Non-trip report in Pompano Beach FL

[tekkydiver]

Yea, yea, yea. Broken record. So the answer is everyone buy their own boat? Wouldn’t that just be swell? You know how well that would turn out.

No... not recommending more recreational boat ownership. Owning and operating a personal boat requires a much higher level of competence than required by law and displayed by many recreational boaters. What is required is better oversight on commercial dive operations. Perhaps local marine law enforcement and/or the Coast Guard could be more involved.

 

[scubadada]

The only thing I see relatively commonly is diving on a SMB, with no flag. I'm not talking about starting on a group drop with a flag and then surfacing later on a SMB.

The significance is an SMB has no standing, it is little more than debris in the water, while the law outlines regulations requiring vessel operation around a dive flag. Dive flags provide the minimum of protection especially when the dive op can be more than a mile away. I would like to see the flag laws improved... Say a 24' flag on a 48" staff. And dive boats can be no more than 500 yards from their divers.

Just to be clear, I'm talking about diving with no flag and deploying the SMB only at the end of the dive for pick up.

 

[tekkydiver]

Spot on. Agree 1000%.

@tekkydiver Let's be real. The VAST majority of us will never own a boat and for those of you that do, you don't want us too! For the rest of us, we need to do what @Ana suggests and if/when things go south with an operator, voice your opinion and let your money talk by using other operators if necessary.

I have zero objections to personal boat ownership. Lots of ocean out there and except weekends and holidays I have it to myself most times. I would only insist on having a vessel properly equipped and the Capt. have knowledge of not only the laws, but what is usual and customary out on the water. Operating a vessel should require proven ability, even if it is a minimum standard. That said, having a boat down here is a complete game changer. You dive when you want and with who(m) you want. Never locked in to where an op wants to go, or if they take votes from a boat full of rookies or have to listen to the know-it-alls that dive a whole 4 times a year. Plus f I see a school of Tuna busting I can even stop and do some fishing. Enough can't be said of consistantly having the right crew of friends and family

 

[tekkydiver]

Just to be clear, I'm talking about diving with no flag and deploying the SMB only at the end of the dive for pick up.

More than once I have to baby sit divers from dive ops who were unable to see SMB and had completely lost contact with their customers.

 

[johndiver999]

The Coast Guard apparently has zero interest in enforcing the dive flag laws for local commercial diver operators. If they did, the practices would be significantly different with respect to smb's, flags etc.

 

[RyanT]

They are nice boats regardless of what they are named!! I believe Sea Dog became Marin and Sea Siren became Aurelia. Do I have that correct?

I think that is correct. PVD runs a good show!

 

[Ana]

No.... No... No... I highly recommend Pompano, south all the way to Hollywood.

Pay attention to the thread ... there are no good boats in Pompano, people should stay away

 

[Johnoly]

The Coast Guard apparently has zero interest in enforcing the dive flag laws

You are correct.
Florida dive flag laws are Florida law 327.331. It is the FWC that enforces dive flag laws, not USCG.

 

[Manatee Diver]

The Coast Guard apparently has zero interest in enforcing the dive flag laws for local commercial diver operators. If they did, the practices would be significantly different with respect to smb's, flags etc.

You are correct.
Florida dive flag laws are Florida law 327.331. It is the FWC that enforces dive flag laws, not USCG.

As noted FWC enforces it, mostly on divers. Because enforcing it on boaters would take effort of basically setting up a trap and seeing if anyone springs it or simply staying around dive boats on a busy weekend.

 

[scubadada]

I have posted this several times. I went diving on Delray Ledges on Aug 3., 2013. We went down in beautiful weather and came up in a violent summer squall, zero visibility, horizontal rain. A center console fishing boat came racing over the reef to make weigh in for a fishing tournament and ran right over the flag I was holding in my hand. Fortunately, I made an emergency descent and was barely clipped on one foot. I got sutured up and was OK. There was an extensive FWC investigation, I was interviewed in the ER and again at home the next day. The boat was cited for unsafe speed, no lookout, and reckless boating. I wrote to the FWC and asked what it would have been had they killed me. I never got a response. Dive flags...