Divers hit by speeding boat off Hollywood Beach

[DennisS]

Sorry, I'll go back and edit my original post to clarify my question.

What I meant is, Has anyone ever seen FWC officers or USCG patrolling the coastal waters looking for boats violating the Dive Flag regulations? i.e. Operating a boat within 300 ft of a dive flag.

The FL FWC now has a radar that can measure to the foot. They are using it and writing tickets. They put up a flag and measure the distance to the offending boater.

[roturner]

Horrific. How many people ask YOU if you are scared of sharks? Nope...I'm afraid of the boats.

Me too. The only thing that ever worries me about diving is surfacing around unanchored boats.

R..

[Glock Diver]

The FL FWC now has a radar that can measure to the foot. They are using it and writing tickets. They put up a flag and measure the distance to the offending boater.

That is great to hear. I've yet to see FWC doing this myself, but I hope they're just as aggressive citing boaters who violate the dive flag law, as they are with citing divers who don't carry a flag.

Has anyone else seen FWC or Coast Guard citing boats for operating within 300' of a dive flag? If you do, be sure to thank them.

[Zosimus]

I know some divers that do not put up dive flags because they feel it attracts boats and jet skis.

[smiffy6four]

Do those licenses happen to require knowledge about the Diver Down flag?

Sometimes; the diver flag question only appears randomly on the boaters test. It should come up every time.

I believe that here in Canada, staying cear of the dive flag is only recommended, but not mandatory.

[diverdoug1]

Listen guys, every time I am in the water near the surface, I am listening for boat traffic. As an avid boater and diver , I realise that dive flags can be difficult to see. ANY time I hear a boat approaching, I delay my ascent. Once it does not seem that they are coming closer, then I resume my ascent. This is by no means a fool proof method of avoiding accidents, but it is one of many things that you can do to decrease your risk.

[msg]

It is amazing the number of people that buy a boat, throw it into the water and go, without even learning the basics of boater's safety. I guess that driving a car gives the green light to operating a boat. I have seen more stupidity on the water than I can imagine. If the water had lines painted on it, perhaps they could navigate better. Wide open areas, they seem to forget how to pilot through the channels. They certainly don't know what a dive flag is or means.