Dive Flags

[D M I]

Hello

I'm 100% convinced now that all boaters are absolutely stuped when it come to identify a divers flag. I had another flag removed from our dive site and thrown onto the beach today by a boater. I wish the hell they would start making dive flags again that actually say "DIVERS BELOW Don't touch this Flag", for the mentaly challenged boaters and jet skiers out there.

D M I

 

[Groundhog246]

I can't agree with the ALL boaters or even all PWC owners/operators. That's like saying all the other drivers on the road don't know traffic laws. Yes, there are a few (too many) who don't have a clue. The Operators Proficiency Card for baoter was supposed to eliminate (or at least reduce) the number of uninformed, but has not, as far as I can tell, made any real difference. For good or bad, here in Ontario (in fact I think all Canada), we don't have a law requiring dive flags be set by divers or repected by boaters. Yes the CCG material says a boat "should" stay at least 100ft from a dive flag (which for a set flag is way too close), but there is no law and no punishment for failing to do so. As well there's no real enforcement of most of the boating laws anyway. The only one I see the OPP actively doing anything about is alcohol. I've seen more than one OPP vessel weave through a marked anchorage full of boats leaving a generous wake behind and for that there is a law.

Having had flags "depart" on their own when the wind shifted (my fault), how was your flag tethered? Any chance it had broke loose and some boater picked it up and returned it to the beach? I find it odd, that a boater with enough courtesy to put the flag on shore, would remove it in the first place.

 

[D M I]

Hello

Well! ok maybe I'm being a little nasty calling all boater dumb there are some excellent capt out there. My dive flag was cut and thrown onto the beach because the boater wanted to anchor were dive flag was place just about 1500 feet off shore. I did get the flag back and yes I had a major confrontation with that Jerk, I almost belted the guy for being so ignorant and mouthy. This happened one other time with a Jet skier who grabbed our fag with his hand and drove off with my friends reel at the end of it. I can't wait for the fall when the algae and pollen die off and the water becomes super clear and most of all the boaters vanish.

D M I

 

[Groundhog246]

D M I once bubbled...
My dive flag was cut and thrown onto the beach because the boater wanted to anchor were dive flag was place just about 1500 feet off shore. I did get the flag back and yes I had a major confrontation with that Jerk,

In a case like that, I might be very tempted to a little anchor "harvesting". Or go down and look for a place to securely jam the anchor under a rock, etc, so he can't retrieve. I had one boat early this summer, I was going to go remove his prop, but my buddy talked me out of it.

I've heard more than one Jet Ski story, including one where the diver had 1/4" line from the flag tied to his BC and the jetskier was pulled of his machine when the line went tight. It was apparently an interesting encounter when the divers surfaced with the "offender" still in the water swimming back to his ride.

 

[JJ1]

I looked up once to see 2 jet ski's doin 8's around my flag and a channel marker.........from 100 feet down it looked kinda neat - although I still wish I had a spear gun

 

[simcoediver]

I usually use my own boat when I dive and I know that Groundhog 246 does as well. I always have a dive flag on my boat and a person on the the boat to watch for other boaters coming too close,which has happened a few times, but they usually move away when my boat attendant waves the flag. But Ive always wondered if I reported to the OPP the registration number of a boat or seadoo that completly ignored the dive flag If the OPP would act upon it?

 

[Atticus]

Last month I had a boater "rescue" my SMB while I was deco'ing on it. I was about 15' from the dive flag that I had attached to a buoy (practicing playing with the new SMB).

As you can imagine, I was none too happy when someone started pulling my line up from the other end.

Fortunately they tossed it on the beach - when I finished my deco and came up they were no where to be found, but a couple that was laying on the beach described what happened.

I've cursed under my breath more than once about water skiiers that like to cut inside our dive flag at high speed...

 

[Groundhog246]

I think my conclusion from all this, is it's best to be diving in groups and keeping one or more persons topside. Perhaps keep a flare gun handy in case they really need to get the other boats attention (flares will go sideways too, not just up).

 

[Atticus]

What a marvelous idea! :flame:

I've _talked_ about dragging a pellet gun up to the lake, but you're right - a flare gun would be much classier.

 

[bottom_sucker]

There was great post here a few months back about building a Sidewinder Missle look-a-like to mount on your dive boat to 'discourage' problem boaters. Was pointed out to me by Butch103.

May work for you......

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sailor570/pwchelp.htm




Dave