Surface Marker - What to tie it too.

[Roy_W]

If you do try towing the flag (it really isn't a big deal, I just hold the reel to the side and back), don't ever attach it to you. Just hold the reel, that way if someone/something snags it (think boater/boat/jet ski) you can just let go instead of being along for the ride.

Respectfully,

James

For the first time ever I saw a youtube video where the guy was "towing" a buoy.



Ok I understand more how it can be done, and not attaching it to yourself makes a lot of good sense


I can understand that on a shallow dive, with great visibility, it would not be too much of a problem, let's say down to around 10m. Diving down beyond that, especially in poor visibility, beyond 10m, I could imagine that it would present more of a risk than an advantage... We mostly dive cold lakes, so we tend to dive deep quite often. Visibility can be rough here, to the point that you have to hold on to your buddy physically in order to avoid losing them.
Fast forward to 55 seconds and watch from there, it's easy to understand why I talked about visibility.

 

[James79]

I can understand that on a shallow dive, with great visibility, it would not be too much of a problem, let's say down to around 10m. Diving down beyond that, especially in poor visibility, beyond 10m, I could imagine that it would present more of a risk than an advantage... We mostly dive cold lakes, so we tend to dive deep quite often. Visibility can be rough here, to the point that you have to hold on to your buddy physically in order to avoid losing them.

I get that... even on shallow dives vis can become an issue. When I tow the flag, I usually post my self just to the right of and behind my buddy and hold the reel back and to the side with my right hand.... allows me to stay close while minimizing entanglement risk. That and not letting the line get a lot of slop in it. On some sites I'll just anchor it if I know I'm staying close, though.

Respectfully,

James

 

[Johnoly]

When I tow the flag, I usually post my self just to the right of and behind my buddy

The person with the flag is never lost.

 

[Bob DBF]

In Australia any boat is excluded from operating within 30 metres of a diver in the water if a Code A flag is displayed.
Here is a guide to some rules here.

Using a Dive Float and Flag - The Scuba Doctor

The Scuba Doctor explains how to dive safely with a dive float and dive flag.

www.scubadoctor.com.au

From your link:
In Victoria, a five knot (9.3 kph) speed limit applies to vessel operators and water-skiers within a distance of 100 metres (328 feet) of a vessel or buoy on which a 'diver below' signal is displayed.

Please note that the dive flag does not mean that other vessels can't come up to and right past the dive flag, or any vessel displaying a dive flag. There is no 'exclusion zone' — just a speed restriction zone.

So are there different rules in different places?

 

[Pressurehead]

So are there different rules in different places?

Yes, but not much different.
I only wish it was enforced in the waterways around here, I do know of a few who where fined further North, local well known dive operator complained and the water police did their job, one did not even have a boat licence, the next day another was caught over the limit [drinking] and not having the required safety gear onboard, now that will cost them.
Qld Fisheries were also waiting at the boat ramp checking fish caught, I know, I was one checked.
The water police were on to them working close with Fisheries inspectors.

Does not happen enough.

 

[SubseaSports]

@Roy_W getting back to your question....it depends.

I don't use reef hooks but will secure reel to undersea junk. No junk? (thats a good thing) I have used a sand screw with good results.

All it is is the bottom portion of a beach umbrella that I salvaged from an umbrella that got blown inside out one too many times. I secured a T pvc fitting to it to drive it into the sandy bottom by hand. Drilled a hole for the bolt snap.

As mentioned already, clipping a buoy to your person is not recommended..but it's doable. If you need both hands for a task, clipping it off to your waist with an emergency release bolt snap works.

One thing I would add is if your buoy is very bouyant and there is chop, the buoy will tug a lot and that will effect how you secure it. I have a mildly bouyant flag and a small sled I made that is very buoynat. I added a diy shock cord to the latter to absorb the shock.

 

[Roy_W]

@Roy_W getting back to your question....it depends.

I don't use reef hooks but will secure reel to undersea junk. No junk? (thats a good thing) I have used a sand screw with good results.

View attachment 769237

All it is is the bottom portion of a beach umbrella that I salvaged from an umbrella that got blown inside out one too many times. I secured a T pvc fitting to it to drive it into the sandy bottom by hand. Drilled a hole for the bolt snap.

As mentioned already, clipping a buoy to your person is not recommended..but it's doable. If you need both hands for a task, clipping it off to your waist with an emergency release bolt snap works.

One thing I would add is if your buoy is very bouyant and there is chop, the buoy will tug a lot and that will effect how you secure it. I have a mildly bouyant flag and a small sled I made that is very buoynat. I added a diy shock cord to the latter to absorb the shock.

I really like the idea of the umbrella screw... When you use it with the reel how much "slack" do you allow ? Obviously a minumum of slack is required to accomodate any surface motion, wind, current, waves, but I can't imagine that there would be any advantage to having too much slack.
Let's say that you the screw is at about 4m in depth, would 5m of line between the screw and the buoy be about correct ? Or do you have to adapt to the conditions, more slack on a windy day, or maybe less etc ?

​

 

[SubseaSports]

Adapt to conditions....where I use the screw, its pretty rare not to have current so it's generally at 45° and taut.
I havent used this past 40', if I were to SWAG it, one would need a longer screw if used much deeper. I could be wrong though. Maybe someone who didn't fail physics chime in.
When installing..go negative and drive/twist it all the way to the T. It takes quite a bit of force pull straight out. This is assuming its used in sand.