See San Diego's waterfront by inflatable boat

By: RICK HOFF - Staff Writer | Friday, September 29, 2006 4:52 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO -- For an ocean adventure that will stick to your ribs, Adventure Rib Rides can provide just the thrill.

Adventure Rib Rides is one of San Diego's newest and most unique water attractions. Based at Harbor Island, Adventure Rib Rides offers public and corporate adventures in and around San Diego Bay while using an authentic Navy SEAL Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB).

"We can tailor the ride to the client's wish," said Ken Manzoni, who launched Adventure Rib Rides on July 4 in partnership with Joe DeFloria, a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and a former Navy SEAL himself.

The Rigid Inflatable Boat is a 32-foot Nautica powered by twin 150-horsepower outboard motors. At full throttle, the RIB gives riders a sense of flying over the surface of the water while reaching speeds up to 45 knots.

"If we get going fast enough, the only thing in the water are the propellers," said DeFloria.

A veteran of two tours in Vietnam and a SEAL for 22 years, DeFloria retired from the Navy in 1987 and has been working with Manzoni for the past 15 years, mostly in charter boat services.

"One of the nice things about being in San Diego is that you can go boating year-around, conditions permitting," said DeFloria, who on a recent afternoon took several riders outside San Diego Bay and past the Point Loma Lighthouse while U.S. and Japanese Navy ships were running training operations nearby.

"We can run any type of scenic tours of the bay," said Manzoni. "We can offer whale-watching, sea-lion watching, photo expeditions and natural history tours."

The only basic limit on the passengers is that they be in good health without any serious back conditions. At high speeds, the ride can sometimes get a bit bouncy as the RIB jumps over swells.

"We have kids come out and have a blast, and we've had grandmas on the boat who loved it," said Manzoni, who also uses the RIB for television and movie production services. Among his movie credits are the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

"We were just doing about two weeks of production work for "Pirates of the Caribbean 3," Manzoni said. "The RIB is great for filming because it sits low in the water and you can maneuver it very close to other boats or objects on the water."

In addition to getting a close look at Navy ships such as destroyers in San Diego Bay, a passenger on the RIB can enjoy a different perspective of other vessels on the bay, including modern home-ported aircraft carriers such as the USS Nimitz or Ronald Reagan, the World War II-era Midway, and the Maritime Museum stalwarts including the Star of India and the Surprise, which was used during filming of "Master and Commander."

Other custom excursions can include treasure hunts and marine research.

The RIB can seat up to six passengers, and Adventure Rib Rides is currently offering a special promotional deal at a group rate of $299 for two hours, which includes fuel, captain and refreshments. The company is also offering a charter excursion from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Sundays for which the public can purchase individual tickets for $55.

Adventure Rib Rides is located in the marina directly behind the East Tower of the Sheraton Hotel & Marina at Harbor Island. For more information, visit www.AdventureRibRides.com, or call (619) 808-2822.