Dragging a flag

[Trace Malinowski]

We used to have to take a flag underwater when the USCG was patrolling around Casino Island in Alexandria Bay. Those bullet-shaped floats could be submerged. The float would crush as we dropped to 130 feet. It could easily be clipped to a hip or crotch D-ring. You could leave the mast attached when swimming or break it down for scootering. You just stow the mast on the scooter. At the end of the dive, you assemble the mast and launch it just like a DSMB. The float will be wrinkled but will go back to being smooth a day later.

 

[Beau Holden]

Got busted several years ago in a lake in northeast Indiana for not having a dive flag. Game Warden's followed our bubbles and when we surfaced at the boat ramp, there they were. Now, I could have put up a fight that they knew were there but they were within 50 feet of us when we surfaced. But didn't go there. Cost me just shy of $400 fine.

 

[Marie13]

Got busted several years ago in a lake in northeast Indiana for not having a dive flag. Game Warden's followed our bubbles and when we surfaced at the boat ramp, there they were. Now, I could have put up a fight that they knew were there but they were within 50 feet of us when we surfaced. But didn't go there. Cost me just shy of $400 fine.

Wow -$400? Dang.

 

[Beau Holden]

In another lake we would dive, the guys on jet skis were bad about messing with the flags. The priceless look on their face when you would surface and grab a foot. Now that was some funny sh$t. We would have a blast at that, then just slip away.

Then be at the bar and hear them talking about the a-holes that did grabbed their foot and scared them senseless and what they they would to do that SOB. We would just about blow good beer out of our nose laughing so hard.

 

[Beau Holden]

Wow -$400? Dang.

Yep. It was a class 3 misdemeanor.

 

[SubseaSports]

I have thumped the bottom of a jet ski with a pole spear off of LBTS as it finally idled and attempted to pull my buoy.
He took off like a bat out hell.

 

[PBcatfish]

I often use a small grappling hook type anchor with about 2' of 3/16" stainless chain on it, attached to the base of my flag spool. I usually carry it, but I drop it in the sand when I want to take a closer look at something, chase a lobster, spear a fish, etc.

If I want to go fully hands free on the flag, I attach the spool to a D-ring on my BC or Weight belt with a loop of 8# or 10# fishing line & skip the anchor. The fishing line is strong enough to hold the flag in the areas where I normally carry one, but it will break reliably before a boat tows me away. 700 yards of 8# monofilament can be had at Walmart for less than $5. It's a lifetime supply.

A zip tie can be stronger than you might expect. A bungee around your wrist can turn into a problem depending on which direction it gets pulled. Neither of these really can be counted on to break away as reliably as I would like. Neither of these would be my first choice.

 

[boulderjohn]

I often use a small grappling hook type anchor with about 2' of 3/16" stainless chain on it, attached to the base of my flag spool. I usually carry it, but I drop it in the sand when I want to take a closer look at something, chase a lobster, spear a fish, etc.

If I want to go fully hands free on the flag, I attach the spool to a D-ring on my BC or Weight belt with a loop of 8# or 10# fishing line & skip the anchor. The fishing line is strong enough to hold the flag in the areas where I normally carry one, but it will break reliably before a boat tows me away. 700 yards of 8# monofilament can be had at Walmart for less than $5. It's a lifetime supply.

A zip tie can be stronger than you might expect. A bungee around your wrist can turn into a problem depending on which direction it gets pulled.

I thought I would tell a story of some divers that did this.

It was in South Florida, near the Hillsboro inlet. They had a single hunter in the water, and he attached his flag to the reef while he hunted, using the kind of hook you describe. After a while they were surprised to see a commercial dive boat approach while sounding its horn. That boat had to come to them because they did not have their radio on. The commercial dive boat told them that their hunter had strayed far, far, far from that flag and surfaced in the middle of their dive flags. The boat tore off and sped through those flags to get to their diver. It took a while to locate him and get him on the boat, at which time they went back to pick up their flag.

They tried to pull it up, but it was apparently too well affixed to the reef, so they got a good grip on it and held on tight while the skipper throttled to full speed in order to break off a chunk of reef so they could get the flag back. They ignored that damned commercial boat, which was once again sounding its horn for some reason. (They still hadn't turned on their radio.)

They must have realized that they had the wrong flag when they pulled in the line. It took awhile for the commercial boat to get to them to retrieve it because they first had to see if the dive team whose flag had been yanked away was OK.

I was the diver draging the flag on that trip. When I realized a boat was taking off with my flag, I had the sense to let it go and shoot a bag. I am glad I had not made the mistake of attaching it to my BCD.

 

[PBcatfish]

I thought I would tell a story of some divers that did this.

It was in South Florida, near the Hillsboro inlet. They had a single hunter in the water, and he attached his flag to the reef while he hunted, using the kind of hook you describe. After a while they were surprised to see a commercial dive boat approach while sounding its horn. That boat had to come to them because they did not have their radio on. The commercial dive boat told them that their hunter had strayed far, far, far from that flag and surfaced in the middle of their dive flags. The boat tore off and sped through those flags to get to their diver. It took a while to locate him and get him on the boat, at which time they went back to pick up their flag.

They tried to pull it up, but it was apparently too well affixed to the reef, so they got a good grip on it and held on tight while the skipper throttled to full speed in order to break off a chunk of reef so they could get the flag back. They ignored that damned commercial boat, which was once again sounding its horn for some reason. (They still hadn't turned on their radio.)

They must have realized that they had the wrong flag when they pulled in the line. It took awhile for the commercial boat to get to them to retrieve it because they first had to see if the dive team whose flag had been yanked away was OK.

I was the diver draging the flag on that trip. When I realized a boat was taking off with my flag, I had the sense to let it go and shoot a bag. I am glad I had not made the mistake of attaching it to my BCD.

Please see post # 60, at the bottom of page 6. I think that story was already told.

Also, I clearly stated that I use a weak fishing line THAT WILL BREAK RELIABLY before I get pulled away, if I am going to tie off to the gear that is attached to me.

 

[boulderjohn]

Please see post # 60, at the bottom of page 6. I think that story was already told.

Also, I clearly stated that I use a weak fishing line THAT WILL BREAK RELIABLY before I get pulled away, if I am going to tie off to the gear that is attached to me. Did you perhaps miss that detail?

Ooops! Sorry. That was nearly 4 months ago, and at my age I have trouble remembering anything from last week.