simcoediver:
Hello All, I'm new to this forum.
Being a newly certified diver, I'm very concerned about this as well.
I just sent an email to the Canadian Coast Guard to find out what the most accurrate wording is regarding "safe distance", if it is even mentioned at all. What I have been reading lately on pages describing the actual Boater Safety course content does at no time mention what "safe distance" constitutes.
I don't like letting the boater assume a safe distance.
You are totally right tho - we need new flags stating "DIVER BELOW - STAY BACK 300 FEET"
Here is a copy of my email. I'll paste the reponse later, once I get it.
Divedevil
P.S. - Thank you to Simcoediver for his initial info that I borrowed as an example to the Coast Guard.
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To: obs-bsn@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Sub: Boater Safety Regarding Dive Flags
Good Morning To Whom This May Concern:
I have just recently taken up the hobby of diving. In this past year, I have acquired my PADI Open Water and Advanced diving certifications. I would consider myself a safe diver for myself and those diving with me, and I'm very concerned about the environment that I dive in, thereby not disturbing anything. While diving, I consider myself an observer only.
Recently, I've been hearing and reading stories about diving accidents that are happening, some causing death, as a result of recreational boaters ignoring clearly visible dive flags. Included below is a quote and link from a Scuba forum of one situation where no one was injured but a boater clearly did not know the significance of a dive flag. I also heard of a girl diver in Lake Simcoe, within the last two months, that was struck on the head by a watercraft that tried to come as close as possible to her dive flag. She did not live.
My reason for this email is just to ask, having not taken the boater safety course yet as I currently do not own a boat;
1) Does the Canadian Boater Safety Course include not only what a dive flag is as well as what it looks like, but also how many feet/meters boaters are required to drive clear of this flag?
2) If no reference to "safe distance" is made at any time with regard to a dive flag, as I suspect it may not be, would you be able to offer the name(s) of the person/group that I should contact to start this process of getting this vital information of "safe distance" included in the boater safety course?
To understand the purpose of a dive flag is one thing, but to have the common sense to stay away at least 100 feet is another entirely.
Thank you for your consideration on this matter.
I look forward to your response at your earliest convenience.
Signed
As Quoted By Scubaboard by "simcoediver"
http://www.scubaboard.com/t66993.html
"Today,, my 2 sons are snorkelling off my boat just out from Jacksons Point {Lake Simcoe}I have a dive flag in full view on my boat and up comes these teenagers in a powerboat not more than 20 feet away! They happened to stop long enough for me to ask them if they knew what the flag meant,, and they said NO,,I then told them what it was,, they gave me a wave and sped off like it was no big deal. There really needs to be some kind of education for boaters,,,,perhaps signs in all the marinas in Ontario explaining about our dive flag??"
