Alpha flag when shore diving

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Is it allowed to use the Alpha flag (blue & white) with the regular red & white flag when beach diving in Florida? With all flags looking the same it can be hard to find the flag on the surface when diving in an area like Blue Heron Bridge where visibility can be really bad and you lost your buddy.

I know the Alpha flag is mainly used on boats when they are tied down, just trying to figure out if FWC will have an issue if I do beach dives with it.
 
Your right. Alpha is on vessels with diving ops but as long as you flying the red and white divers down flag in state waters you should be fine regardless of what other flags you're flying. More flags mean more wind resistance and drag though. Maybe just add a piece of surveyors tape to your flagpole.
 
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BTW, it is Alfa not Alpha. It follows the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. Don't feel bad, I'm sure you can find dozens of my posts that got it wrong.


Alfa flag, Able flag before 1955​

Flag-Alpha.png
The diving flag recognized today by Admiralty law and the ICS (International Code of Signals) is the Alfa flag. It's current meaning is: "I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed."

This is why you often see both flags on dive charter boats, especially those with a licensed captain onboard.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the alfa flag intended to indicate limited maneuvering capability (associated with diving)? It would then not be correct to display it without it being flown from a vessel, no?
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the alfa flag intended to indicate limited maneuvering capability (associated with diving)?

That is what it meant when I was in Navy boot camp in the 1969 but it changed along the way. I believe that dredging and cable laying were mentioned.

For other readers, signal flags can be used to spell words out or for a specific meaning when flown alone.

U.S. Navy Signal Flags and their Meaning
 
I think it's underwater operations which covers allot other than diving.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the alfa flag intended to indicate limited maneuvering capability (associated with diving)? It would then not be correct to display it without it being flown from a vessel, no?
 
You are correct. The underwater ops comes from rule 27.
 

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Alfa is only for when it is impractical to show all lights in 27 for restricted in ability. Like on 30' dive boats. 👍
 
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