What are you paying for bottom diving?

[mvweebles]

I've mentioned that Costa Rica is expensive. US prices. I was blown away when I asked about having the bottom cleaned on Weebles. $150!!! A bit over $4/ft. Bottom was painted 3-months ago so soft pad. And it was cleaned 4-5 weeks ago in Nicaragua ($36).

What are folks paying in Florida and elsewhere?

Peter

 

[Nordlund Xpress]

We pay $130/mo (once a month service) for our 57' in San Diego, CA. Had the same diver for 16 years on two boats. Great service.

 

[boomerang]

We're getting ready to do a little cruising in South Florida so I had the diver come out a couple of weeks ago to clean the underwater hardware. The diver said there was no growth on anything but the zincs were in need of replacing so I paid $150 for the first looksee and another $150 for another dive 5 days later to replace 2 shaft and 2 rudder zincs (I supplied the zincs). I now keep spare zincs onboard. Lesson learned.
Also, I normally clean the hardware myself using just a face mask and holding my breath but not if the water is below 70 degrees. It's between 60 and 65 in the part of Florida where we are. Many more of those $150 charges and I might have to increase my temperature tolerance and lower my temperature threshold.

 

[Nordlund Xpress]

Seems logical that a one-time request for services would be more expensive than an annual/monthly arrangement. Not sure exactly what's fair, but urgency, travel, etc. would play into the factor. We once hired a diver to find some expensive prescription sunglasses in Avalon - that ran $150, and he delivered!

 

[DDW]

In SF Bay, $257 on a 45' boat. Have checked with other dive services, that is somewhere near the market here.

 

[Nordlund Xpress]

Price may be driven by whether one uses a diving services company with multiple divers (and overhead) or an individual contractor. Mine is an individual who values the long term relationship and is always helpful if we have a time dependent problem or need a schedule adjustment so we have a clean bottom right before a trip. I'd expect a services company to be at least 50% more expensive than an individual, but understand it's sometimes hard to find reliable individuals.

 

[Bmarler]

It’s hard to find a good diver around here, so when you do you treat them well.I used to get it done quarterly, but my guy is super busy, so it’s two to three times a year. A bit under $200 for my 40 footer.

 

[lwarden]

$85 per trip. $15 per zinc, I provide them. He does a great job. San Diego.

 

[Barking Sands]

$82 for my 31 foot boat in Tarpon Springs

 

[DWJensen]

36' single screw, bow and stern thrusters on FL Space Coast - Paying between $3.50/ft (as established customer) to $5/ft for a one-time clean.

 

[Sykes]

$4.00 a foot in Ft Lauderdale

 

[mvweebles]

So......the boat next to me is having his bottom cleaned. I hired the diver to do my bottom for $70 USD cash.

Peter

 

[jrd22]

Anacortes WA, $160 for inspection and installation of zincs on 34’.

 

[sjisailor]

Seattle, $235 for dive & inspect 39 footer. Plus more for zincs etc. From the other responses here, I think we are paying top rates! OTOH they also do a great job and send lots of underwater photos, and we only need it every 4 months or so.

 

[Patemey]

Seattle area, $130/hr + $30/zinc.

 

[fstbttms]

Here in the SF Bay Area, I charge $5.75/foot for powerboats to 46' LOA, $6/foot for boats longer than that. This (of course) assumes that the hull is not overly foul. The price goes up if it is. I believe that my rates are in the ballpark for the area.

Southern California and the west coast of Florida have the lowest hull cleaning rates in the country, which explains some of the wide variance in pricing noted in this thread.

 

[mvweebles]

Here in the SF Bay Area, I charge $5.75/foot for powerboats to 46' LOA, $6/foot for boats longer than that. This (of course) assumes that the hull is not overly foul. The price goes up if it is. I believe that my rates are in the ballpark for the area.

Southern California and the west coast of Florida have the lowest hull cleaning rates in the country, which explains some of the wide variance in pricing noted in this thread.

Question for you @fstbttms . I'm on the ICW passing Palm Beach FL - quite a few 200+ mega yachts. How do they keep the bottoms clean? Guessing takes a bit more than $1200 ($6 x 200 ft).

Peter

 

[fstbttms]

Question for you @fstbttms . I'm on the ICW passing Palm Beach FL - quite a few 200+ mega yachts. How do they keep the bottoms clean? Guessing takes a bit more than $1200 ($6 x 200 ft).

Peter

They hire hull divers like me. And yes (despite professional boat captains being notoriously cheap), I suspect a 200' megayacht would cost more than $1200 to clean. I wish I had the opportunity to find out first hand, but we simply don't get this kind of traffic here in the Bay Area.

 

[fstbttms]

They hire hull divers like me. And yes (despite professional boat captains being notoriously cheap), I suspect a 200' megayacht would cost more than $1200 to clean. I wish I had the opportunity to find out first hand, but we simply don't get this kind of traffic here in the Bay Area.

I've put the question to my hull divers group on Facebook and so far the consensus from Florida seems to be $4K-$5K for a 200' boat, assuming the bottom is in good condition and not overly foul.

 

[DDW]

Price should really go up by the square of the length, since wetted area does (approximately)?

 

[fstbttms]

Perhaps. So if I charge $300 to clean a 50-foot boat, what would I charge to clean a 200-foot boat, using your formula?

 

[O C Diver]

They hire hull divers like me. And yes (despite professional boat captains being notoriously cheap), I suspect a 200' megayacht would cost more than $1200 to clean. I wish I had the opportunity to find out first hand, but we simply don't get this kind of traffic here in the Bay Area.

My commercial friend use to rough guess surface area of the hull before giving an estimate. A 200' megayatch was measured in days of cleaning. Over 10,000 square feet before you add the running gear. When you get to that size, the captains don't care about expenses. Employ, feed, and manage a professional crew of 10 to 20 people, and scrubbing a boat bottom is a rounding error. Take on 20,000 plus gallons of fuel and the bottom scrub pays for itself in fuel savings!

Ted

 

[fstbttms]

When you get to that size, the captains don't care about expenses.

When captains have a budget and are responsible for expenses (and maybe even putting something in their own pocket), I guarantee they care what they are being charged.

 

[mvweebles]

My guess is the captains have experience in quoting bottom cleaning. For example, I paid $1/foot in Nicaragua ($36 for my 36-footer). In Costa Rica, I was told no one would go into the water for under $100.....and they wanted $150 for my boat!!! One afternoon the boat next door (47 ft) was having a bottom done and I asked the diver if he wanted some side work --- cash. He wanted $100. I offered $76 ($2/ft). Done deal.

Point being maybe it's not that the captain is cheap, just that they've seen much cheaper elsewhere and reluctant to pay the going rate in the new location.

Peter

 

[fstbttms]

My guess is the captains have experience in quoting bottom cleaning. For example, I paid $1/foot in Nicaragua ($36 for my 36-footer). In Costa Rica, I was told no one would go into the water for under $100.....and they wanted $150 for my boat!!! One afternoon the boat next door (47 ft) was having a bottom done and I asked the diver if he wanted some side work --- cash. He wanted $100. I offered $76 ($2/ft). Done deal.

Point being maybe it's not that the captain is cheap, just that they've seen much cheaper elsewhere and reluctant to pay the going rate in the new location.

Peter

If you're negotiating some poor Costa Rican local down to 75% of what he was asking (knowing what the going rate was), that's being cheap

 

[mvweebles]

If you're negotiating some poor Costa Rican local down to 75% of what he was asking (knowing what the going rate was), that's being cheap

Hey, I just thought $4/ft was a bit steep. Turns out Costa Rica is more or less US prices.

That said, I don't blame them for asking relatively higher prices. There are Crocs in those waters......

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

When captains have a budget and are responsible for expenses (and maybe even putting something in their own pocket), I guarantee they care what they are being charged.

It's not the captains.
Vessels of this size have managers. Captains drive the boat.

The manager's job is to make the owner happy. Vessels of this size have 10s of millions of dollars operating budgets. The job of the manager is to get things done and please the owner in whatever he wants. A few thousand dollars for a diver is a rounding error. All the manager cares is that the bottom is clean when the boat needs to leave.

Ted

 

[fstbttms]

It's not the captains.
Vessels of this size have managers. Captains drive the boat.

The manager's job is to make the owner happy. Vessels of this size have 10s of millions of dollars operating budgets. The job of the manager is to get things done and please the owner in whatever he wants. A few thousand dollars for a diver is a rounding error. All the manager cares is that the bottom is clean when the boat needs to leave.

Ted

Well, maybe you're right, but my information comes from the divers doing the work, so...

 

[DDW]

Perhaps. So if I charge $300 to clean a 50-foot boat, what would I charge to clean a 200-foot boat, using your formula?

(200 / 50) ^2 * $300 = $4800. Which sounds like what divers are charging.

 

[O C Diver]

Well, maybe you're right, but my information comes from the divers doing the work, so...

My commercial buddy who scrubbed multi million dollars sport fishing boats said the best tippers had the most expensive boats. It was nothing for the captain or the owner to tip a couple of Franklins (he's on the $100 bill) for priority service (cleaning, zincs, props swaps). Obviously my buddy isn't going to tell his competitors who tips really well.

Maybe your friends are blowing smoke up your butt all the way to the bank. I certainly wouldn't tell you who were the best tippers.

Ted