Actually Jenny, the Save the Reef plate was posted up on Mote Marine Labratory's website with a petition for getting it approved. I think it did get the right number of sigs and was before the legislature to get the final vote of approval. Their site has been quirky lately, but you can check www.mote.org and see if its still up.. hell, go there anyway, its a great site for a fantastic research group with a diverse set of research studies and rehabilitation programs.
Fight with Dumb Boater in Lauderdale
- Thread starter Jonnyreb
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Actually Jenny, the Save the Reef plate was posted up on Mote Marine Labratory's website with a petition for getting it approved. I think it did get the right number of sigs and was before the legislature to get the final vote of approval. Their site has been quirky lately, but you can check www.mote.org and see if its still up.. hell, go there anyway, its a great site for a fantastic research group with a diverse set of research studies and rehabilitation programs.
I posted to soon.. I should have also put up: http://floridaconservation.org/sitemap.htm
Under law enforcement, it has all the hot spots for FWC right now and what they are trying to enforce.
Under law enforcement, it has all the hot spots for FWC right now and what they are trying to enforce.
I'd becareful and make sure that this doesn't come back to bite you in the butt. They could easily make the beaches no diving areas to solve the problem. Just make sure you have some research on the amount of money that is brought into the area from divers visting from out of town or out of state.
MikeJacobs
Guest
Excellent advice and I'll bet sharks teeth that you'll find boaters are much more afflent than divers, their expenditures are easier to track, and they're better organized. Anybody looking at this solely from an economic perspective will have to side with the boaters and get us pesky nuisance divers out of their way.
PadiPro is the enemy among us! He owns a boat lol
DennisS
Contributor
Divers bring in lots of money to the economy, shore divers don't. They are a very small minority of the divers coming in as tourists. They are also a very small voter block. It would be real easy to just regulate them out because they are a hazard to navigation and a liability issue for the city beaches. Commisioners and Mayors are real good at making regulations banning things that may cause them problems.
FredT
Guest
1.Rid yourself of the delusion that the politician is there to actually help you. By definition he's a parasite looking for the easy way out. If the easy way is over you, you should have moved.
2. When divers are as well organized as the NRA, and we control as many votes, we have a chance.
3. He who has the most money wins. Not in the political race, but in the race to the politician. Throw money at him or help with his campaign and you have his ear. Throw the most help/money and you have his soul!
4. NEVER EXPECT SANITY FROM ANY POLITICIAN! There are a few sane ones out there, but they are the great exception to the rule. If you don't expect sanity it's not as annoying when you don't find it.
5. The yachting class WILL protect it's turf, and they have the $s to pay both the legal and illegal 'bribes' to do it. If you doubt this check to see why the intercoastal North of Hillsborugh inlet is a "no wake zone." Check the sheriff's campaign contributions at the time it was instituted, and the USCG and USACOE records.
The best thing divers can hope for is the total repeal of the dive flag laws, and turn them back into the boating safety suggestions they used to be. Then at least you'll KNOW the flag is worthless safety wise and can once again have the chance to adjust your diving technique to maximize your safety. Until then stay below 12' until you are either under YOUR boat or your chest is scraping the bottom on the way back to the beach.
BTW a 300' chunk of salvaged black lobster float polypro line "rotten stoppered" off to a cleat on the back of your boat is effective deterrent for those approaching from down current. Once the rotten stopper (a light line pendant designed to break at a known low load) pops it wraps up on shafts from both ends! That stuff is hard to see and a bear to get out of the props and struts! It's also strong enough to bend struts and shafts, and cause stuffing boxes to leak.
FT
2. When divers are as well organized as the NRA, and we control as many votes, we have a chance.
3. He who has the most money wins. Not in the political race, but in the race to the politician. Throw money at him or help with his campaign and you have his ear. Throw the most help/money and you have his soul!
4. NEVER EXPECT SANITY FROM ANY POLITICIAN! There are a few sane ones out there, but they are the great exception to the rule. If you don't expect sanity it's not as annoying when you don't find it.
5. The yachting class WILL protect it's turf, and they have the $s to pay both the legal and illegal 'bribes' to do it. If you doubt this check to see why the intercoastal North of Hillsborugh inlet is a "no wake zone." Check the sheriff's campaign contributions at the time it was instituted, and the USCG and USACOE records.
The best thing divers can hope for is the total repeal of the dive flag laws, and turn them back into the boating safety suggestions they used to be. Then at least you'll KNOW the flag is worthless safety wise and can once again have the chance to adjust your diving technique to maximize your safety. Until then stay below 12' until you are either under YOUR boat or your chest is scraping the bottom on the way back to the beach.
BTW a 300' chunk of salvaged black lobster float polypro line "rotten stoppered" off to a cleat on the back of your boat is effective deterrent for those approaching from down current. Once the rotten stopper (a light line pendant designed to break at a known low load) pops it wraps up on shafts from both ends! That stuff is hard to see and a bear to get out of the props and struts! It's also strong enough to bend struts and shafts, and cause stuffing boxes to leak.
FT
OP
Jonnyreb
Guest
An ace int he hole is the coral reef. I doubt that there was a natural coral reef in any of the places mentioned that banned shore diving in preference to boaters. Regardless of the affluence of the boating community. Hell, I am an avid boater. I work for a company that makes boating AND dive accessories. I dont want to see any more NO WAKE ZONES or NO DIVE ZONES than are necessary. But when people are dropping anchor on coral (where a diver also happens to be) I think the boater is in more danger of loosing ground than the diver. But I dont want to see anyone loose any ground. "Cant we all just get along?"
Not bad, just ignorant...
I have boated for years here. But before I started diving I had NO IDEA what was under me. I did not know that there were coral reefs so close to the shore and that I should not drop anchor on them (never did though). I knew that a dive flag meant someone was diving, but I did not know how far away I had to be. However I certainly knew where to slow down and look for Manatees and seagrass beds because of markers and signs. I knew what a manatee looked like from license plates and signs on docks long before I actually ever saw one live.
A catchy message on an eye catching license plate would be like a billboard everywhere (Tax Collectors office, Parking lots, Traffic..) It would be seen by EVERYONE eventually and would soon be common knowledge even among non boaters/divers locals and tourists.
Additionally, replace the first set of Swim Zone buoys with ones that clearly state to boaters a more relevant message. The add a second set to the second reef.
Done. Problem remedied.. NEXT!
ut:
Not bad, just ignorant...
I have boated for years here. But before I started diving I had NO IDEA what was under me. I did not know that there were coral reefs so close to the shore and that I should not drop anchor on them (never did though). I knew that a dive flag meant someone was diving, but I did not know how far away I had to be. However I certainly knew where to slow down and look for Manatees and seagrass beds because of markers and signs. I knew what a manatee looked like from license plates and signs on docks long before I actually ever saw one live.
A catchy message on an eye catching license plate would be like a billboard everywhere (Tax Collectors office, Parking lots, Traffic..) It would be seen by EVERYONE eventually and would soon be common knowledge even among non boaters/divers locals and tourists.
Additionally, replace the first set of Swim Zone buoys with ones that clearly state to boaters a more relevant message. The add a second set to the second reef.
Done. Problem remedied.. NEXT!
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Not in Missouri.
DennisS
Contributor
Jonnyreb once bubbled...
An ace int he hole is the coral reef. I doubt that there was a natural coral reef in any of the places mentioned that banned shore diving in preference to boaters.
It doesn't have to be in preference to boaters, lil ol ladies in condos might not like them traipsing across their beach. Lil ol ladies in condos are a strong voting block.
Ritz Carlton patches-snorkeling only
Just south of Jupiter inlet Wreck of the Victor-snorkleling only
Gulf stream park-snorkeling only
Jap rock-snorkeling only
Red reef Park-snorkeling only
South inlet park-snorkleing only
Yankee Clipper rocks-snorkeling only
While your anger is certainly understandable, the language as quoted in the initial post undoubtedly did nothing to "educate" the boater about safe boating in diving areas. In fact, it would have alienated me had I been in my (former) boat and had that happen (but then I wouldn't have approached a dive flag).
If the guy really didn't know, you lost an opportunity to explain to him in a way that might have made the point rather than alienated him.
This is not to suggest I side with the boater. If he was truly ignorant of the flah's meaning, he made an inadvertant mistake without intending to create a bad situation.
Here on Catalina we occasionally get boaters (not counting kayakers) inside the Dive Park despite the buoys and lines. Most are probably "weekend warriors" who had the $$$ to buy the boat but not the intelligence (or sobriety) to operate it.
Dr. Bill
If the guy really didn't know, you lost an opportunity to explain to him in a way that might have made the point rather than alienated him.
This is not to suggest I side with the boater. If he was truly ignorant of the flah's meaning, he made an inadvertant mistake without intending to create a bad situation.
Here on Catalina we occasionally get boaters (not counting kayakers) inside the Dive Park despite the buoys and lines. Most are probably "weekend warriors" who had the $$$ to buy the boat but not the intelligence (or sobriety) to operate it.
Dr. Bill
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