Diving Jupiter, March 26th

[idive2]

*You will be carefully instructed on how to answer for ONLY your name at roll call in a way that is easy for everyone to understand and remember.
*

But will you be provided a tow flag ? I wont be diving but just a tip for those new
divers to the area, it seems that tow flags stop being handed out somewhere
north of boynton ! It's a bit like the wild west up there in jupiter, rules....what
rules....we don't need no stinkin' tow flags ! If any diver splinters off from the guide
method they seem to use you are on your own to surface without a flag, not to mention being located later if the weather changes. I'd recommend at least a
basic safety sausage, i went out and purchased a five foot extra wide zeagle signal tube for my next time up that way....just a heads up, have fun !

Kevin Fort Myers, FL

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I think my house hold the current record to date.... hahahahahaha! lets break it!

I dunno...
How many did you have SLEEP (or attempt to sleep) over at a ConchFest?

 

[simbrooks]

But will you be provided a tow flag ? I wont be diving but just a tip for those new
divers to the area, it seems that tow flags stop being handed out somewhere
north of boynton ! It's a bit like the wild west up there in jupiter, rules....what
rules....we don't need no stinkin' tow flags ! If any diver splinters off from the guide
method they seem to use you are on your own to surface without a flag, not to mention being located later if the weather changes. I'd recommend at least a
basic safety sausage, i went out and purchased a five foot extra wide zeagle signal tube for my next time up that way....just a heads up, have fun !

Kevin Fort Myers, FL

Last time i think we split into groups and followed a flag with the DM. Only on a few boats do they give out a flag to each group of 4 or so - quite rare it seems even south of Boynton.

 

[simbrooks]

where's that report button ......... I'm telling my MOD buddy one you, hi jacker!!!

Unless you have had people over since, you were one shy of Jenny's thing late last year - i posted the figures once, but it was at hers:
Jenny, Julie, Vickie, Darrel, Shyanne (sp?), Jessie, Colin, Kris, Xavier, Pete and myself, makes 11
at yours:
Vickie, Darrel, Shyanne, Jessie, Jenny, Krista, Colin, Kris, Xavier and myself, makes 10.
The Bulla's had 10 as well, if Ian had been born while i was still in the house it might have been 11, or if Joe had stayed overnight : Colin, Kris, Xavier, Jenny, Julie, Vickie, Darrel, Jessie, Krista and myself, 10 again.

 

[idive2]

Last time i think we split into groups and followed a flag with the DM. Only on a few boats do they give out a flag to each group of 4 or so - quite rare it seems even south of Boynton.

actually boynton and all drift diving south of there always give out flags
to each group that has been decided upon, two three, four...whatever !
I was on a boat that had only one tow flag, i don't think planning on keeping
a group of 8 or 10 divers together on one flag is good practice. I had a guide
that was insulted when i asked for a tow flag, he was taken aback a bit when
three of the divers decided to join me with the flag rather than him with his lift bag !

Kevin Fort Myers, FL

 

[simbrooks]

actually boynton and all drift diving south of there always give out flags
to each group that has been decided upon, two three, four...whatever !
I was on a boat that had only one tow flag, i don't think planning on keeping
a group of 8 or 10 divers together on one flag is good practice. I had a guide
that was insulted when i asked for a tow flag, he was taken aback a bit when
three of the divers decided to join me with the flag rather than him with his lift bag !

I do beg to differ, maybe on the boats you go out with, but that is probably not all of them on the east coast, nor i have i hit them all, but i can guarantee that the number of times i have been out of WPB, Boynton, Ft Lauderdale and the Keys i can say that only occassionally do you get a whole slew of flags handed over, often its one for the DM and off you all go following - usually leads to some stragglers who cant follow the flag on their ascents, i agree its not an ideal practice, but it does happen often enough. I have been on a few boats that work out the flag thing on the way out and you all go as you stated, but its not 100% of the boats or dives. I know its not 100% of the time as it has happened on boats i have been on - maybe mine were the exceptions to the rule. Maybe its just the boats you go on and the groups you dive with.... good for you.

 

[KBeck]

Simon, actually, the first two years I dove here (since this is where I live and dove my first 100 dives or so) it was the way the charters I went on ran their boats. Rampage (past tense), DCI, Diversity are just a few off the top of my head who do so. Mid county (Lantana, Boynton, Deerfield) it's the general standard. Though there are others--Kevin, for instance, leads group dives on Splashdown, to name just one.
You are correct, however, that the group dive is more the norm in Jupiter and Ft. Lauderdale. Though American Dream II did put in no less than 6 flag groups last weekend.
Generally these charters cost just a little more.

Either way, in the name of safety, a simple sausage is cheap insurance to have available in the event you get separated from whatever group you are diving in.

 

[Orlando Eric]

I have a flag and float that slides around in the back of my truck that I use in Fort Pierce.. it only has 50' of line on it. I banded it to 20' as the depths are 15' here on a beach dive. But if I bend the throw line I made (60') to it, then you'd have 110' if you want it let me know... feel free to drag it around jupiter all you want..

 

[down4fun]

I think my house hold the current record to date.... hahahahahaha! lets break it!

What kind of crazy group did get hooked up with here :06:

 

[rab]

FYI,
As of 9:30am EST 16-March-05, there are still 4 seats available.

-Rob