Dilema

[saltydawg]

ok guys here it is,the boss and I dive, I have an old 70's mckee 14' hull I put a2006 75 merc on it. down here in Louisiana I take it out red fishing and such it does get a little choppy but have had it in 4' swells made for a fun ride...here is the question, I will be trailering to Fla to dive with the wife and mabe on rare occasion two others...will a 170 cc be enough boat for that area over there on a regular basis....like what are average Fla gulf seas???The toss up is on keeping the 75 and just getting a 170cc hull or trading my merc in on a 19.5cc......

[cagrove]

The 170CC is a great boat for fishing...two or three people. With all the extra gear you need to dive with and the occaisional extra bodies in the boat, I would opt for the 190/195. It has a lot more room to move around in than the 170CC. I view the 170CC as a good inshore/lake boat...it can handle the chop just fine but I would not want to be any distance offshore when the weather turns snotty. I'm sure there are guys that take theirs out but my heart just isn't as young as it used to be and I don't appreciate the thrills that I once did. Just my 1/50th of a dollar. Good luck.

[AstroDiver]

ReelDive and I have the 190 series that we use for diving. His is just newer than mine. I've installed tank holders in my boat as ReelDive has too. Now, I haven't seen his boat, but he says that he has taken out 4 people with gear diving off Panama City in the Gulf for diving. That has to be a crowd. I've had two with enough tanks for two dives each.
My dive buddy and I went to the FL Keys in November of 2005 and used my boat. We stayed at the Blue Fin Inn in Islamorada. There was a FREE boat ramp at Indian Cut Key? You need a 4x4 to retrieve there.

I don't think I would even try more than 2 people from a 170?

[saltydawg]

thanks for the feedback still trying to figure it all out what I am going to do....I have figured out how to configure out the deck space to make more diving room on the 170 but my main concern is how the craft will handle the larger swells often found in the gulf area. several other considerations are that one I will have to drag the boat from mid louisiana over there and the gas to make that drag the weight of a 170 vs a 190 ect. and the gas use of my 75 merc vs a 150...what good is a boat if I can't get it in the H2O.....

[ReelDive]

Prior to my 190 Bay I had a 170cc Logic. We dove 3 divers from it a few times , in the Gulf. With a load like that expect a wet ride in 3 ft seas. we used a side mouted boarding ladder and geared up in the water as well as removeing gear befor exiting. Guess why we upgraded to the 190?

[saltydawg]

Thanks for the reply on this situation, I have a meeting in Baton rouge tommorrow and afterwards gonna slip by the boat dealership to have a look arround...don't tell either one of my bosses....

[mainah]

Hey Dog,

If you know there's no way you can afford the 190/+ then the 170 is going to be a wonderful boat for your purposes. You'll adapt and make the best of it because you'll know you got the best you could.

If, however, you think you can afford the 190/+ without breaking the bank...go for it!! You will not save anything by getting the 170 if you can't haul all your gear/people, handle the swells or get through a day on the boat without wishing you'd gotten the 190.

The difference in hauling the two is not extreme and the cost of running a larger boat with a motor large enough to handle the weight certainly isn't much more expensive if at all than hauling a lot of weight in what might end up being an over burdened motor on the 170.

Will the 170 handle it? Yep, but with not as much gear, not as many people, not the easy ride, not the rough weather safety, not the fun!

AND you're not going to get to live these days of boating again no matter what your next boat is.

Just my couple pennies worth!
Dick

[saltydawg]

Thanks mainah for the wisdom....