While I carry a flag and I believe it is an excellent practice, I don't believe it should be required by law. If a diver doesn't carry a flag, they are endangering no one except themselves. I'm against those type laws in principle.
Venice - $168 fine for no flag..
- Thread starter bdrannik
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I have YET to see any law enforcement stops out there, and I am out there quite a bit.
Wendy:
FL_Chad
Contributor
Walter - what good reason could you have for being against a flag being a law? It DOES endanger others - when I hit someone and they dont have a flag and it ISNT a law to have one, now I get the pants sued off me. And it is a ripple effect of tax payers money that is spent (police, ambulance, court system etc), not to mention, most importantly, that someone could be dead if they were not otherwise not mandated to have a flag. It is a good law for divers and boaters - now if we can just get both to abide.
I will tell you another one that gets me is seeing people ride around in their boat ON PLANE with their dive flag up. Kind of like leaving your running lights on while anchored....
I will tell you another one that gets me is seeing people ride around in their boat ON PLANE with their dive flag up. Kind of like leaving your running lights on while anchored....
Its all about education, Chad... Last year we had this same conversation here (well, several times over the past year in fact). If you carry a camera and can take pics of these sorts of uneducated acts in action, I would be most grateful!
For those who are wondering, yes, I am still working on the Florida Watersports Safety Council - I'm still learning about the grants that will support it, making contacts, etc... I've also learned my initial ambitions for getting a program off the ground were unrealistic and I've got a more feasable time line for it.
For those who are wondering, yes, I am still working on the Florida Watersports Safety Council - I'm still learning about the grants that will support it, making contacts, etc... I've also learned my initial ambitions for getting a program off the ground were unrealistic and I've got a more feasable time line for it.
If the diver doesn't have a flag, they put themselves at risk, not you. You have it backwards, IMHO. Trying to protect people from themselves is what promotes lawsuits when the injured party is the one at fault. People need to take responsibility for themselves. This is not accomplished when we legislate to protect them from their own foolishness.
I wouldn't consider diving without a flag, even if it wasn't the law. I think it's a very important safety equipment. I get very frustrated, however, when I can (almost every week) either have a boat or jetski buzzing my flag or see someone get buzzed. It is even worse when the marine patrol is there, but nobody is even getting stopped and warned. This buzzing is by far the most dangerous activity.
I would never recommend diving without a flag, and frankly, whoever does needs to realize that (like the motorcycle helmet law) it's a very good idea to use one, apart from the legal aspect. I just wish I could see or even hear of some effort being made to educate boaters (and stop and fine them for violations).
I would never recommend diving without a flag, and frankly, whoever does needs to realize that (like the motorcycle helmet law) it's a very good idea to use one, apart from the legal aspect. I just wish I could see or even hear of some effort being made to educate boaters (and stop and fine them for violations).
ReefGuy:
Pssst.. dooder.. look up about 2 posts..
JRScuba
Contributor
As it was indicated, divers are educated. Do not dive without a flag, O/W 101 that is not difficult to understand.
Government agency's know the laws, where are they when we hear boats flying over our heads. Hello!!!! Dunkin Donuts is not where they are supposed to be. Wake up calls are not when a diver is killed , That IS WHY WE HAVE LAWS. You know, the things that men and women with badges are supposed to enforce.
We should communicate to the agency's that there are boaters out there violating STATE LAWS ( Give me a BREAK ). Call Jeb Bush and tell him to get his staff out of Dunkin Donuts and do their JOB.
Dive safely
Joe
Government agency's know the laws, where are they when we hear boats flying over our heads. Hello!!!! Dunkin Donuts is not where they are supposed to be. Wake up calls are not when a diver is killed , That IS WHY WE HAVE LAWS. You know, the things that men and women with badges are supposed to enforce.
We should communicate to the agency's that there are boaters out there violating STATE LAWS ( Give me a BREAK ). Call Jeb Bush and tell him to get his staff out of Dunkin Donuts and do their JOB.
Dive safely
Joe
FL_Chad
Contributor
I agree with that Walter - I have it backwards if we lived in an ideal world where people DID take responsibility for their actions. But we dont, the world we live in would blame me fot hitting someone and then they would get a letter in the mail from an ambulance chaser telling them about their "rights" and how I was going too fast and driving erratic and that they have a "case". C'mon, you dont really believe that if there wasnt a law and I hit someone that the court is going to site the guy who didnt have a flag, do you? That would be like thinking if your kid climbed on a shelf at Walmart and broke his leg that the court would hold the parent responsible. You hit the nail on the head - people need to take responsibility for their own actions. But since they dont, this law protects them (and me) from their own ignorance or lack of education. To each his own, that is just how I feel about it.
I remember the time When me Jeff and Simon were at Badenton and the jet ski was using our flag as a a place to turn and see how close he could come to it. No cops in site. Then the time I sat doing a SI with my flag with the voat heading right towards it as if he was aiming for it and he only turned when I hit my dive alert. No COPS AROUND. Then when they used all the flags out there as a course to run through coming within a few feet of the flags. NO COPS AROUND.
Of course then there was the time the cops showed up at the peer and said I parked to close to the beach and said they would give me a ticket and have my truck towed if I didn't move it. GEE COPS AROUOND FOR THAT ONE.
After the cops told me they wouldn't arrest the person that broke into my house and stole all my stuff even though they knew who it was and had evidence from other breakin they had done. I've had very little use for them.
Must be why I always carry a gun now. They seem to take the path of least resistance.
Just my 2 PSI worth.
Of course then there was the time the cops showed up at the peer and said I parked to close to the beach and said they would give me a ticket and have my truck towed if I didn't move it. GEE COPS AROUOND FOR THAT ONE.
After the cops told me they wouldn't arrest the person that broke into my house and stole all my stuff even though they knew who it was and had evidence from other breakin they had done. I've had very little use for them.
Must be why I always carry a gun now. They seem to take the path of least resistance.
Just my 2 PSI worth.
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