Useless Dive Flag in Rainbow River, Florida!

[scotthowes]

Last week i dove kp hole on the rain bow i was metal detecting had no problem.the week before dove with american pro diver out of crystall river.we did a drift dive my self and another fellow where behind the group (detecting) we had a flag no problem.

 

[warmwaterturner]

So, if one were to become entangled in an anchor line......

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It ain't just in Florida, yanno ...

This fellow obviously thought those flags were from the race committee of the local yacht club and he was crossing the finish line ... (taken last week-end by a local photographer) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

As boaters in most states aren't even required to take a basic boaters safety course many don't even know what a dive flag is. I prefer these larger flags that actually spell it out:

 

[Gilldiver]

It ain't just in Florida, yanno ...

This fellow obviously thought those flags were from the race committee of the local yacht club and he was crossing the finish line ... (taken last week-end by a local photographer) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

A "warning" flair that might go into his sail would make his day.

 

[jhayes75]

My problem wasn't with boaters, it was with one particular local who lives on the river. Our boat operator was trying to get to a shallow entry point so that my two Little girls (6 and 8) could comfortably enter the water and feel secure before moving on. Well that didn't happen, the heartless SOB stood in the water and pushed the boat off and told the operator to go somewhere else. If this would of been my boat, the SOB would have been the one moving on. My kids wound up staying on the boat, because they freaked out getting in the water above their head.

 

[pjones]

the heartless SOB stood in the water and pushed the boat off and told the operator to go somewhere else.

I would have been peeved. As I understand it in canada the owner of a waterfront property only owns the land up to the shore line at high tide. they have no right to push boaters out of the way. Unless its different elsewhere than I would drop anchor in 3 feet of water directly in front of their house and enjoy the dive Maybe next time they could learn to request politely for you to move to another spot... Some people just don't get basic manors...

 

[jhayes75]

I would have been peeved. As I understand it in canada the owner of a waterfront property only owns the land up to the shore line at high tide. they have no right to push boaters out of the way. Unless its different elsewhere than I would drop anchor in 3 feet of water directly in front of their house and enjoy the dive Maybe next time they could learn to request politely for you to move to another spot... Some people just don't get basic manors...

That is the law here too. I would have done the same thing, but it wasn't my boat. I did let him know how much of an a$$ he was.

 

[AfterDark]

Last week My wife, daughter, and I were in central Florida diving the springs and decided to do a drift dive down Rainbow River. I called up Birds Underwater and they were kind enough to set us up with a guy who lives on the river and runs a pontoon taxi there. He took us up river and dropped us off and along the way briefed us on some of the features we should try too see on the drift back down river. So far so good.

We get in the water with dive flag in tow and begin our dive. Now the fun begins. I'm almost certain the boats were chasing our flag. I realize this is a busy waterway but good grief nobody even tried to stay within 100 feet!

On one of the deeper holes we had stopped on the bottom and was doing a little exploring. This boat pulls up and throws their anchor literally right on top of us. They nearly tangled our flag and line in their prop positioning the boat! At this point I had to go to the surface to see what kind of bonehead this was and I was in shock! It was actually a dive shop with what appeared to be a open water class. I pointed the flag out to the captain and his response was "Sorry, didn't see it." I just shook my head and continued the dive.

Rainbow River was a cool dive but I don't think I'll ever try it again.

Just me but I would have cut the anchor line and set him adrift. That's a fairly narrow river for a boat to stay 100' away but not on top of you dropping an anchor.

 

[Skier-Diver]

I am surprised as to how many boaters do not know what a dive flag is. The wallpaper on my computer at work is a dive flag. One day one of the other guys said "your computer looks like a Van Halen album". He has a boat and fishes a lot so I was really surprised that he didn't know what it was. I explained to him that it is a dive flag and the Van Halen album is "Diver Down" hence the cover design.
I used to have a boat and a jet ski and I knew the rules that apply to operating them. It is amazing how many people are out on the water who can't tell you even one rule that applies to boating.