Are DSMB's required by law? (Florida or elsewhere?)

[bradlw]

OK, so in my family's recent OW cert course (and my refresher class) teh instructor mentioned something about a Florida law requiring every diver to carry a DSMB

Is that true?
and if so, are there any specifics or conditions around that?

They weren't provided DSMB's with their rental gear for the checkout dives....not that it would have made any sense at all for day 1 at Blue Gratto, but day 2 was at Rainbow River, where there is boat traffic, etc.. so while it wouldn't make total sense to need one there (the instructor/DM was towing a flag), it might make a little more sense in case a diver gets split away from the group
then
on our recent Key Largo trip, no DSMB's were provided with their rental gear there either (diving from a chartered boat)

So what's the deal? Was the instructor repeating bad info.?

 

[tursiops]

Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

Flag required in Florida, not a DSMB.
Other places, it varies.

 

[Lostdiver71]

There is no law in Florida requiring a DSMB, but most charter boats do require one. Many charter boats will also loan or rent one to you if required. As a survivor of being lost at sea before DSMB’s were common I recommend that everyone carry one on all dives!

 

[bradlw]

All my experience was before DSMB's were a thing...at least in the mainstream recreational world. Safety Suasage SURFACE markers were becoming popular and of course seemed like a great idea

but most charter boats do require one

Do you find that they require a deployable marker or is a surface marker sufficient? (especially if someone in each buddy group had a DSMB and a spool)

 

[tursiops]

Do you find that they require a deployable marker or is a surface marker sufficient? (especially if someone in each buddy group had a DSMB and a spool)

You can deploy a DSMB at the surface. You can't always deploy an SMB from depth. Get a DSMB and learn to use it.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @bradlw

I only dive in Palm Beach County, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach, and Jupiter.

The boats I use in Boynton Beach do not put a guide in the water and each group or individual takes a dive flag. The operators I use in Palm Beach and Jupiter put a guide in the water with a flag. You may ascend with the guide at the end of the dive or you can ascend separately on your DSMB. All these operators require you to carry an SMB. As I always have a flag in Boynton and always have a DSMB in Palm Beach and Jupiter, I don't actually know whether the requirement is for a DSMB or a surface deployed SMB. It would be easy to ask the operators.

EDIT: Yes, if a diver or divers want to ascent early in Boynton Beach, they can ascend on the flag of their previous group.

 

[BoltSnap]

I have always dove with a DSMB and a spool for the past 25 years or so, even when it wasn't required by anyone. I use one where I live and dive where NO ONE would know anything about it or require it. I carry a flag on a float when I am diving from shore, almost always, but this is different from a DSMB. I use both a float with a flag and a DSMB when I need a float with a flag, but always a DSMB even when I don't need a float with a flag. Frequently, I'd carry TWO DSMBs with reels/spools when diving off-shore or when conditions require it for a spare, in my opinion.

 

[bradlw]

ok, with the contect of that location we're talking drift diving.
Way back in the day the boats would typically put a DM in the water with a float/flag
Sometimes the bigger boats would give additional floats to one of the more experienced divers in each "drift group", which would be multiple divers in each group, not just two.

Not that I ever remember this being a thing, but if someone in the drift group wanted to come up early they would just ascent on their group leader's float line.

Thinking forward I suppose there was no good solution for someone wanting to split off from a group and remain on the dive. I just think that wasn't a thing back then!

But yes, that's a great point..... if a diver got distracted and lost site of the group, then they would have to free ascend. Shallow dive they could just deploy a surface marker after surfacing.... but on something deeper then a deployable bouy makes great sense!

So that makes me think that the best answer is go ahead and invest in deployable bouys for everyone but everyone just may not need a spool until the dive requires it.... (deep, drift, current, and or rough seas)
does that seem reasonable?

 

[BoltSnap]

So that makes me think that the best answer is go ahead and invest in deployable bouys for everyone but everyone just may not need a spool until the dive requires it.... (deep, drift, current, and or rough seas)
does that seem reasonable?

No, get a DSMB with a spool from day one.

 

[fred32176]

I don't know of any Florida law requiring a DSMB. When I dive springs I do not take a DSMB unless I want to practice deploying one. When I drift dive a navigable waterway like rainbow river I do not take a DSMB, but someone in the group must drag a flag. When I do a big boat in the keys, I take a DSMB but am not required to bring one. When I drift dive off West Palm, the dive operator requires everyone to have a SMB or DSMB.

No law, just whatever is appropriate for the dive.