(6/15/05) Someone tried to steal my float while I was under!

[WaterDawg]

Anyway. The potential problem is probably obvious to most of you. For those who dont see the danger: If I had been doing a required deco stop or safety stop from a deep dive, these attempted theives could have cause me to get DCS or worse (depending on the type of diving I was doing and the gas I was using).

Now they would be guilty of theft, but its your actions that dictate if you are going to get DCS or not.

Very true they would not be responsable for your bad judgment calls underwater. They would not have caused you to get DCS you would have done that by placing a 35$ item above your own saftey. I guess you could then sue them for medical bills pain and suffering

 

[pushtin]

Very true they would not be responsable for your bad judgment calls underwater. They would not have caused you to get DCS you would have done that by placing a 35$ item above your own saftey. I guess you could then sue them for medical bills pain and suffering

I should have added that the ski tow line is simply floating on top.. it is most definately not attached to you.. ( for the reason waterdawg stated. ) it CAN be secured to the bottom via a rock, or tied off to something.

I learned about the wonders of ski tow ropes at canyon lake, texas.. (no I wasn't encroaching on a dive float either. ) Some ski boat had stretched a tow rope across a large cove inlet much to the chagrin of myself, and another boater who ran over it. We both had to pull out of the water on our trailers and cut the lines free.

 

[Jacqueline]

my buddy and i were diving in the shenandoah river.
we had our flag out and tied to a rock.
suddenly i feel a sharp pull on my shoulder.
what i find is a fishing lure stuck in my wet suit and am being pulled up.
the woman screams when i surface next to her canoe.
when asked why they were fishing so close to a dive flag , she responds by saying that she thought all the bubbles were caused by fish.
she then demanded that i return her lure.
i cut the line with my knife leaving the lure stuck in my wet suit.
i told her to come and get it and then submerged to resume my dive.

Didn't she even have the common courtesy to apologize to you or ask if you were ok? Fish hooks are sharp and can do damage! What was she thinking?

 

[discrepancy]

Possible solution: To the top of our "diver below" floats or flags, we should conspicuously attach a large flag marked with the "NUCLEAR HAZARD" symbol (attached), or perhaps, "DANGER: TOXIC CHEMICALS".
Then let's see how many dipsticks want to tug our lines.

 

[Mad_diver]

Possible solution: To the top of our "diver below" floats or flags, we should conspicuously attach a large flag marked with the "NUCLEAR HAZARD" symbol (attached), or perhaps, "DANGER: TOXIC CHEMICALS".
Then let's see how many dipsticks want to tug our lines.

But then... Doesn't that make us the Toxic Waste? --------- :11:

Sounds like a good idea but I bet there is some law about using that marking though......

 

[BarryNL]

All kidding aside, when do you need a floating dive flag versus having the dive flag on your boat or shooting a bag to indicate your position once your on your way up? Should you need to tow a floating dive flag when underwater? I can see it's use in shallow waters (rivers, certain lakes, etc.) but not in open water.

The only time I really see there use is in spots where a lot of operators run trips to the same place. Tends to stop the second boat dropping anchor onto the heads of those who got there first.

 

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

CBulla and I are working on a group that educates waterusers, and encourages Law Enforcement in order to save lives and reduce injuries. I have posted in another thread that until the education/enforcement begins, nothing will change. We can't do much about the J.A's that ignore intelligent thinking. We CAN educate those that genuinely DON'T know any better and thereby eliminate ignorance. Does a speed limit stop speeders? No. Do people know what a speed limit is? Yes. Do they still speed? Yes. Once you educate, then you must enforce or remove the desire to speed. To knowingly commit a crime requires three basic elements; ability, opportunity, and desire. The only part of this we can truly affect is the desire. If education and enforcement don't work, I'm all for setting flags on gravitic mines!