Kowaliga Bridge: BEWARE

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Do you have the names of the officers. If so PM me. I have brought up your post on Lake Martin forum. My best friend and I had our dive flag stolen from above our heads by a party barge full of drunk teenagers. When the line played out I cut it and we continued the dive. If there are law enforcement officers that would violate a dive flag and drag the diver then some education in in order. Please let me know who they are...

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If you're 90 min from the gulf, why on earth did you head north to dive?
 
We don't recognize right off the names of the Game Wardens that you mentioned. However I pm'ed you the names and e-mail addresses of the commanders of both District II which covers Coosa and Tallapoosa Counties and the commander of Disctict IV which covers Elmore County. We would start by taking your complaint to them. To prevent problems like this in future just contact some of us local folks and we will dive with you. The north end of the bridge was blown up and lies in jagged pieces and lots of craggy wood. The south collapsed intact end goes almost half way across the lake and is like a roadbed lieing on the bottom. Late in the summer the sharp thermocline will be almost 50 feet deep and you can comfortably dive in a swimsuit. However do not ever expect pristine visibility because it ain't gonna happen. Bring your sense of humor and use it often... Your tickets are nit noy and should not be much if you just pay. If you choose court you could win under the circumstances but you could end up with the fine and court costs as well. Good Luck....
 
**UPDATE**

Went to court in Wetumpka for the ridiculous tickets for diving lake martin...

Ticket #1 diving with no dive flag (since the LEO pulled my flag out of the water)- DISMISSED...YAY!
Ticket #2 diving w/i 50 feet of public access boat launch- $50 fine+$50 court cost....:cussing:but oh well; the judge said lots of Fish & Game violations since they got a "new Sheriff in town" (clearly referring to LEO who ticketted me).

Guy in front of me got hammered with a $150 fine +$75 court fee for having "inadequate position lights on his boat" at Kowaliga bridge boat launch (during the day!!!) go figure.

Cheers all, stay wet,
Michael
 
Ticket #2 diving w/i 50 feet of public access boat launch- $50 fine+$50 court cost..


what state law ordinance number were you in violation of? (I've never heard that diving within $50 feet of a boat launch was against the law and have even (in the past) looked for Alabama and AL State Conservation laws to see what diving laws were. don't remember seeing this one.


Guy in front of me got hammered with a $150 fine +$75 court fee for having "inadequate position lights on his boat" at Kowaliga bridge boat launch (during the day!!!) go figure.
l

I would have been pissed at that. Lights are not required during the day.


a lot of Jon boats don't have light for example.
 
Section 33-5-22

Safety equipment and lights; flags; capacity plate; flame arrestor, etc., for carburetor.

(a) Every vessel while being operated on the waters of this state shall be equipped with reasonable safety devices and lights as may be required under regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources. No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of a vessel which is not equipped as is required by rules and regulations duly promulgated by the commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
(b) All such safety equipment and safety lights required by this section shall meet such standards as the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources may from time to time establish as minimum equipment, and all such safety equipment and safety lights above the minimum requirements which are required by the rules and regulations of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources shall conform with specific standards as may be adopted by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
(c) Airboats shall display a flag 10 by 14 inches on a 12 foot mast.
(d) A diver's flag must be displayed on the surface of any water where skin divers are operating as may be stipulated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

220-6-.19 Aids to Navigation and Regulatory Markers

(3) The diver’s flag shall not be less than 300 millimeters (12 inches)

square, colored red with a white two-inch strip running diagonally from the top

staff corner to the bottom fly corner and shall be prominently displayed and visible

from all directions and kept within a 15.2 meters (50 foot) radius of divers when

said divers are in the water.


220-6-.07 Traffic “Rules of the Road”

(1) The water traffic “Rules of the Road” in the State of Alabama shall be


as follows:

(18) Vessels shall keep at least 30.5 meters (100 feet) clearance of

displayed diver’s flag.


Boating Access Area Regulations




220-2-.37 Restricted Use of Public Access Areas

(1) Definition: Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, in
this regulation, the term "public access area" shall include any state-owned,
leased, and/or operated boat launching and/or landing access area, parking lot,
ramp, pier, and any real or personal property within the boundaries of said
areas.

(2) Picnicking, except at tables provided, and camping are prohibited
at all public access areas. Swimming or any other activities, to the extent
that swimming or any other activity may interfere with the intended use of any
public access area by the public, are forbidden; provided, however, that in any
event it shall be unlawful to swim or wade within fifty (50) feet of any ramp at
any public access area.
(8) It shall be unlawful to swim, dive, sun bathe, or jump from any pier or
ramp located at any public access area.
 
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thanks.... Good to know.





Section 33-5-22


(c) Airboats shall display a flag 10 by 14 inches on a 12 foot mast.


that's an odd . wonder what kind of flag they have to fly.


Also interesting as I've seen TVA air-boats (Tenn Valley Authority) without flags. oh well. maybe they are exempt from state law since they are federal.
 
Glad you got out of the one ticket.

You pay court costs weather you appear in court or not. The real risk is that you could piss off the judge, turning a standard fine into a maximum fine. Respectful folks with good attitudes generally have a decent chance of not pissing off a judge :D

Grats again on beating the one ticket.
 
Glad you got out of the one ticket.

You pay court costs weather you appear in court or not. The real risk is that you could piss off the judge, turning a standard fine into a maximum fine. Respectful folks with good attitudes generally have a decent chance of not pissing off a judge :D

Grats again on beating the one ticket.


I've noticed lots of times that as long as you're willing to pay something for at least one thing, they are pretty much happy.


I got pulled over and got hit with.
* speeding
* expired drivers license
* expired insurance card
* not updating address on drivers license after moving within 30 or 60 days.


Each fine was $165 bucks. ($660 total).

as long as I was willing to plead guilty to speeding and Pay the fine ($165), they were willing to drop the other charges.
 
I've noticed lots of times that as long as you're willing to pay something for at least one thing, they are pretty much happy.


I got pulled over and got hit with.
* speeding
* expired drivers license
* expired insurance card
* not updating address on drivers license after moving within 30 or 60 days.


Each fine was $165 bucks. ($660 total).

as long as I was willing to plead guilty to speeding and Pay the fine ($165), they were willing to drop the other charges.

I'm sure that the $165 was cheaper than paying your insurance :)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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