Questions on towing a dive flag.

[mrAnthony]

Got it

I started young. My folks had a place at the beach. When I was a kid I used to fill the pockets of my cut-offs with rocks and tie a garden hose to the boat ramp pilings and jump in and sit there on the bottom with the other end of the hose in my mouth and watch the fish swim around. Everyone though I was an idiot. They might have been right.

When I got old enough to drive I went and got certified. I think it was like $60 bucks back then. LOL

 

[CT-Rich]

Always keep the flag within 50’. RI enforces it pretty hard, at least on the diver side of the equation. I keep the line off to the side as much as possible, paying attention to keeping it clear of me. It does occasionally catch my fin strap, but that is more annoying than anything else. It takes practice, but is hardly brain surgery, and for $50 a ticket, not a DFD.

Spear fishing I can see it as a hassle, most that I have seen either put a flag on their boat/kayak or have small anchor weight that they drop where they are hunting. A DSMB is A) not a flag B) not going to stay erect in the water unless it is weighted or you are actively keeping it under tension.

Personally I have found dragging the flag around to be much less of a hassle than most of the insta-buddies I have been asked to drag around....

 

[dberry]

The entanglement hazard is definitely real. @AfterDark was kind enough to show me around King's Beach, RI a couple of years ago. There was a fair amount of surge, which led to some slack in the line. Next thing I know I'm seriously entangled, and AD was getting ready to cut the line off me. Fortunately we sorted it out without cutting tools.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Brilig

@lowviz
@rhwestfall
@mrAnthony

and all the rest ...

You are very verbose about the uninformed boaters vs the red and white dive flag

What have you done to collectively and individually educated them about the rules & regulations regarding the divers flag?

Have you created and distributed a small business card describing the divers flag purpose ?
Have you produced a dive flag poster for all the marinas and boat ramps in your area ?

Have you made presentations to the boating, yachting, sailing and fishing clubs in your area?

IF you have then you certainly have a legitimate concern-- if not time to get to work

Educate the uninformed !

Sam Miller, III
cc
@Wookie

 

[lowviz]

@lowviz
...//...
and all the rest ...

You are very verbose about the uninformed boaters vs the red and white dive flag

What have you done to collectively and individually educated them about the rules & regulations regarding the divers flag?

Me? Nothing, nor do I intend to.

I don't care if anyone is able to identify an alpha or diver's flag. I say make them optional for personal use. Like motorcycle helmets.

Boat at anchor, much different story.

...//... and all the rest ...You are very verbose ...

Welcome to ScubaBoard!

 

[TMHeimer]

I use a similar flag as described by the OP when shore diving around N.Y., mostly very shallow dives in CT. I have learned the following:
--Hold the "handle" far enough from your body to avoid line entanglement with your tank, etc.
...maybe arm even straight out.
--Hold it so the (tidal?) current moves the line away from you.
--Keep the line away from your (split!!!) fins.....
--When surfacing, first check where the line is, then angle up and away from it, especially if you are not reeling it in to end the dive.
Most of this stuff probably not so relevant on dives deeper then 30'.

I don't use a flag in Nova Scotia. Hardly ever see a boat. Not even sure what the laws are. Of course when I was assisting on courses we used a float tied to a mooring. But when skills time was over and some touring around time happened, no flags were towed. Could be the classes were within legal distance of the training float.

 

[Bert van den Berg]

Don't tow a dive flag he anymore. The last time it attracted too much attention. Now I send up a dsmb when ascending in an area with boats running around.

 

[TMHeimer]

Me? Nothing, nor do I intend to.

I don't care if anyone is able to identify an alpha or diver's flag. I say make them optional for personal use. Like motorcycle helmets.

Boat at anchor, much different story.

Welcome to ScubaBoard!

Agree with the basic idea of being responsible in deciding whether to tow one or not. Akin to seatbelts, helmets, etc. (NH still the only state/province with no seat belt law if over 18). The difference with the flag is that if a boater kills you the captain has to live with that, so it's not just you that's affected. One may compare that to seatbelts/helmets, but I think it is a bit different. The boater can't see you if you're just below the surface or surfacing, so if no flag, it can't ever be the boater's fault.

 

[Anthony A.]

Watch from 1:30 onwards. Imagine getting snagged by this tool

 

[scubadada]

Watch from 1:30 onwards. Imagine getting snagged by this tool

Wow. In 2013, I was hit by a fishing boat speeding in for weigh in for a tournament during a zero visibility summer squall off Delray, FL. He had to run over the flag to get me. I did an emergency descent, barely hurt and here to talk about it.