Purpose-Built Workboats: The Support Heroes of MV DiveRACE Class X

When people think about a luxury liveaboard like MV DiveRACE Class X, they often picture spacious cabins, wide dive decks, and world-class diving in Thailand’s Similan Islands. What many don’t immediately notice, however, are the custom-designed workboats operating quietly alongside the mothership—playing a critical role in diver safety, efficiency, and overall experience.

At DiveRACE, these workboats are not off-the-shelf tenders. They are purpose-built dive support vessels, designed specifically to work in tandem with MV DiveRACE Class X and to meet the real demands of professional diving operations.

Why Custom Workboats Matter in Liveaboard Diving

In Thailand, diving conditions can change quickly. Currents, surface chop, and long distances between sites mean that tender boats must be stable, powerful, and easy to operate. A poorly designed workboat can slow operations, exhaust divers, and introduce unnecessary safety risks.

That’s why DiveRACE invested in custom-designed workboats that prioritise diver handling, durability, and operational control—especially when managing fully equipped divers exiting the water after long or technical dives.

We named them – Dive RED and Dive BLUE!

---

HDPE Construction: Built for Strength and Simplicity

The backbone of these workboats is HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene). A material increasingly used in professional marine applications worldwide.

HDPE offers exceptional structural strength while remaining lightweight. It does not corrode, does not rust, and is highly resistant to UV exposure, saltwater, and impacts. For dive operations in Thailand, this translates to lower maintenance, longer lifespan, and higher reliability compared to traditional fiberglass or aluminium boats.

From an operational standpoint, HDPE also absorbs impact better. This is ideal when boats come alongside MV DiveRACE Class X repeatedly throughout the day.

Stability by Design: 4.6m x 2.3m Dimensions

Measuring 4.6 metres in length and 2.3 metres in width, these workboats are designed with a wide beam that delivers excellent stability on the surface. This is especially important when divers are reboarding with heavy tanks, stage bottles, or camera equipment.

The stable platform reduces roll, making exits and entries safer and less physically demanding—an often overlooked but critical detail for diver fatigue management.

Reliable Power: 50HP Yamaha Outboard Motor

Powering each workboat is a 50HP Yamaha outboard motor, chosen for its proven reliability, fuel efficiency, and ease of servicing in Thailand.

This power setup allows the boats to respond quickly to changing conditions, manage surface currents effectively, and provide confident diver pickups even in less-than-ideal seas. Smooth acceleration and responsive throttle control also improve overall safety when operating close to divers in the water.

Designed for Divers: Removable Side Door and Heavy-Duty Ladder

One of the standout features of these custom workboats is the removable side door paired with a heavy-duty foldable ladder.

Unlike traditional bow or stern ladders, this side-entry system allows divers to climb out of the water more naturally—especially when wearing twinsets, sidemount rigs, or heavy recreational setups. The ladder is engineered to handle repeated use under load, reducing strain on both divers and crew.

This design significantly improves diver comfort, shortens surface intervals, and enhances safety during reboarding.

Central Helm Control for Precision Handling

The central control panel, complete with steering wheel and engine controls, gives the operator excellent visibility and balance. This layout improves manoeuvrability when approaching divers, positioning alongside reefs, or docking with MV DiveRACE Class X.

Better control means smoother operations—and smoother operations mean a more relaxed, professional dive experience for everyone on board.

---

Seamless Integration with MV DiveRACE Class X

These workboats are not independent units; they are an extension of MV DiveRACE Class X itself. Every design choice supports efficient dive operations, whether ferrying divers to shallow reefs, assisting drift dives, or providing safety cover during training and exploration dives.

Together, they form a complete dive platform, allowing DiveRACE to operate safely, comfortably, and professionally across Thailand’s most iconic dive destinations.

---

Built with Purpose, Built for the Future

At DiveRACE, we believe that great diving experiences are built on details most people never see. These custom HDPE workboats are a perfect example—quietly delivering safety, comfort, and performance dive after dive.

When you step aboard MV DiveRACE Class X, you’re not just joining a dive trip. You’re diving with a system that has been thoughtfully designed, engineered, and refined to support divers at every stage—above and below the surface.