So here's the scoop...I've been asked to help in the creation of a motion simulator a few local companies are developing for boats. It's still in the early stages of development, and the test model they're working on will consist of a floor equpiped with transducers, a console and a plasma TV.

We're going out on a boat this Tuesday to record initial video and audio for the test model. We plan to mount the camera somewhere on the top of the boat (it's a small boat, I'd say around 25 feet). The video right now isn't as important as the audio, since it's an early test model. So I plan to use my ZR20 to get a picture.

The audio is the most important part, since the transducers underneath the floor will convert the sound waves to vibrations that add a sense of realism to the whole thing. We want one mic up front to catch the chop of the waves, and one in the back to pick up the engine.

What I need suggestions for is what kind of mics I should use, and how I should record this. I have access, through Cinevic Victoria (http://www.cinevic.ca/Rentals/equiprates.htm), to a few selections of mics and mixers that I could use, but they don't really have a suitable recording device (I'd love to use the Nagra but I'd rather avoid the complication of getting the tape digitized). My next thought was Minidisc, but I've found from prior experiences that I don't have much control over the input level, which will be very important for the loud twin engines.

So, any suggestions would be welcome! If anybody in Vancouver knows of a place where I can rent the equipment I need, please let me know.

Since this is primarily an audio question, I have moved it to Now Hear This.

Consider using boundary mics for this. The thumps will translate VERY well, in addition to other audio.
http://www.audiotechnica.com/guide/type/index.html#boundary

As far as the deck goes, you can obtain any number of digital recording devices, but if you've got a DV camera, why not just use the audio inputs on that?
Mini disc is an inexpensive answer, but the iRiver seems to be a great tool, there are many battery powered preamps. I use the small Samson MT?4 for my field work, feeding the camera. 3 9volt batts power it.

Thanks Doug! I ruled out DV and Minidisc mainly because I can't control the audio levels easily (I got a cheap DV camera), and I want to make absolutely sure it never peaks. Also, since this will be a surround sound setup I want to separate the engine noise from the chop of the waves. I'm hoping to record one mic to the left channel and the other to the right so I can split them up later, but I'm open to other options of how to achieve this.

Just a thought, I have no idea how well a contact transducer would work. These are usually used on grand pianos. You'd want an actual mic too for picking up a more natural mix of sounds, but a contact transducer wouldn't be open to water damage and could isolate certain aspects better.