Palm Beach diver loses arm as group hit by boat - Florida

[Bob DBF]

It sounds like the boater did the right thing but

Not if they had a flag.

He shut down when he saw the flag, it will come out how visible the flag was, or how distracted the helmsman was, and so on. It shouldn't have happened, it may be informative to know why. At least it wasen't the usual hit and run.


Bob

 

[CuzzA]

I'm not worried about punishing this man: I think an example needs to be set for everyone to see. As it is, unless it results in an accident, a boater is only fined $50 if they violate this law and are caught. Make it $500, tag a number of violators and watch the State's flag awareness increase ten fold in a heart beat. However, if a diver violates the law, they can get a $100.00 fine. Stupidity should hurt, and not the diver displaying a flag. Right now, if they hit someone who has a flag, I believe it's up to a $1,000.00 fine. Just ask this snorkeler if he thinks that's fair?

I have no issue with raising fines, unfortunately the scuba industry doesn't have a well organized lobbying group, despite the number of divers. Nevertheless, I wouldn't support making true accidents a felony and certainly won't pass judgement until we have more facts. We live in a bare minimum, cheapest we can find society. The boater could have been negligent or this group could have had the bare minimum surface signaling device (a 7" crab pot buoy with a tiny 12" flag that may not even be erect). With higher seas this may not be visible from 300 ft. As a boater all my life there have been countless times I've been running and won't see a crab pot buoy until it's 50 ft. in front of me. Again, we don't know the details (sea conditions, surface marker used, distance the victim was from the buoy) of this incident so I'm hesitant to put the boater in the electric chair yet. If seas were flat calm, the diver was well within the maximum distance from the flag and the flag was truly visible, then he certainly screwed up and deserves punishment.

 

[PBcatfish]

I have no issue with raising fines, unfortunately the scuba industry doesn't have a well organized lobbying group, despite the number of divers. Nevertheless, I wouldn't support making true accidents a felony and certainly won't pass judgement until we have more facts. We live in a bare minimum, cheapest we can find society.

Actually, keeping in line with the minimalism that you see our society favoring, I would think that we might start with some signs at the boat ramps & near the common shore-entry dive spots that educate boaters about proper dive flag use. If we had one of those signs for every manatee sign that is currently up, it would be a good start. This sort of start might not be that hard to sell. If we can save the manatees, we should be able to save the humans.

The boater could have been negligent or this group could have had the bare minimum surface signaling device (a 7" crab pot buoy with a tiny 12" flag that may not even be erect). With higher seas this may not be visible from 300 ft. As a boater all my life there have been countless times I've been running and won't see a crab pot buoy until it's 50 ft. in front of me. Again, we don't know the details (sea conditions, surface marker used, distance the victim was from the buoy) of this incident so I'm hesitant to put the boater in the electric chair yet. If seas were flat calm, the diver was well within the maximum distance from the flag and the flag was truly visible, then he certainly screwed up and deserves punishment.

Noonish on Thanksgiving day around here was pretty darn flat.

 

[Bob DBF]

I would think that we might start with some signs at the boat ramps & near the common shore-entry dive spots that educate boaters about proper dive flag use.

This came up on a flag thread and the best way is to use posters like found here News-2013-04-09-Keeping Divers Safe this Season: Dive Flag Awareness Public Service Announcement and - The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association and post them at ramps near where you dive. It’s low tech and you are doing yourself a favor educating boaters that may see your flag.

The boaters I’ve met don’t want to hurt anyone, they just didn’t know.


Bob

 

[chillyinCanada]

At boat shows, how often are there booths showing flags for boater education?

 

[Bob DBF]

At boat shows, how often are there booths showing flags for boater education?

I don’t know about up your way, but down here the US Coast Guard Auxiliary usually has a presence for boating safety, I guess it would be a matter of reminding them to add dive flag safety to the usual list.


Bob
Has not been to a boat show in decades.

 

[The Chairman]

I've been a part of FWC safe boater campaigns in the Keys that are usually the week of Mini-season. Not so much here in cave country.

In case there's a doubt, FWC and not the Coasties regulate boating in Florida. They do an awesome job with the scant funds they get for the job.

 

[Bob DBF]

In case there's a doubt, FWC and not the Coasties regulate boating in Florida.

Not a matter of who regulates it, out here in Ca it’s the Department of Boating and Waterways, a division of the Parks Department. The DBW has no interaction with boaters as that is the local Sheriffs Dept jurisdiction.

The USCG Auxiliary works more with actual boaters on safety than the state who regulates boating and has some PSAs on TV. The Auxiliary would would be the ones at Boat Shows and Launch Ramps trying to make boaters safer by by both example and training. In some areas they have patrols to assist boaters in distress, that don’t need the assistance of the Sheriff.



Bob

 

[The Chairman]

Not a matter of who regulates it,

But it is. The coasties won't write a ticket for not carrying or ignoring the flag: FWC and some sheriffs will. However, we have a ton of FWC agents on our waterways. They are my favorite people in all the world. I have been known to buy their lunches and dinners anonymously, of course.

Boating

 

[Diver below 83]

Not sure about the drag on this one, but for setting up a snorkel site this would be a big improvement.

3DBouy - A New Improved Diver Flag – DeeperBlue.com

View attachment 552627

this thing is pretty nice and looks highly visible by $90 damn. I’m local to the shop. I might go check it out