a year but would mostly be spearfishing the near shore. I prefer a smaller, more economical boat, as I will use it more. Also, it needs to be easy to tow with a standard 6 cylinder SUV. In my mind I feel this can be accomplished with, for example a 550-600 rigid inflatable Zodiac Pro. Any advice on materials, dealers, brands etc.

I know nothing about RIBS other than our coach always had them when we were racing sailboats offshore. At the time it seemed like a small Zodiac 550 would handle any conditions that mother nature threw at us.

If you have any advice it will be greatly appreciated.

[Bob Ballew]

There are two types: hypalon and the plastic type you see at West Marine....if you can find a used hypalon Caribe brand rib, they last for years. My 1984 hypalon Achilles (plywood bottom) holds air like new and costs far less than a top of the line Caribe...skip the plastic material inflatables, as the sun turns them yellow and they get sticky from the heat on sunny days...I buy all my inflatables at boat auctions at a good discount...for ocean use, get at least a 25 h.p. or larger outboard engine, as smaller engines may not make any headway against wind and swells from Santa Ana conditions or coastal eddies...been there, done that with a 50 hp engine at San Quintin....

as far as albacore, they are frequently 25 miles out in your area...myself, I wouldn't venture out that far in an inflatable...lots safer to jump on a charter boat...

[Markio]

Originally Posted by Coos-spearo

I know nothing about RIBS other than our coach always had them when we were racing sailboats offshore. At the time it seemed like a small Zodiac 550 would handle any conditions that mother nature threw at us.

If you have any advice it will be greatly appreciated.

The first thing you need to know about RIBS (rigids) is that they are almost always more expensive than a fiber glass and aluminum boats. Border line too expensive. A very old one can be found but I would worry about the integrity.

If you need a light boat, look in to a used aluminum in the 17'+ range like this one :

http://klamathboats.com/?page_id=186

If you are determine to buy a rigid, brands like AVON and AB are on top. Like Bob said, Hypalon is always better than PVC but more costly.

Last option could be an inflatable with soft bottom, like a wooden, plastic or inflatable floor. They are not as fast but they can get you from a to b and no more than that.

Good luck.

[Coos-spearo]

Thanks for the input.

There is a new age fiberglass dory being built in the North West called a Breaker Dory. They can be seen at breakerdory.com. The website is not so hot however, the Facebook page is a lot better. The breaker dory is a lightweight, albacore ready boat that might be perfect. It is designed to launch directly through the surf and is at home in Oregon waters. I think a stripped down version is $35,000. It would be cool for some advanced spearos to check that boat out as it is light and efficient.

I have also been seeing a couple 17' Bombard RIBs lately that are 12 or so years old, garage stored and listed under $20,000.

As for the Baja Bayrunner. There is a 17', 2015 used boat for sale with a 2015, 60 hp honda that looks brand new. I think the asking price is around $18,000. That boat is 5 miles away from me and may be the practical solution for a lot of reasons, mainly resale value. I never owned a boat I didn't sell at some point.

Thanks once again for the feedback and I will go give the Bayrunner a close look.

[OBLIGATED]

You will be ahead of the game getting a hypalon RIB.The pvc ones dont repair very well.They do not like heat either.Life of the tubes if well taken care of is around ten years.Then they start degrading quick.Leaks,demaminating or just coming apart.
I have several buddies that have RIBs for their sailboats.Some are pretty old and abused but they are to get from the boat to the dighy dock or tiki bar.Dont go cheap or old for a RIB that is going offshore.

[Timinator]

Nova Bat if you can find one.