Honoring the Dive Flag

[justleesa]

A few weeks ago there was a kayak race that went past the South Shore. They were zooming close to the dive boats and not caring when it was brought to their attention that the dive flag was up....found this report on the khon2 news site

Coast Guard Reminds Boaters About Dive Flags
By Andrew Pereira
The U.S. Coast Guard is reminding boaters in Hawaii to watch out for dive flags after some close calls the past few months.

“They involve boats coming within the hundred feet of the dive flag,” said Coast Guard Spokeswoman Marsha Delaney. “One boater apparently drove over a snorkeler but there wasn't an injury."

According to Hawaii law, boaters cannot operate their vessels within 100 feet of a dive flag, also known as a floater.

Skin divers and scuba divers say close calls are common however, especially on Oahu’s south shore.

Kellen Paik, who works at the Hawaii Skin Diver Shop on Dillingham Boulevard, recalls being hit by a one man canoe even though his dive flag was clearly visible.

“I was surfacing and I saw one buzzing by, next one hit me,” he said. “I've also had boats go like fifteen feet away from my floater, flying full throttle right past it.”

Although skin divers like Paik are always aware of sharks, he says boats are much more dangerous, especially in Waikiki.

"Chances are you gonna have more close encounters getting hit by boats,” said Paik, “rather than seeing a shark.”

Boaters who ignore dive flags face a federal fine of $5,000 for each violation.

Chris Liles, a dive instructor at Island Divers Hawaii says boats often violate the 100 foot limit around dive flags.

"A lot of boaters are just either uneducated or aren't paying attention and come well within that one hundred foot mark," said Liles. “It's mostly just small personal boats, those seventeen, twenty footers that people are out just cruising around the water.”

Skin divers say they are often most at risk of getting hit by a boat since they go up for air often and swim along the surface of the water.

"Sometimes you hold your breath right to that point where you must go up,” says Paik, “and if a boat's above you either you're gonna go up hit the boat or you gonna black out under water."

The Coast Guard says divers also share responsibility when it comes to safety and should always try to surface within 100 feet of their flags.

Delaney says a Safe Boating Expo will be held at the Keehi Small Boat Harbor Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The expo will feature safety tips for boaters, kayakers, anglers, personal watercraft users and ocean enthusiasts.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary will schedule regular vessel safety inspections for boat owners during the event.

Details on Safe Boating Expo

 

[scubadrewvideo]

On a related note... Heads up to all summertime north shore divers. DLNR will be cracking down this year regarding ALL regulations. Dive flags, commercial permits, illegal fishing, etc

Mahalo Nui

 

[Cacia]

Leesa, the paddlers are really ignorant about the dive flag.

I do see Brian Benton's boat cutting it pretty close also,(near Turtles area) but I never am sure who is driving....

Remember the woman (swimmer) who was put on life support last summer after a canoe hit her? I wonder what ever happened to her. We watch for the canoes over here , especially around Portlock when there is a race. I think it is most productive to warn the divers to watch on the ascent, blow a marker, spiral up with your hand overhead...etc, because the paddlers are just never going to remember I don't think.

the other day about fifty whizzed right over our divers at the Corsair, at least I took some photos.
SMB, SMB, SMB even at the wrecks. (or wear a scuba helmet...see almity)

 

[Shaka Doug]

That happens all the time over here on Maui too. Mostly kayakers ( I don't know how the rule applies to them but it would suck to get hit by their hull or paddle too!) but occasionally canoes, small hobie cats and power boats cut it real close. I tow my flag and just cringe when I hear or see them coming. I've kicked a few kayak hulls when they've gone right over the top of my guests....had to do that just a couple of days ago!

I think it would be a good idea for the County Parks people to put up signage at the beaches and other water access areas that explains what dive flags are and why people should stay clear of them. Like it was mentioned in the new article, I believe most people just don't know what dive flags mean. It's gonna be a drag when someone flying a flag gets seriously hurt by a boat. Didn't that happen to a guy in Kauai a few years ago? He was a dive instructor going after a "popper" and they both got nailed. I think the instructor lost his leg!

 

[fishb0y]

While it didn't happen here... but I was towing a dive flag and a group of jet skiers decided to use it as a part of a slalom course... I haven't towed a flag since unless I was teaching.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I have never read the law before Lisa so thaks for putting some of that up. No operating a boat within 100 feet of a dive flag is a wonderful law. Here in Oregon it's an advisory for boats and they are only required to not leave a wake.

I set up two flags once at a lake so that we'd have a good area to enter and leave the water. The flags were 100 feet apart. During our dive a jet skier was using the flags as racing pylons.

Years ago over at Kam2 I got nailed by a canoe. No injury but I was scared to death.

 

[justleesa]

Leesa, the paddlers are really ignorant about the dive flag.

hitting them where it hurts (=wallet) might cure their ignorance, but without enforcement it's just an empty threat.

I think it would be a good idea for the County Parks people to put up signage at the beaches and other water access areas that explains what dive flags are and why people should stay clear of them.

Sounds like a good idea, but would people read/abide by it? I walk along the Ala Wai and there are the big signs (pictures & text) saying no fishing and that the fish in the canal are not healthy to eat....and right next to it is a guy fishing :shakehead ...again, without enforcement, it'll just be another sign...

Didn't that happen to a guy in Kauai a few years ago? He was a dive instructor going after a "popper" and they both got nailed. I think the instructor lost his leg!

Yup, wasn't there also something over on Maui too?

 

[VBlueV]

a few weeks ago at the sea tiger.. we were at our safety stop
and were forced to descend a bit
when a gomer did several high-speed passes around the rubber ducky..
[which btw, was flying a red/white dive flag]
it was crazy.. this dude was in full-throttle.. within' 10yds of our boat!

on a different day.. we were on our surface interval over the sea tiger..
and a couple large jet-boats that pull those high-speed fish-tails with 50 passengers crammed on.. were buzzing fairly close to us..
while no, we weren't in the water at the time.. we were moored to a "known"? dive site.
[gettin' smacked by a jet-boat.. now, that would hurt in the morning :11: ]

 

[Cacia]

hitting them where it hurts (=wallet) might cure their ignorance, but without enforcement it's just an empty threat.

well, have you heard of anyone fined, even on the blatant motorboat cases? Because I don't know that I have heard of one in seven years. I know they get reprorted because a lot of the boat captains tattle on each to the Coast Guard pretty often but I don't hear of any tickets being given for that particular offense.

Paddlers are not in the mindset that they could hurt someone because they are usually being defensive about their canoe, since they are the little guy out there and thinking about power boats that do not see them, etc. A diver, or a dive flag is the last thing on their mind. You might change it with a few tickets, but I really doubt it.

The best defense is a SMB and using your eyes and ears on ascent I think.

We have a ton of paddlers on my side, Hawaii Kai and another thing you can do as a diver is scan the horizon before descending and spot the bigger races coming your direction. Another thing we do is the topside person alerts them in a friendly helpful way by yelling and pointing, usually they appreciate the heads up.

What does NOT help, it seems to me is when an adversarial relationhip gets encouraged by pitting jet skiers, divers, fishing boats, paddlers against each other, and I do see a lot of that. Having the attitude that you are giving them a heads up and trying to be helpful and using your SMB is what I think seems effective over here.

I thought a lot about this cycling. I try not to snarl at drivers anymore. Instead, when they pause for me or do something considerate, I try and nod and indicate "thanks" and I feel that does more to promote a desire to share the road than my slapping people's windows and getting hot. Adversarial positions don't help if you are the vulnerable one, the diver, the guy on a 10 pound bike, etc. You need to care more, cause you have the most to lose.

 

[Wayward Son]

In the FL panhandle, it seems that a lot of boaters don't know what a dive flag is. You don't have to know anything to drive a boat here. Many of them seem to use the flags as targets.