Fight with Dumb Boater in Lauderdale

[gbrandon]

CBulla once bubbled...


I dont know if I should take that as an insult or pass it off as someone who has not successfully finished a fight regardless of the outcome. Think of me as optimistic.

Not a insult at all. Im just trying to point out the futility in politics.
Case in point, speed limits. When you can cross a "imaginary" line and something is legal at one speed there, but not legal on the other side of the line, then something tells me that as a country, the US has alot of growing up to do. Call it trivial, but all these things add up. As a second case in point, look at the medical marijauna laws. Several states have had the people speak, and the goverment stomps thier foot and tells them the law is no good. So basically what the federal goverment says is law and whatever the voting public speak is subject to goverment approval. So now you tell me, if a state cant even get a federal approval on the voters decisions , then what hope do we have? I can go on and on, but why bother? Like you said, this isnt the political discussion forum.

 

[Dive_Girl PNW]

A few weeks ago with a class I was teaching up in Hood Canal, Washington. The area surrounding the dive site was packed with fishing boats and we carefully placed the float where we thought it would be out of the way. We had just reached shore after dive 1 when I turned to look at my dive float....I couldn't see it. There was just a boat in its place revving its engine because it was caught on something. That something was MY FLOAT!!! :wacko: The revved a little more and out shot my float. I gave it a minute to see if the float was sinking (and to calm down). I told my students to head in as re-donned my gear to swim over and have a chat with the fishermen.

I had a stern, but respectful conversation that allowed me to get my point across about the laws of dive floats (boats must stay 100' away from a dive float the state of Washington) and why the laws are there to protect us divers. I don't want to come up into their prop, and I am pretty sure they don't want that either. I also acknowledged that I know they just wanted to catch some fish. Hey, the waters are big enough for all of us. All the other boats in the area that could listen in were and so I addressed them regarding the safety issue too and they all acknowledged they would stay clear of my float.

Although I was screaming inside (like I should have to ask for my students' safety!!!!), I held a calm/diplomatic front. I felt it was the best all-around way to handle the situation involving students. Had I been recreationally diving, I would have been more inclined to have responded similiar to Jonnyreb. To be honest, I still can't believe they ran my float down (not a small float mind you) and we could have been coming up under it. ARGH!

I'm sorry to hear others have had the same issues.

 

[FredT]

You did _ask_ though.

CBulla, As one that is will ing to show up you need to be slauted.

Just be aware of the fact that what you ask for may not be what oyou get unless the homeork is done by YOU! As a rule the Politicians won't do it

BTW the NRA has free grassroots seminars that explain how this system works, and how to work within it to get things done. The methods they give you are both simple and effective if you have done your homework. The fact the system as it stands sucks doesn't mean it can't be effectivly "gamed." :tease:

FT

 

[CBulla]

gbandon - you asked: So now you tell me, if a state cant even get a federal approval on the voters decisions , then what hope do we have? I can go on and on, but why bother?

If voters will pass a bill that effects one farmer requiring him to let his 50 sows run free in pasture during the summer thunderstorms, a bill placed on our voting ballot with out any information or campaining, does that mean they'll vote on anything? I dont think so, the description in the ballot didnt mention that this bill that would be effective state wide would only effect one farmer with 50 sows otherwise people would have blown it off as futile.

Another bill to consider before belittling the effort is the smoking in resturants. I can honestly say I have talked to 2 people that did not vote for that bill. As a whole 79% of voters were for this, and if the numbers had just a few more voters it would have been bumped to 80%. This bill had zero public awareness until very near the voting time, at least it didnt have any in south west FL. The description in pamphlet mailed out by the elections committee clearly stated this would effect establishments that served food.

A clear, simple message is key in getting anything passed as a bill and sold to the public.

Dive_Girl PNW - This is starting to become a theme, one I would like to try and curb by at least addressing the issue with boater education. Its sad for me to think about since I grew up on the water and having been driving boats longer than I've had a drivers license, but something needs to be done.

Honestly, I don't see why the state wouldnt endorse licensing as it is a revenue generator for the state since it would be a requirement for operation. A captians license is nice to talk about, but I have recently head an example from a local where he logged all of his hours on a jet ski. That same captains license says he can drive boats up to 100,000 pounds near shore. What good is that if he drives something the size of a jet ski for experience??

I think its time to address an issue that is creating problems before someone in the political arena with a different view attacks this from a different angle and screws us out of a sport we all enjoy.

 

[DennisS]

You can get a US Coast Guard license allowing you to take up to six passengers for for hire. You take a cram course and pass the test. You verify that you have the time, it could be on your 16 foot jon boat or your 50 foot yacht. This is valid in any state.

A boating license won't solve the problem anymore than a drivers license will stop road rage, speeding and drag racing.

There are people out there who don't give a hoot about you or your safety, all the rules in the world won't change that. There are rules on the books, boaters are supposed to stay 300 ft from a dive flag. They will respect it if the marine patrol is around, otherwise they do as they please. I'd like to see a few stings where the marine patrol puts out a dive float and starts writing tickets. Make it a 250 dollar fine, that sure cut down on people parking in handicapped spaces. All they have to do is enforce the law that is on the books. Word would get around that they are serious.

That guy in the Donzi coming up the coast 200 yards off the beach at 50 mph isn't breaking any law, if he had a license it wouldn't make any difference.

It's attitude, good luck changing the attitude of the boater with a 500 hp go fast boat that he likes to play with.

 

[CBulla]

DennisS once bubbled...
That guy in the Donzi coming up the coast 200 yards off the beach at 50 mph isn't breaking any law, if he had a license it wouldn't make any difference.

It's attitude, good luck changing the attitude of the boater with a 500 hp go fast boat that he likes to play with. [/B]

Accountability. The guy with a corvette racing up and down I-75 can be accountable for his 100mph speed violation the same way a licensed boater could be held accountable for blowing through a no wake zone, through a swim zone and over a dive flag bouy.

 

[diverbrian]

When shore diving here, our groups have had problems with jet skiers playing "grab the dive flag." Between that and watching a pontoon boat on Higgins Lake who thought that he was within rights but was dragging about 200 ft. of anchor line, I have learned to be wary of SOME boaters.

Most of the divers out of our LDS are boaters, so I refuse to classify all boaters as irresponsible idiots . There are admittedly a few bad apples.

What impressed me was when I was diving in a local lake and the Department of Natural Resources was ready to put their boat in where we were diving at. They actually thought to ask us to point out who the idiots were so that they could catch the unsafe boaters/ jet-skiers. As in many cases, we DON'T need more laws. We just need better enforcement of the ones that are on the books In My Humble Opinion. (Thanks to my pen pal for showing me this thread in an e-mail!)

 

[CBulla]

I saw this thread had a reply posted to it and thought I would take a moment and toss an update.

I've made a number of phone calls, including one to my state senator in the FL Senate, in order to get a better view of what is currently going on in regards to: education, familiarization, and accountability of boaters. Appearently quite a bit is being done, subtly, but the licensing of boaters has recieved stalling from our representatives. Reasons unknown at this time, and appearenly against the desire of the majority of law enforcement agencies looking to add accountability to the boater for their actions on the water.

I have also learened that there are 2 mandatory safety courses. I am not aware of who conducts them, nor the materials that they teach, but that is being investigated further. I have been assured that a dive flag is not not part of program.

Before Captains license is mentioned again, it is universally agreed that it is virtually useless unless its for a larger vessel and you get real sea time driving it. 100,000 pounds and less near shore is so easy to get that I've been given an example of someone actually getting it by doing all his sea time on a jet ski. My single question is that to drive a passenger vehicle you have to demonstrate the ability to competently and safely operate one as well as pass a written test. To drive a vehicle with air brakes, you have to pass another test demonstrating the understanding driving a heavier vehicle. Motorcycles, etc., you name it with the different classifications. The same with aviation. Single engine VFR only, Single engine IFR, Dual, helicopter, etc., all require flight time, and ultimately the sign off of an instructor stating you are competent to take that particular style/model aircraft off of the ground.

Why is it that a person can go buy a 30' 13000 pound boat, that steers from the back, can drift in a current, and blaze across the water at high speed and not have any training on: the driving, handling, characteristics, education on how to anchor, what do the channel markers mean, whats that bouy, what is a VHF and whats a base license, I hit botton, what does no wake mean, what are swim zones, how do you pass a sailboat under sail, and any thing else that you can think of that is truely a boat related thing and has nothing to do with land.

Why can those people buy a 15' 1100 pound boat and think it handles the same as the big ones? Because there is no accountability.

As in driving and aviation, there are fundamentals that are the basis for going forward, and just like driving and aviation to go up I think you have to demonstrate these skills.

This is a characterisitc in dive certifications as well.. what excludes the boaters from this? True, there are some of us who have been on the water for our whole lives and this would just be another little hurdle, but its something that I feel is worth it to help bring our waterways under better control.

Site note, the following website has a LOT of information posted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, including a link for reporting a violation (anchors on reefs, blowing through swim zones, etc).

http://www.floridaconservation.org/law/boating/

 

[deepstops]

There are no mandatory safe boating classes for age 22 and above. There are mandatory classes for 21 yo and under but any adult can leave the boat dealer driving his new boat without ANY education.

 

[CBulla]

AH.. that clarifies the hazy answer I recieved on that as well. Thank you!