You Get What You Pay For

[Tom J]

@FDL S2 you might venture off and take diving lessons. This way you can legally inspect the bottom of your own boat. When I say legal I mean having your own tanks to fill or renting tanks. Sure, you can snorkel but that limits your down time to the size of your lungs. That was the reason I got my diving cert. I seldom go in anymore but at least it is still valid.

I've cleaned the bottom by scuba and by snorkel. With scuba, it's nice to get the job done all in one go, and easier to be thorough. But setting up the gear, filling tanks, etc., takes time. With snorkel, you are in the water more quickly, but must do the job a little at a time.
What worked for me was to do scuba in Florida, where I would dive more frequently and do a thorough job. In New England, I'll anchor in the warmer water on the south side of Cape Cod and use snorkel on a number of dives spaced out over a day or two.

 

[fstbttms]

Hookah is lightweight, small footprint, unlimited free air. No certification required.

 

[rgranger]

I once tried to retrieve a pair of glasses from the bottom of lake using a garden hose.... in my defense I was much younger and stupider then. Anyway, I go to about 15 feet and when I tried to expand my lungs, the water pressure just kept my rib cage compressed and I could not suck any air.

Other than snorkeling, that is my only dive experience.

I had to go buy new glasses.

 

[FDL S2]

@FDL S2 you might venture off and take diving lessons. This way you can legally inspect the bottom of your own boat. When I say legal I mean having your own tanks to fill or renting tanks. Sure, you can snorkel but that limits your down time to the size of your lungs. That was the reason I got my diving cert. I seldom go in anymore but at least it is still valid.

Diving lessons are something that has always interested me and someday.....but I don't need to dive to clean the bottom. I'm in freshwater and haul out and pressure wash every fall and paint with VC-17 in spring. I occasionally anchor in about 5' of water and scrub with a soft deck brush.

Attached is what my hull looked like when I hauled out this past October.