New Dive Flag Regulations for Cape Ann Area?!?!?!

[vetdiver]

The regulation in which Gloucester enacted is all divers must have their own flag and they must stay 25 feet away from any lobster bouy.

If this is true, then it seems that the latter is more of a pain than the former!!! Do you have a link to this or know where I can download/print the regulation???

I have nothing against those of you that lobster - really I don't. This is unfair to everyone who follows the rules. But this law and news of all the recent harrassment that's gone on is especially annoying to those of us who don't take lobster!!! In fact, the last three times we had lobster, we bought it from a local after we finished our dive.

If this law is real and extends to all of Cape Ann, hell will freeze over before I buy lobster again. Period. Oh, and if any fishermen are reading this...I eat a lot (and not just for a girl - anyone who's seen me on Fran's boat with the cookies knows this) and I have very little sense of financial responsibility.

 

[johnnyseko]

Two solutions:
a.) ignore said rule
b.) should you get busted jerry-rig a device for flags that looks like this: :balloon One line, several flags.

I was planning on 'a.)' but I really like the 'b.)' idea! One line with a bunch of flags attached at the surface.....Can't wait to get a pic of that! I'll be adding a snap bolt to my flag so I can quickly attach it to the group. This should be good.....

So anyone know what the fine would be anyway? Staying 25' away from a bouy is pretty much impossible. Good luck at Cat Rock! It's a maze out there.

 

[SteveAD]

Here is a propagaganda ploy that has been used in other areas with some measure of success.

In order to demonstrate the positive financial impact divers have on an area, since we look just like normal people when we are off the beach, we should mark our money. If any given group of divers chips in to get a self inking dive flag stamp and uses it to mark any bills spent in the cape ann area during a dive trip the locals would quickly notice how many "DIVE BUCKS" were in circulation and might gain some appreciation for what we spend while we are out there.

If people like this idea I would gladly spring for a stamp and offer dive buck marking as a free service.

steve
Atlantic Divers
Danvers, ma

 

[Gidds]

I was planning on 'a.)' but I really like the 'b.)' idea! One line with a bunch of flags attached at the surface.....Can't wait to get a pic of that! I'll be adding a snap bolt to my flag so I can quickly attach it to the group. This should be good.....

So anyone know what the fine would be anyway? Staying 25' away from a bouy is pretty much impossible. Good luck at Cat Rock! It's a maze out there.

The folks I've been diving with lately just tie off to some large underwater object that is easy to find upon exit regardless of vis. and do the dive, no flag toting. The only problem with this is if you have to CESA you might get busted or runover but you might get runover or otherwise harassed with the flag over your head anyway.

 

[yak]

Here is a propagaganda ploy that has been used in other areas with some measure of success.

In order to demonstrate the positive financial impact divers have on an area, since we look just like normal people when we are off the beach, we should mark our money. If any given group of divers chips in to get a self inking dive flag stamp and uses it to mark any bills spent in the cape ann area during a dive trip the locals would quickly notice how many "DIVE BUCKS" were in circulation and might gain some appreciation for what we spend while we are out there.

If people like this idea I would gladly spring for a stamp and offer dive buck marking as a free service.

steve
Atlantic Divers
Danvers, ma

While I like this idea, it's not very legal:

United States Code
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 17 - COINS AND CURRENCY
§ 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations

“Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or
unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill,
draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking
association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System,
with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence
of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”



I've never dove CA, and sounds like I never will. I'm happy down here on the South Shore.

 

[H2Andy]

“Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or
unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill,
draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking
association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System,
with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence
of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”

see the key language above. you can mark bills; you just can't have the intent
to render it unfit to be reissued. otherwise, everytime a clerk marks a bill with
a marker they'd be comitting a federal offense.

a small stamp should be ok.

 

[christine1223]

Two solutions:
a.) ignore said rule
b.) should you get busted jerry-rig a device for flags that looks like this: :balloon One line, several flags.

He he he he he!!! Good one!!! :lol:

 

[christine1223]

To add insult to injury... A customer stopped into the store today after diving Plum Cove this weekend and had terrible news to tell us... To preface the story, this family has been diving Plum Cove for the past 2 years sinse they got certified and has never had any problems... Apparently his wife decided to leave her diamond rings in a bag of sorts and went out for a dive... Upon returning they were gone... Everything else was left untouched, but her rings... Gone... She probably should not have had them with her in the first place, or wore them during the dive, but this is just another way that CA is trying to bring us all down... As far as the flag regulation goes, I have also heard that Rockport is looking to follow in Gloucester's footsteps. We absolutely need to get together as a huge group and let our voices be heard. Something needs to be done!!! This is not just an inconvenience it is a serious danger!!!

 

[Damselfish]

The whole flag thing is nuts, but leaving diamond rings in a bag is just dumb, and I'd hardly blame their loss on "Cape Ann" trying to bring people down.

 

[christine1223]

i havent herd but that dont mean anything..
but it does seem that they wanna chase divers away.
its too bad but its working for me, im not gonn drive over a hour to dive in a spot where im just gonna get a hard time,,,
im out there to have fun.
you would think CAD would have a little more of a presence and lobby to some extent about this.. its there buisness being harmed

I hope it won't chase divers away... That is what they want... Why give in!!! Sorry, I am stubborn, I will not give into CA's stupidity!!! I absolutely agree, CAD should be making a stink about what is going on. If they don't people aren't going to stop diving, just go elsewhere. A fine thing for everybody else, but potentially bad business for them...