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ChrisB [\]
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Fellow Divers, all of us are familiar with the dive flag [\], and what it stands for. But how many of us know where it came from? If youre a history buff like me (or just need to know where something originated), you will appreciate this. It is not written by me, so I have provided the necessary references : )
The diver down flag, or scuba flag, is used on the water to indicate that there is a diver below. It is used to notify to any boats to steer clear for the safety of the diver. It is red with a white stripe from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.
Although its common use is to place it on a boat or on a surface marker buoy, practice about this choice of flag is not uniform worldwide. In some countries, the practice is to use the blue-and-white A-flag. The use of this flag is required by law or regulation in many US states and Canada, as well in several other countries in the world. Usually the regulations require divers to display the flag and to stay within a specified distance of it when they are near the surface. As well there is often a larger zone around the flag where no boats are allowed to pass. Some states also prohibit the display of this flag when there is no diver in water.
Ref: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diver_down_flag
The now-familiar red-and-white dive flag was invented in the early 1950's by Denzel James "Doc" Dockery from Michigan. In 1953, he followed instructions published in Popular Science magazine for building his own scuba unit, and began experimenting with ways to make a living in the brand new sport.
In the course of his work, Dockery found that he needed a warning flag to keep boaters at a safe distance. Since Dockery had served in the U.S. Navy, he was familiar with the red signal flag that's commonly used to connote danger. The Navy's "bravo flag" is solid red.
In order to make his flag distinctive, Dockery decided to make a modification. He asked his wife Ruth to sew a white stripe across the middle of it. They put their stripe horizontal, right down the center from left to right.
Unfortunately, there was a problem with their design. It was the national flag of Austria. They needed something else. A vertical white stripe was out since that's the Navy's numerical number 7 signal flag.
After doing their homework, they decided to make the stripe diagonal. The dive flag, as we now know it, was born.
In order to get it used and recognized, Dockery began selling flags and promoting their use.
In 1956 Ted Nixon from U.S. Divers started buying Dockery's flag from him and distributing them nationally. Nixon became so instrumental in the flag's widespread adoption that many people mistakenly credit Nixon with inventing the flag.
Another boost came from Skin Diver magazine. They mentioned Dockery's flag in a September 1957 editorial and asked their readers to send in their thoughts on the design. In February 1958, they declared the discussion closed, with the "Michigan Divers Flag" as the reader's choice.
In addition to promoting it among divers, Dockery worked to get the flag officially recognized in his home state of Michigan. He was successful, and Michigan became the first state in the union with a diver flag law. Now, thanks to what he started, the federal government and almost every U.S. state officially recognizes Dockery's flag as the official warning sign of a diver down.
Ref: Dive Flags
Chris Whitten
chris-(@)-interesting.com
Dive-Flag.com Webmaster
The diver down flag, or scuba flag, is used on the water to indicate that there is a diver below. It is used to notify to any boats to steer clear for the safety of the diver. It is red with a white stripe from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.
Although its common use is to place it on a boat or on a surface marker buoy, practice about this choice of flag is not uniform worldwide. In some countries, the practice is to use the blue-and-white A-flag. The use of this flag is required by law or regulation in many US states and Canada, as well in several other countries in the world. Usually the regulations require divers to display the flag and to stay within a specified distance of it when they are near the surface. As well there is often a larger zone around the flag where no boats are allowed to pass. Some states also prohibit the display of this flag when there is no diver in water.
Ref: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diver_down_flag
The now-familiar red-and-white dive flag was invented in the early 1950's by Denzel James "Doc" Dockery from Michigan. In 1953, he followed instructions published in Popular Science magazine for building his own scuba unit, and began experimenting with ways to make a living in the brand new sport.
In the course of his work, Dockery found that he needed a warning flag to keep boaters at a safe distance. Since Dockery had served in the U.S. Navy, he was familiar with the red signal flag that's commonly used to connote danger. The Navy's "bravo flag" is solid red.
In order to make his flag distinctive, Dockery decided to make a modification. He asked his wife Ruth to sew a white stripe across the middle of it. They put their stripe horizontal, right down the center from left to right.
Unfortunately, there was a problem with their design. It was the national flag of Austria. They needed something else. A vertical white stripe was out since that's the Navy's numerical number 7 signal flag.
After doing their homework, they decided to make the stripe diagonal. The dive flag, as we now know it, was born.
In order to get it used and recognized, Dockery began selling flags and promoting their use.
In 1956 Ted Nixon from U.S. Divers started buying Dockery's flag from him and distributing them nationally. Nixon became so instrumental in the flag's widespread adoption that many people mistakenly credit Nixon with inventing the flag.
Another boost came from Skin Diver magazine. They mentioned Dockery's flag in a September 1957 editorial and asked their readers to send in their thoughts on the design. In February 1958, they declared the discussion closed, with the "Michigan Divers Flag" as the reader's choice.
In addition to promoting it among divers, Dockery worked to get the flag officially recognized in his home state of Michigan. He was successful, and Michigan became the first state in the union with a diver flag law. Now, thanks to what he started, the federal government and almost every U.S. state officially recognizes Dockery's flag as the official warning sign of a diver down.
Ref: Dive Flags
Chris Whitten
chris-(@)-interesting.com
Dive-Flag.com Webmaster
