DEM ticketing divers without flags at Ft Wetherill

[RIOceanographer]

Just a heads up, DEM was aggressively ticketing divers without flags at Ft Wetherill this weekend. The Environmental Police officer had parked his car right on the ramp and was handing out tickets as people were coming out of the water. I was not one of his victims but he did write up quite a few people.

A wise lady sitting by the ramp in a beach chair said to me, "Do you think it is Environmentally responsible of the Environmental Police to be parked on the ramp with his engine running while issuing tickets?"

In any event, be sure to bring your flag if you plan to dive Wetherill.

 

[Rich Keller]

How was this guy going to enforce the law against boaters going to close to a flag? Was he in an amphibious car or do they not bother to enforce that part of the law? Been diving 42 years and I have NEVER seen that done!

 

[mmerriman]

unfortunately the law is with the boaters in RI
Vessels propelled by engines must remain at least 50 feet away from a
diver-down flag, unless doing so would prevent safe navigation.



Diving areas must be chosen in a location that will not impede the normal
flow of waterway traffic.

 

[AfterDark]

How was this guy going to enforce the law against boaters going to close to a flag? Was he in an amphibious car or do they not bother to enforce that part of the law? Been diving 42 years and I have NEVER seen that done!

And you never will. Divers are easier targets than boats, there a fewer of us, and it's for our own good don't ya know. So watch your head! Diving RI all these years has really sharpen my NAV skills, I go down and don't come up until I'm in really shallow water close to shore.

 

[veryfastrunner2000]

December 2011 my dive buddy and I were diving Ft. Wheterill. It was very windy, choppy, and no boats in site. We had a flag but did not take it with us. When we surfaced, there were 2 DEM persons on the ramp. One was in his vehicle and the other on land, he popped out of the bushes. They clearly thought we were poaching. We were not just taking pictures underwater. They took our licenses spent 10 minutes in their truck, but just told us we had a warning. No written notice but I assume they have it on file. I also assume we did not get a ticket because there was no boat traffic (part of the flag regulation). We now dive with a flag regardless.

 

[genxweb]

When I lived in RI and dove there we use to bring the zodiac anchor and put a flag up on the boat. Then we just make sure we came up the anchor line or if we were traveling we just pull the boat along with us.

 

[AfterDark]

I surface on the other side of the cove in shallow water close to the rock wall. If I see the DEM at the site, I deploy my SMB w/ dive flag clip it to my finger spool line and complete my dive swimming across the cove underwater dragging the flag. I've joined the FTF crowd. It is more of a danger than a help to a diver.

 

[porgyhunter]

So right A.D....When I was in Glouscester a diver was getting "pummeled" messing with his flag trying to get on the rocks in rough surf. I always anchor my flag.....only time I drag it is a busy "boat traffic" lake

 

[petrieps]

Interesting topic. I'll fess up. I never use a dive flag except when diving for scallops. There have been times when dive natzi's feel it's their right to give crap, but I don't care. I prefer to do my long solo shore dives without the hinderence of a flag.

Half the boaters don't know what a dive flag is or the rules that apply. The other half just don't care. In my dive experience, just a small percentage of boaters actually heed the law when it comes to dive flags.

 

[porgyhunter]

Good thing you can hear that whinning propeller zoom over you....put surfaced once almost to be hit by a jet boat...Those suckers make no noise