Lauderdale by the Sea

[aquacat8]

Because the dives are so shallow it really is important to have a flag, you literally may be diving at a depth reachable by the propeller of a large outboard running at you fast on plane.

 

[Pavao]

@Kharon I think you're making too much a big deal about this, I agree I'd prefer to not carry a flag than carry one, but in no way do I feel even remotely at danger of entanglement or any other perceived danger. You can just say you simple don't want to carry one, but your justifications of danger as excuses don't reflect well on your abilities as a diver.

By the way, shooting a SMB from depth has far greater hazards than starting a dive towing a float ball dive flag.

In SFL, say between Miami and North Palm Beach county, individual groups are handed a dive flag for the drift dives, Jupiter and maybe West Palm Beach boats will have a guide carrying the flag for the group, you're often not required to be babysat by the guide, but you are required to carry a DSMB.
Keys are generally not drift diving, which means you'd have to swim back to the boat, which then, for most of us, feels that this makes a far less optimal choice, I'd much rather tow a flag and drift then have to swim to the boat.

 

[B1200]

I didn't mean to offend by using the term "babysat', but I maintain that your approach is basically taking a guided tour where you are chasing somebody else's flag, and possibly a large(r) group of fish-fleeing bubblemakers). I personally prefer a little more independence in deciding which direction I will be going, when I want to change directions, and when I want to linger, without worrying about "do I have the herd in sight still?" I can see how that is desirable by some, but I don't fall into that camp.

Also, I'm sure nobody's amazed by the low percentage off divers, new and more experienced, that quite simply do not carry a DMSB, or who have no idea how long the string is on their spool ("oops, my only identifying marker just emptied the spool...)".. Or have a nice bright shiny new DMSB that they've never even unrolled let alone deployed.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Because I wouldn't shoot the %$@&** thing untill I was ready to surface.

Hi Kharon,

First, PLEASE sample the drift diving in Palm Beach/Jupiter. I believe it is some of the best diving in the U.S./Caribbean, and better in many respects than the Keys, especially with regard to seeing big animals (sharks, goliath grouper, turtles, pretty much year round). If you say no just because of a flag, you are missing out on something really special.

That being said, there are ways to avoid dragging it around.

First, most dive ops in the Palm Beach/Jupiter put dive master in the water, and that person carries a flag. You should stay in the "vicinity" but that is a loose term. You can get ahead of the group, off to the side, stay behind, and virtually dive solo, without dragging the flag. If you get ahead, you can wait till you see the group catching up, or if behind, kick a little till you see them. Vis is usually better than 60' and you don't have to be "on top of" the group by any means and still surface close enough to the flag. I have surfaced plenty of times probably "too far" from the flag, but deploy my DSMB at the safety stop so the boat can spot me. I have the blessing of being well known to the operators I use and I don't get any flack.

By, the way, the drifts will be set up over the best parts of the reef, so you are not being 'herded" to some sort of inferior spot by going where the group goes, and have no real advantage, in terms of seeing stuff, by being solo.

On wreck dives, no one carries a flag, so that is another option--get a trip out to a wreck.

Or, you can dive with a couple of buddies in a self-contained group, and persuade one of them to carry the flag. That usually works, for at least a couple of dives . . . .

If you want to solo, you will have to drag it. Lots of times, the dive master has surfaced with the group while I have plenty of gas left, and they hand off the flag to me to finish up on my own (they surface following the line so they come up by the flag). I live with it, and have had some amazing animal encounters this way.

It is not really an entanglement hazard, as you are floating above a reef and there is nothing for it to catch on.

Believe me, there are very, very good reasons for flags here. It's mostly drift diving; currents rip, groups get separated, it can be hard for a boat to spot divers in a chop or if rain blows in. Worst, there are hundreds of boaters and while most are idiots, even many of those know what a dive flag is, while almost none know what an SMB is and would just run it down.

As for LBTS, it is a lovely shallow reef out beyond the pier, with lots of colorful hard corals and soft corals, lots of tropical fish and good macro life, and the chance of seeing a school of tarpon as a bonus. Vis can go from 20 to 50 feet, but it is worse when it has been rough. Need a couple of calm days before the dive to make it work.

And, there, the flag is ESSENTIAL. The dive is shallow (10-18 feet), within range of big boat props, and the area has heavy boat traffic. My strategy, carry the flag from the shore to the edge of the reef and plant it in the sand. Enjoy the reef and, when time to return, carry it back. This way it does not interfere in the best part of the dive, and you only carry it "in transit". I often do the "in transit" as a surface swim, because I want to spend the most time on the reef. A flag is especially important for that.

 

[scubadada]

I believe some of the posts have been made by divers unfamiliar with Florida law, every diver or group must carry a dive flag. Interpretation and execution are open to interpretation. I dive mostly in Boynton Beach, Jupiter, and West Palm. In Boynton Beach, none of the operators I use puts a DM in the water. I mostly dive by myself and carry a flag. If one was in a group and got separated from the flag they would have 2 options, surface and get redropped on the flag or deploy an SMB when surfacing. The operators I use in Jupiter and West Palm put a DM in the water with a flag. In both cases, you either surface with the flag or surface away from the flag on your SMB. In neither case is their any obligation to stay with the DM and surface on the flag rather than surfacing on your own. In many ways the diving in SE Florida is an excellent example of diving freedom. For those of you who have not tried it, consider doing so. It is not necessarily the best diving for everyone.

 

[Kharon]

@Kharon I think you're making too much a big deal about this, I agree I'd prefer to not carry a flag than carry one, but in no way do I feel even remotely at danger of entanglement or any other perceived danger. You can just say you simple don't want to carry one, but your justifications of danger as excuses don't reflect well on your abilities as a diver.

By the way, shooting a SMB from depth has far greater hazards than starting a dive towing a float ball dive flag.

I'm perfectly confident with my abilities and skills as a diver. With at least 254 solo dives beyond the 125 required to even take the course I'm pretty sure I've got at least a modicum of competance in the water.

I guess I just hate the unnecessary exra burden, however small, of being shackeled to a dive flag. It's stupid and unnecessary, and in my part of the word, stupid $h1t boats, jet skies, and others use the flag as a target or simply have no clue and just have to investigate.

I'm much safer being aware of all objects (moving or not) and avoiding interactions. And not having to worry where the line is, is there slack, could it wrap around my fin, etc. etc. etc. My sole entangement issues derived solely from towing a dive flag.

At depth, no vessel is going to pose a danger to me. For shore diving i'm surfaceing in water boats are not going to enter.

Towing a dive flag is just one more nanny crap, bushwah regulation that is totally unnecessary and actually, where I live and dive, a significant danger. Some divers have been pulled up and had their flag yanked from them by some dipshit that thought they had found something up for grabs. Said diver got away with no DCS but ...

As far as shooting a SMB from 15 feet being dangerous - blow some more smoke out your butt.

 

[Pavao]

Sounds great, enjoy your diving!

 

[tkaelin]

Should make for an interesting trip report. Safe diving. I understand the concerns on both sides of this discussion. Had an interesting experience diving off Ft Lauderdale. While on the boat they decided to do the dive as a drift, put us in teams of two and three, handed out flag/floats and off we went. I get paired up with two divers I did not know and I ended up with the flag as the other two professed little or no experience with using one. During the dive I found it increasingly difficult staying down as I was being pulled up by my line. I finally had to signal the other divers to surface to find that other teams lines crossed with mine causing the problem. Took some undoing at the surface to fix the problem and then continue with the dive. It definitely took away from the dive.

Boaters here in CT, especially fresh, have no clue. I make sure at all times that I can drop my line if need be. I still would not dive without one where motorboats are present.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

As far as the OP's original question and additional responses and the quest to be FREE and unencumbered, you will have a coronary attack with the parking situation at LBTS.

Dive on..

 

[AdivingBel]

I didn't mean to offend by using the term "babysat', but I maintain that your approach is basically taking a guided tour where you are chasing somebody else's flag, and possibly a large(r) group of fish-fleeing bubblemakers).

I guess it's in the eye of the beholder. I don't feel guided or incumbered on my Jupiter dives nor do the fairly experienced divers and hunters on the boat otherwise they would dive elsewhere. In my experience it's a pretty independent, no drama, do your own thing crowd.