Diver safety bill moving ahead

[markmud]

Hey, Markmud, I think if you go back and look, you'll find that federal waters extend out to 200 miles (for all intents and purposes) and the required signals are alpha flag/ball/diamond/ball during the day denoting restricted maneuverability, and red/white/red at night, also denoting restricted maneuverability, which is the same as IMO requirements for international waters. State waters of Florida are 3 miles in the Atlantic and 9 miles in the Gulf, and the rules are a rigid dive flag (red with a diagonal white stripe) of appropriate size. There is lots of room for improvement in the regulations, but as has been noted, it doesn't matter if the dive flag is as big as the boat, if the operator isn't paying attention, size doesn't matter.

As big as the Spree is, I still have pleasure craft cut my bow and stern with 4' X 6' Alpha and dive flags flying, and the worst offender is other charter dive boats. Of course, when you get your license from a cracker jack box, it's to be expected.

Hi Wookie,

Thanks for getting in the weeds and explaining the law succinctly. I got lazy and felt that most people who would read my post would either know the law and demarcation lines, as you do, or they wouldn't know.

You and I are on the same page regarding most operators ignoring nav rules and common sense.

You and I also concur about most so-called skippers getting their CG license from a cracker jack's box.

A trip on your vessel is definitely on my bucket list.

markm

 

[Insta-Gator]

Stiffer penalties for boaters who violate demarcations will have to be enforced to get their attention. When a diver is hit by a violating boat, the operator should be charged vehicular assault/homicide.

Perhaps a rotating red light on a masthead would give boaters enough warning, even before they are close enough to see a flag.

 

[Wookie]

What I've noticed in many years of doing this thing is that Fish Cops and the USCG and Park Rangers hate to write tickets. They don't mind writing up the average fishing violation, or the anchoring violation, but if it comes down to anything that some lawyer will fight, they are loath to write a ticket.

So the problem isn't laws or fines or penalties, the problem is getting someone to enforce the laws or impose a fine or uphold a penalty. The system is stacked against the cops and for the guy who runs over Rob's legs. Until that changes, all the laws and fines and penalties won't mean a fart in a windstorm.

 

[kelemvor]

We've also got the problem in Florida of no boating license (and therefore training) being required to drive a boat. Fines and flags are fine, but if the boaters are unaware the best it will do is win you a courtroom argument of "ignorance of the law is no excuse". It won't stop people from getting run over.

Enforcement of the existing regulations, maybe some stiffer ones sure. IMO the number one problem that has been totally ignored is a lack of boat operator education on the matter.

Sure, I know giant ships like the spree require a licensed captain. Isn't it more often the guy driving the 24' speedboat or the 2 seater jetski buzzing dive flags?

If they want to change the dive flag, then larger coded markers (because both the blue/white and red/white flag are a code) aren't going to make a lick of difference. Maybe it should be a big sign that says "Humans swimming in the water around this sign, stay away" in a few languages if the training for boat operators isn't an acceptable solution.

I may be remembering incorrectly, but I think the current bill may mainly be aimed at getting approval for a new type of dive flag, a commercial endeavor

I remember the same thing. This new law was more about some company wanting their product to be legitimized through law rather than being about improving diver safety.

 

[letterboy]

Not quite true, kelemvor.

See: Boating Safety Education FAQs

According to the fwc site before a certain birthdate you are exempt. Ie, if I wanted to drive my boat, I do not need a license. But if my younger sister wanted to drive my boat she would need a license.

 

[Wookie]

Not quite true, kelemvor.

See: Boating Safety Education FAQs

According to the fwc site before a certain birthdate you are exempt. Ie, if I wanted to drive my boat, I do not need a license. But if my younger sister wanted to drive my boat she would need a license.

You are correct. It is an online course offered for free in many cases. And worth exactly what you paid for it.

 

[Littlerayray]

Operators of pleasure craft imho should all be licensed and take a course I took the course and holy man I learned a whole lot it also made me a safer boater nautical navigation laws are a whole lot more complex then the laws of the road and if people took a mandatory course with a mandatory exam they would also learn or at least retain the basics of nautical navigation

 

[letterboy]

You are correct. It is an online course offered for free in many cases. And worth exactly what you paid for it.

Oh, I do not doubt it is worth exactly kaput.

but the requirement is still out there.

just like the driver improvement online courses...

 

[scubadada]

Excuse my perspective, I get tired of posting this. I was struck by a fishing boat hurrying in for a tournament weigh in Delray in August of 2013. It was a typical summer squall and the visibility was zero. My boat had temporarily lost track of our flag. The fishing boat came out of the fog at high speed and ran over our dive flag and me. I made an emergency descent that probably saved my life. The boat driver was ultimately charged with reckless boating, excessive speed for conditions, and no look out. I can only wonder what the charges would have been had he killed or maimed me. The process was clearly boater biased, I felt like I was a nuisance coming up in the ocean on the reef. I have little to no confidence in the Florida dive flag law. Every time I surface, I am ready to rapidly descend to avoid a similar experience.

 

[kelemvor]

You are correct. It is an online course offered for free in many cases. And worth exactly what you paid for it.

I'm taking it tonight since I'm curious and it's free.. they deliberately make you sit on each page for like 30 seconds which makes it painfully slow. I did learn to always dump the sewage as you're leaving or returning to the marina though.