Tank Marking

[Boston Diver Services]

We are boarded by the Enviornmental Police often. They always check that each diver has a permit, and the permit numbers are on the tank. The law states that the permit numbers also be posted on the divers dive flag. Because our divers are diving from the boat, and we don't have an unlimited supply of flags, we post each number on a dry erase board and hang it from the flybridge. Although this is not to the letter of the law, we have never had a problem with this.

On our rental tanks, a strip of duct tape with permanant marker for the permit numbers works just fine.

GEAR MARKING - Divers must display their assigned number upon their air tank and a floating marker (upright single panel, at least 12" x 12", white background, black numerals at least 3" high, ½" in thickness or width of line on both sides of the marker). A group of divers may use only one floating marker listing the license number of each diver in the group.
Capt. Pat

 

[yak]

I use a black marker and write them on my steel tanks. They're faded and barely readable, but I'm kinda in compliance, no white background.

 

[RockLobster]

I was looking at a flag and the number had an 'N' preceding (ex: N1234). I asked what the N signified and he said it showed that his license was for Non-commercial lobstering. Has anyone seen this? Is this required?

 

[LobstaMan]

I was looking at a flag and the number had an 'N' preceding (ex: N1234). I asked what the N signified and he said it showed that his license was for Non-commercial lobstering. Has anyone seen this? Is this required?

I have seen this, but I don't believe it is a current regulation. Might have been a reg in the past or some guys started doing it on their own. I don't know. I did a quick search of the relevant regulations and failed to uncover any requirement for letters preceding permit numbers. I know that I didn't put any letters on my tank/flag, just my four digit number. Never had any problems w/ the EPOs. You should be fine if you just put your number on the flag/tank.

LobstaMan

 

[ScubaBOS]

I've dove with Cape Ann in the past and Captain Steve use to put out numbers on a dry board.

I've only been checked once, at Lanesville. I had one bug which was clearly over the minimum size (the max hadn't been established yet). The officer didn't bother to gauge it.

He did say; "I see you have numbers on your flag." and then suggested that I tell my buddy to do the same in the future. My buddy was still down near the water and hand't climbed up to where our stuff was.

The irony was that I never took my flag into the water. We dove only with my buddies flag. My flag was on the ground with out gear, and when I first got out of the water the two officers were sitting about 10 feet away from our stuff, watching. There were quite a few divers in the area at the time.

When I got out of the water I spotted them near our stuff and thought to myself that something amiss. SUre enough, when I got closer to them, they walked over and one said; "I see you have a lobster, may I inspect it?" As he did, he reached out his hand to show me his badge. They were both in plain clothes.