To anchor or not to anchor

Before this weekend all my buddies I dove with had kicked out and anchored a float with a flag, then we dropped down from there. We would swim out and back from the float. I met another diver this week end who swam with the float. I thought this was ok but I just never saw anyone do it like that. I guess it does'nt matter but I thought swimming around with it was one more thing I did'nt want to deal with. I dive in lakes mostly in no wake zones. What is the proped procedures for shore divin with a dive float? Anchor or not to anchor?

No float

Ever

Dive Flag Awareness

There are different laws in different locations, and perhaps knowlaws in knowone's location.

Internet searching "dive flag laws" could be one's first step.

Here in Hawaii the law reads that legally, we ascend and surface in the vicinity of the dive flag, except for emergencies.

If you are diving through lava tubes, towing a float works for no one.

We bring the flag with us when we shore dive

Drift dives (ocean & river) are done with flags/smb, only at the end, to signal that divers are coming up.

In Maui, I saw shore divers, twice, towing the flag. However, they were diving in less than 30' of water, close to shore. In the area, there were people fishing.

There's a thread now on ScubaBoard, on the unfortunate diver hit-and-run by a boat in Florida. Using a tethered SMB fully filled, and pulled tight to make it stand on end eight feet tall above the water, during the entire 3 minute safety stop, might just prevent a wayward boat motorist from heading there.

Interesting reaction to the question asked. It's not just a question of compliance with the law, its a matter of the float or flag as a safety measure. If you are in an area where there is boat traffic, and the water is not very deep, I would stay close to the dive flag float. If you are in a "no boats" are, it is less critical. I hove tied off a dive flag float and dove in the area, and I have "towed" a float as well. Most occasions it is a combination. I would suggest this, though: always surface at your float. For a compelling reason, read the Lessons for Life article starting at page 62 of this month's Scuba Diving magazine. It's not just compliance with sometimes "pain in the butt" laws. Sometimes it is in fact a safety issue with boats. Additionally, it is a marker of at least a one time location if there is ever a need to search for a missing diver.
DivemasterDennis

I found that floats and dive flags attract boats like flies to...food. In SoCal you will never see a float outside of a class dive unless a free diver is using one. I always fly a flag when boat diving, but the boats still come out of nowhere to fish next to me.

If your dive is deep enough that boats aren't a hazard, and if the viz and the navigation are such that you can easily return to a point certain, then I don't think there is anything wrong with anchoring the float.

If the viz is poor or the navigation is unclear, it's a good way to lose a float and reel.

If the site is shallow, or there exists a strong possibility that you will have to surface before you return, I would keep the float with you. I agree that swimming with a float is a pain, though.

There are places in FL where you drift dive and a flag is required (most of the mainland east coast drift diving). When you are shore diving in FL (LBTS for example) you are required to have a flag (one per group ). When you are diving a stationary spot like a wreck dive flags are not required but the boat is required to fly a flag. This is true of dive boats everywhere in the states.

In CO there are lakes like Aurora res where they want folks to dive with a flag. They are dive areas with markers so we generally do not tow one, just have it setup. There are other CO lakes that have no wake laws, and no gas motors, so we don't need flags. There are also lakes where some areas are no wake but the lake in general allows boats to operate at speed. These lakes require a flag if diving in the area outside the no wake zone.

In CA we dove all over the Channel islands without any surface markers required. We also did shore dives at La Jolla without a flag.

What all this means to me is local laws vary, so be prepared. Its one nice thing about charter boat diving. They will ensure you are following local laws.