DPV and Dive Flags

[MAKO Spearguns]

Why go to the hassle of towing the float around just plonk a little offshore from your entry point and retrieve it when you come in. No point in towing the flag all around with you as you dive.

Thanks for the historical perspective Sam!

As others have mentioned, the idea is to comply with local laws which requires diving within (I think) 100 yards of a dive flag.

If you are going to leave a dive flag unattended, it may not need to be easily towed. On the other hand, it may not be there when you return and you better leave a good trail of bread crumbs - unless you are super good at navigation. No surfacing to take a peek. LOL

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Personally for me it is just not practical to tow a dive flag around with me and would never contemplate it, do your best to comply by displaying a flag and leave it stationary. Towing one whilst using a scooter is not practical at all.

Like others it is also a requirement in my region to display a dive flag and dive within 120m radius of the flag, boats that pass within the 120m radius must not exceed 5knts

However this is often not practical even diving from a boat I would often be beyond the 120m radius of the flag as the boat moves around on the surface and I move around underwater, but the main point being a dive flag is displayed on the dive boat.

On a shore dive I can often navigate back to my entry point to surface under the cover of the flag and collect it, most of those dives I would be well beyond the 120m radius of the flag.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Personally for me it is just not practical to tow a dive flag around with me and would never contemplate it, do your best to comply by displaying a flag and leave it stationary. Towing one whilst using a scooter is not practical at all.

Like others it is also a requirement in my region to display a dive flag and dive within 120m radius of the flag, boats that pass within the 120m radius must not exceed 5knts

However this is often not practical even diving from a boat I would often be beyond the 120m radius of the flag as the boat moves around on the surface and I move around underwater, but the main point being a dive flag is displayed on the dive boat.

On a shore dive I can often navigate back to my entry point to surface under the cover of the flag and collect it, most of those dives I would be well beyond the 120m radius of the flag.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective and I understand that to log thousands of dives must have taken you many years of very active diving. I also recognize that diving conditions, boat traffic, laws and customs as well as other important considerations can result in a wide variety of accepted dive practices in different areas.

I'm curious how you have determined that scootering and pulling a float is impractical. Do you dive in dense kelp beds or around some other type of obstacles that would preclude towing a float?

You experience in this regard is much more extensive than my own, so I'm particularly curious about you opinion on the scootering and float towing issue.

Thanks
dano

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I did not get a response to my question about scootering while pulling a float.

However, there are many scuba divers who pull dive floats using dive scooters. It's not only "practical" it is standard procedure for many of them. Of course they need to be using a streamlined float in order for it to be practical.