Diving regulations and such....

[Kunk35]

Kvalve, that's not a bad idea. That's kind of a cross between an smb and a dive flag. I might have to look into this one. That would take care of being able to carry a dive flag with me, and have an smb in the event of a needed ascent. hmmmmmm.

 

[scubashawn123]

Have't seen anything yet about towing the dive flag. Anyone do this? Is it a good idea or a bad idea? I know part of the bad would be entanglement hazard, but that's a whole other issue. Would it really make a safety difference if the flag was with you at all times? It seems like it would.

I towed dive flags Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Yes they worked way back when with boaters.

Add another task loading item to your list for the dive. It does tangle easy, that makes you stop forward progress and back up slowly to untangle.

In Texas I believe in no flag...........STEALTH approach to diving.

 

[Lake Travis Scuba]

And then come up somewhere else since boaters use those things as targets.

With enough divers in the water, you create a slalom course.

As for pulling a float with you, what if I hook the divers up to Giant Stride with lines to pull the boat as a giant dive flag? It would certainly be noticed by the other boaters since I fly several flags and divers would always ascend directly to the boat. I would need to change the boat name from Giant Stride to Giant Dive Flag. Comments???

 

[Kunk35]

I think the number one problem is that as is the norm in this country, any idiot can do anything he wants without knowing much about it. I find it ironic that most people are exempt from "Mandatory boating courses", until they are caught breaking the law. Kinda seems like they are closing the barn door after the animals get out. Heaven forbid they make people take a course and have to pass a test in order to operate something that can kill another person. This kind of crap is what causes people to get so frustrated in the system to go out and take things into their own hands and do something about the poeple that are breaking the rules.

I still haven't found if it actually says somewhere that we have to stay within a certain distance of the dive flag when we dive.

Maybe we as divers need to mount a dive flag awareness around here in the lakes we dive in. Distribute rules and regs, (if we can find them), around to marina's, dive shops, boat repair facilities, etc. Post some signs at boat ramps. Of course, the signs will have to have pictures, since bubba has a problem making out the words.....

I think Lake Travis Scuba needs to branch out and set up franchises at all the local bodies of water. I like having that big dive flag following me when I dive.

 

[thevalkyry]

As for pulling a float with you, what if I hook the divers up to Giant Stride with lines to pull the boat as a giant dive flag? It would certainly be noticed by the other boaters since I fly several flags and divers would always ascend directly to the boat. I would need to change the boat name from Giant Stride to Giant Dive Flag. Comments???

Hee!!! Does this mean you can lower your prices since you would need less gas??

 

[PvilleStang]

We dove out at Panama City Beach back a few spring breaks ago. The park we were in required you be within 100' of your dive flag at all times (in other words, needed to tow it). It was indeed one of the bigger pains, dealing with the flag and the shifting tides, and made for a horrible experience, but at least we didn't get hacked to pieces by a local boater.

 

[Lake Travis Scuba]

Hee!!! Does this mean you can lower your prices since you would need less gas??

The reduction in gas fee is offset by the spotter service fee.....Plus, I am offering a chance to increase kick power while diving. We'll see if split fins really improve diver performance or not.