Two divers at towneck beach almost became chopped salad

[drunkendiver]

We finished a boat dive a 120 yards off of town neck beach and were relaxing on the boat post dive anchored around noon time yesterday. We were watching two other divers from shore with a flag swim past our boat and then they went past us about another 40 yards. A 21 foot center console with a bunch of kids (early 20's) was heading directly at them at estimated 30 knots. I had to blast my horn at least a dozen times to get there attention and for them slow down and turn away. I am really starting to think dive flags don't mean crap other than giving a false sense of security.

Anyhow, our dive was nice with 20' visibility. Saw some skates, flounder, a little eel (6 inches maybe) that was striped brown and white (need to hit the books to identify it), a bunch of cunner, and picked up a couple of lobster. Max depth was 22' with coldest temperature of 56 deg. F. Didn't see any striped bass which was kind of a surprise.

 

[Altamira]

All divers should realize that most boat drivers are untrained, unskilled, unfocused, and possibly DUI. Divers should act and dive accordingly. Having the money to buy a boat is no indication of intelligence or ability to operate at even the lowest level of safety. I live on a lake, and when I dive the lake I do not use a dive flag because all the dive flag does is attract the morons. "Hey Jim Bob, wazzat floatin over der?" "Dunno, let's go check it out."

 

[tbzep]

Boats are to divers what cars are to motorcyclists. They are all out there trying to kill you.

 

[AfterDark]

"I am really starting to think dive flags don't mean crap other than giving a false sense of security."

Jet skiers think it makes great slalom buoys Ninety+ % of boaters have no idea what it means.

However your family will be able to sue the boater that hits you if they can be found. Very re-assuring isn't it? FTF!!! (F**K The Flag!)

 

[NowLessObnoxious!]

I had shore support that I told to call harbor patrol (Sunapee NH patrol doesn't mess around) if any boats came near our group, thankfully the one boat that was screaming in the area left when we started diving.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

No flag.
Stay down, stay invisible, and stay out of trouble.
Know where you are and make sure you come up in a safe place. I found flags just attract more trouble and are a bigger hassle than not having one at all. It's always some young drunk idiot who thinks it's funny to buzz a flag or use it as a pylon. I even had one stop once and try to pull it up not knowing there was a diver on the other end. I gave it a swift tug and they left it alone and split. I never saw who it was.
I've only run into trouble on fresh water lakes, never in the ocean around here where I dive.

 

[pasley]

Here in California a dive flag is just bait to lure the boats and jet ski's in. All you need here to drive a boat is to have a boat to drive and be of age. No training required and not much happens to any offending boaters.

 

[NowLessObnoxious!]

some areas out here REQUIRE a flag.

 

[Stoo]

some areas out here REQUIRE a flag.

Yup, they're law up here, if diving in navigable waters. I rarely shore dive but if I need a flag, I anchor it 20' from shore and pick it up again when I'm exiting the water...

 

[AfterDark]

I have a flag sewn onto my SMB. If I need to surface before the dive is over I deploy the SMB. On Sundays when the DEM enforcement people or at FTW, I deploy it on the way back. It is a PITA to be finning along @50FSW and have the float line get crossed with a lobster pot line that you don't even see.