Scuba diving and snorkeling are the most enjoyed activities all over the world. These fun filled exciting activities are appreciated to explore the delicate beauty of nature lying deep under the sea. Underwater creatures are the real threat in only very isolated and easily avoided places in the world. Timid creatures like octopi and moray eels can be easily tamed and surprisingly affectionate once one get familiar with them. Scuba diving and snorkeling are no longer restricted to youngsters or males only; thankfully ladies can also enjoy the sport right alongside young children.

Since the origin of these sports countless advances in equipment and technology have made diving safer and more enjoyable. One of the most important was the inflatable boats which make the diving more thrilling and fun filled. Since more and more waterfronts areas are widely open for divers as well as picnickers and beach lovers many environmentalists believe that these water sports are violating the profane sanctity of beaches. Now many state and local governments are banning scuba diving to, quite rightly, restrict the use of the dwindling supply of public waterfront to more traditional uses. The most interesting underwater sceneries are accessible only by boat, and inflatables might well have been designed just for this purpose.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are comparatively easier from an inflatable than conventional boat. Diving or snorkeling from canoes, dinghies, rowboats, and small motorboats is nearly impossible because of poor stability and the tendency of these boats to swamp or capsize. A boarding ladder or a swim platform is required if a boat is large enough for a swimmer to get back aboard. Scuba divers are equipped with more than 100 pounds or heavier gears and equipments, which make climbing difficult for them. Dealing with the inflatables is quite easy as it has very little freeboard, and a diver or snorkeled can remove his gear while in the water, toss it aboard, and then clamber in after it.

Small conventional boats have a tendency to pound and hobbyhorse in any kind of sea they may be dangerous for diving and snorkeling. Many swimmers have been injured and several have been killed trying to board a wildly pitching boat from the water. In contrast to that inflatable boats float on the surface of the water like an oil slick, with almost no tendency to pound even in a dangerous sea. The consequences of being hit by a lightweight inflatable are far less severe than being conked on the head by heavy boats like Boston Whaler or a Donzi.

Even the smallest inflatable boat makes a fine diving platform. A little Redstart, the smallest Avon available would easily accommodate two divers and all their gear. A Zodiac Mark 11 could handle six divers with ease. An Achilles can accommodate four and all our gear, with plenty of room left for lunch and a cooler full of root beer. The bigger the inflatable you can get, better it is for diving.

The 40-foot HBI with twin 200-hp outboards would be an ideal boat for carrying the whole dive club out to the Great Barrier Reef or the Blue Hole of Belize. My ideal dive boat is a 12- to 14-foot sportboat or RIB with a 25- to 40-hp outboard, transported on a trailer. Such a boat can easily carry four or more divers at planning speeds and opens up huge coastal and offshore areas to underwater exploration. Light weight and low drag resistance of inflatable boats allow them to serve as a float.

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