Float laws?

[mrmccoy]

I have had an anchor dropped on me and I had an entire dive boat above me with dive flags a flappin'!
I was acting as AI for an OW class in Panama City. We were out on one of PCDC's boats, anchored over the Bart. I had the students together on the roof of the wheelhouse, preparing to make our ascent, when I'm suddenly struck in the back of my tank by a Dansforth anchor that managed to find me after dropping 60' from the surface. After hitting my tank, it slid down on to the back of my legs and dragged me down onto the wheelhouse roof. I managed to get out from under it and watched as it bounced along the top of the wheelhouse between the students and then over the side. Some doofus had pulled up in a fishing boat, maybe fifty feet from the dive boat, and just tossed his anchor over! I was tempted to take the anchor and drag it into one of the Barts holds where he would never retrieve it; but just then, one of the students signaled low on air, so I escorted them up the line. This just shows that dive flags, while required and a good idea, are not foolproof. Especially when the fool in the other boat has no idea what one means!

You should have cut that anchor rope by accident and then recovered an anchor on the next dive!
It seems like they would make a boating class manditory these days but some people are just stupid

 

[NAUIwowee]

...does using such a float bring up special issues that those unused to them should be aware of?

Remember to pay out line from your spool as you descend and take it in as you ascend. Diving something like the jetties at St. Andrews, you will find yourself having to be mindful of this as you move up and down the length of the rocks. Otherwise, you can find yourself having your arm jerked up and down with each passing wave from too short of line or having your float and line tangled up in the rocks on the surface from too much line.

 

[NAUIwowee]

You should have cut that anchor rope by accident and then recovered an anchor on the next dive!
It seems like they would make a boating class manditory these days but some people are just stupid

Yeah, that's what the DM said when I got back on board and told him of it.

 

[NAUIwowee]

Here's a link to the Florida statutes regarding diving and flag use:
Florida Diving Law

 

[Hetland]

A steel 100 on the head........was that under water?

Technically it wasn't dropped on me. I was gearing up on a boat and someone with a tank on spun around smacking me square in the temple. Hard enough for me to see stars.

 

[Hetland]

Remember to pay out line from your spool as you descend and take it in as you ascend. Diving something like the jetties at St. Andrews, you will find yourself having to be mindful of this as you move up and down the length of the rocks. Otherwise, you can find yourself having your arm jerked up and down with each passing wave from too short of line or having your float and line tangled up in the rocks on the surface from too much line.

.. or seeing your flag at 70ft because you pulled it down far enough for the foam to compress and lose buoyancy

 

[NAUIwowee]

.. or seeing your flag at 70ft because you pulled it down far enough for the foam to compress and lose buoyancy

...from experience, I take it?