Why the red and white "Diver down" flag?

[Kharon]

I've got both - the Alpha for my (tiny) boat and the red/white for my float. You know what? Almost no other boater has any idea what either means. IMO it's just an additional hazzard because the dumb shitz want to investigate what it is.

 

[The Chairman]

In US waters, you are in violation of Coast Gaurd regulations if your boat is mobile and you're flying an alpha flag. The boat has to have reduced maneuverability due to diving operations for it to be legit. There are no Coast Gaurd regulations concerning the Divers Down flag. Those will be local and state only.

 

[Storker]

In US waters, you are in violation of Coast Gaurd regulations if your boat is mobile and you're flying an alpha flag. The boat has to have reduced maneuverability due to diving operations for it to be legit.

If I'm tending the boat with divers in the water, I definitely have reduced maneuverability. I don't know where those guys are, and if I just fire up the engine and start moving, one of my divers may well end up with a rather unpleasant haircut.

So I'll posit that if you have divers below, you DO have reduced maneuverability and thus qualify for flying the A flag.

 

[The Chairman]

If I'm tending the boat with divers in the water, I definitely have reduced maneuverability.

No, not really. In a long discussion with a USCG commander, he told me that they would never cite a dive boat for not displaying an Alpha flag with scuba divers in the water. However, they cite boats with Hard Hat divers if they don't have it. A dive boat is merely being cautious of some debris in the water. There is nothing physically stopping them from moving like an airline. While the USCG doesn't regulate the use of the Divers Down flag, they certainly recognize and teach it in their boater training. You only cause confusion when you use the wrong flag. Use the right tool for the job. For Scuba divers, use the Divers Down Flag and obey your state and local regulations.

 

[Edward3c]

From my point of view I don't really care which flag is used to advertise 'divers down'. I would just like the local boat users to know what the one used means and respect it.

 

[Akimbo]

It is sort of amazing to me that there is no single flag indicating that a vessel is at anchor. The Yankee flag indicates you are dragging anchor. Here is a current list of anyone is interested: International maritime signal flags

 

[KathyV]

From my point of view I don't really care which flag is used to advertise 'divers down'. I would just like the local boat users to know what the one used means and respect it.

Do you think it would help if the flag included the silhouette of a diver, or would that just draw boats in to look at it more closely?

Sometimes the Dive Flag floats have large printing that says "Diver Below" but that would only work if you are in an area where English is widely spoken.

 

[The Chairman]

It is sort of amazing to me that there is no single flag indicating that a vessel is at anchor.

The line from the bow and/or stern is usually my first clue. Not moving except with wind and tide is my second. FWIW, any boat anchored in US waters at night must display the proper lights.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@The Chairman ....
....While the USCG doesn't regulate the use of the Divers Down flag, they certainly recognize and teach it in their boater training.....
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recall mu post# 36 tp this thread which reads in part

.... As a result of this legation I was asked to write a few short paragraphs on the divers flag for the US Coast Guard Auxiliary for their boating safety courses and inclusion in "Chapmans boating and safety."...
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That was for the US CG Auxiliary- what was included in Chapmans bears little resemblance to my submission.

After the passage of almost 50 uears since I authored a description of the divers flag t would be interesting to view the US CG verbiage of the red & white divers flag..
Can you possibly obtain the section of their training manual devoted to the red & white flag ?
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re dive flag awareness
Several years ago I produced a very informative - complete presentation to the SLO UW S&R DivCon followed by a presmtation at the SCUBA Show in Long Beach California. Since those presentations I have also presented at the local Yacht club and two sport fishing "clubs" -- They all were very receptive to the program.

I am scheduled in the near to present to the local civic clubs ( they are always searching for a program !)

And divers all bitch and moan about the boater not being aware of the dive flag -- but other than a sicker on their automobile bumper have done nothing `` absolutely nothing ``to promote and raise awareness of the red & white dive flag
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@Edward3c
From my point of view I don't really care which flag is used to advertise 'divers down'. I would just like the local boat users to know what the one used means and respect it.
~~~~~~~
Edward

You are a big boy with an impressive resume of diving== go among them and educate them
The life you save maybe your own..

Sam Miller, III

​

 

[Akimbo]

The line from the bow and/or stern is usually my first clue.

True, but not always easy to see. My first real-world experience that no amount of signaling mattered was on the Andrea Doria in 1973, which lies in the narrow separation zone between east and westbound traffic for New York. The Coast Guard was broadcasting an advisory that we were diving the site, we flew Diver Down and Alfa flags, displayed all the right lights, ran a 24 hour radar watch and radioed threatening vessels, and had flair gun. You guessed it; none of that mattered to a massive moving wall of rusty steel that ran over our buoys and chased us off site.

We kept a fire ax next to the mooring line and had quick releases on the umbilical suppling the habitat. That was the scariest part of the whole project.