Dive flag ignorance

[Beau640]

I would argue the dive operation was still in progress. Michigan law does not state that divers need to be submerged to fly the flag, just that the operation needs to be in progress. Do boats who are flying a flag take it down while divers are aboard having their surface interval before heading back in the water? No. While we are changing tanks and heading back out I would say the diver operation still is in progress.

Anyways, let's focus on the topic of should we even be using floats in the first place. The law says we have to. Let's pretend there is no one to enforce the law and you have no risk of a ticket. Is taking a float with you actually dangerous? What is safer: no float, anchored float, or towed float?

 

[SCRedWolf]

Back on topic,hope you can report the incident and perhaps local authorities will better support our longevity as divers.

Hmmm, business opportunity: create dive buoy with built-in motion detection camera. It takes 360-degree video whenever it detects activity within 50 feet. At the very least they might ID the boat that made you look like the backside of a manatee.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Beau640, perhaps you should stick a brochure pocket on it and leave some flyers that read: BOATERS, PLEASE TAKE ONE.

The flyers will be educational, of course, with no foul language. Maybe like those bumper stickers that say "if you can read this, you're too close"

 

[Nemrod]

I really wish that Glock would make a salt water version of the Model 19. If I could only get my hands on a bit of plutonium. But what the hell. If you never hear from me again, I understand there is a good SCUBA in Guantanamo. You think these people in charge of the world motor think that they can put pandora back in the box?

N

 

[chillyinCanada]

You think you'll be scuba diving at Guantanamo? LOL

It's far more likely you'll be boarding.

 

[Nemrod]

You think you'll be scuba diving at Guantanamo? LOL

It's far more likely you'll be boarding.

Oh, it is all good and besides, I can hold my breath forever.

Just because one can no longer purchase a chemistry set does not mean we have forgotten chemistry.

I guess if there might were to be mushroom cloud off Fort Lauderdale then one might consider somebody pulled up the wrong dive flag just for fun.

Ignorance is not an excuse for being an idiot.

N

 

[NAM001]

Well it took about 10 minutes to swap tanks out and get back to buoy so for 10 minutes yes although we were within about 150 feet of the buoy while gearing up and heading back out. I didn't mean we were sitting on shore grilling and drinking beers for an hour watching.

I would have left it anchored also. My opinion is that as long as it is being displayed than diving operations is being engaged in. I don't have to be in the water to be engaging in diving operations. I have never seen a dive boat retire the flag between dives. With the events you have described I would think it would be a divers hazard to set and retrieve the flag each dive.

 

[AfterDark]

Anyways, let's focus on the topic of should we even be using floats in the first place. The law says we have to. Let's pretend there is no one to enforce the law and you have no risk of a ticket. Is taking a float with you actually dangerous? What is safer: no float, anchored float, or towed float?

It would depend on the dive I'm doing. When I quahog dive I use a float to hang the bag full of hogs from during the swim back to shore. In strong current I sometimes like to have the security of a surface float. There are several places I choose to dive where the boats can easily be considered overhead obstacles, when diving those places I use a flag and always surface under it. There are also places where I dive for lobsters that have lobster pots everywhere. To try and tow a float around these spots is futile. The tow line is always getting caught by the pot maker lines. At these spots I use my SMB with the flag sewn onto it. If I need to surface I deploy the SMB and come up under it.

IMO where, when and how to use of any piece of equipment used by divers should be determined only by divers.

 

[clownfishsydney]

On shore dives we do not use a flag, mainly because it is impossible to use as boats have no idea what it means.

On our boat we always have a flag up when diving. It is amazing that so many boats, mostly fishers, come within very close distances, and at high speeds, when it is very , very obvious we are diving.

 

[SCRedWolf]

On shore dives we do not use a flag, mainly because it is impossible to use as boats have no idea what it means.

On our boat we always have a flag up when diving. It is amazing that so many boats, mostly fishers, come within very close distances, and at high speeds, when it is very , very obvious we are diving.

A lot of it is just plain ignorance. Boat operators think if we're 60 feet down how could they be a hazard to us. They simply fail to realize that every dive begins and ends at the surface and that we don't always have the option of surfacing right next to the dive boat. Perhaps they think we're some sort of clandestine warriors that have secret underwater launch and recovery tubes underneath the dive boats.