Obnoxious boaters suck!

[danvolker]

I have threatened a boater that was endangering us before..with a speargun....and they left very quickly...but a speargun is illegal in most lakes -as far as I know

 

[tracydr]

My husband once chased over 20 boats away from the dive flag while my friend and I were underwater. He's usually very polite but by the time we came up he was calling cops.
There was also a class going on adjacent to us using another dive flag, it was just insane.

 

[diver 85]

I have threatened a boater that was endangering us before..with a speargun....and they left very quickly...but a speargun is illegal in most lakes -as far as I know

That's one of the craziest things on TB........Texas considers catfish game fish---La considers them trash fish......So......You can shoot them on the Louisiana side, not on the Texas side.....ie you have to know where that river is.....

 

[ScubaSteve]

As is, I am sure, threatening an individual with any weapon .

......but a speargun is illegal in most lakes -as far as I know

I will start out that no matter what the answer is to my questions, that scenario in the picture is unacceptable unless the divers were diving off that boat (at which point the boat should have had a flag as well). I am not siding with the boater by asking these questions.

Was the boat under power at that time? It looks like it was floating through. It would be worse (no less unacceptable but still worse) if they crossed that close under power. Did you or anybody talk to the boater and point out that they were breaking a law and endangering divers? What was their response?

 

[BVickery]

Maybe replace DIVER with "DUI/Alcohol Checkpoint Ahead: All beer will be confiscated"

 

[scubadivingsteve]

There were a lot of boats there yesterday and I confused them even more with an alpha flag. Nothing helps. Maybe someone should make a float that looks like a lake patrol boat, they would avoid that!

 

[ScubaSteve]

There were a lot of boats there yesterday and I confused them even more with an alpha flag. Nothing helps. Maybe someone should make a float that looks like a lake patrol boat, they would avoid that!

Or at least hide their beer....

 

[francousteau]

Lake Murray July 7, 2013

Hull TX 4032 HF:

Why is there never a cop around when you need one?

I believe you can take either a digital copy or hard copy of this picture to the Ranger office (as you enter the park). The enlarged picture clearly shows your float and flag and as important it shows the boats registration number on the side. I'm sure they'll find who it is and either warn or fine that owner.

 

[scubadivingsteve]

I didn't blow up the picture originally but now that I have you might not want to push the issue. Oklahoma state statute reads flags must be a minimum of 24" x 21". If the flag is the one that came with the float it is only 21" x 16". I mention this because you could get a ticket for not displaying a proper dive flag and it costs the same as the one for the boater not obeying it. I am not on the boaters side, I just don't want a diver possibly getting a citation for trying to do the right thing.

 

[BVickery]

I didn't blow up the picture originally but now that I have you might not want to push the issue. Oklahoma state statute reads flags must be a minimum of 24" x 21". If the flag is the one that came with the float it is only 21" x 16". I mention this because you could get a ticket for not displaying a proper dive flag and it costs the same as the one for the boater not obeying it. I am not on the boaters side, I just don't want a diver possibly getting a citation for trying to do the right thing.

If it was me I'd bring it in and eat the fine. I weight the situation like this: I am paying for my mistakes for not displaying the proper sized dive flag. I am at the same time hopefully educating a boater on Dive Flags and maybe saving a life or a maiming. Sometimes its more than just money saved.