Does anyone use a Scuba Dive flag float?

[Heath74]

Just a question for you guys out there. Does anyone use one of these? If you do not know what this is you can go to this site onlinescuba.com and go to the accessories section then to dive float flag.

Thanks,
Heath

[tholt576]

Yeah, I like the blow up kind, although I fill the bottom with lead shot insead of water like they say to in the instrutions.

[gadget]

Absolutely!

If I didn't the jet ski's wouldn't know where to circle.

If any one has a good supply of small torpedoes or limpit mines I would be interested in making a purhase. ;)

[lakesdiver]

Absolutely!!!


Originally posted by gadget
If I didn't the jet ski's wouldn't know where to circle.


They circle you, eh? Over our way they use ours for a slalom course.


Originally posted by gadget
If any one has a good supply of small torpedoes or limpit mines I would be interested in making a purhase. ;)

If you find a source, let me know. Maybe we can get a volume discount. :D

[Scottri]

I use them sometimes when required by law but I prefer not to as they seem to attract morons on personal watercraft. When I do use them they work ok.



Scott

[GP]

I have one of the crappy styrophoam float flags. They are required by law in MN. The innertube ones are better though because they aren't as easy to pull underwater if you don't let out enough line.

[DivingGal]

Originally posted by gadget
Absolutely!

If I didn't the jet ski's wouldn't know where to circle.

If any one has a good supply of small torpedoes or limpit mines I would be interested in making a purhase. ;)

I love this answer!

I use one if I'm drift diving, or shore diving anywhere where there's a possibility of boat traffic. Though I think like Gadget, sometime I think is just a lure for boats.

Picture this, a small group of divers (4-6) are mapping a wreck in about 30ft of water in the Ottawa River. Each team has a flag/float. What happens? Some turkey decides to play "dodge the flags". Fortuantely no one was hurt. (I wasn't with this group when it happen)

[jbd]

I use a flag also. The inner tub type is best IMHO. Like the others I've been buzzed by the PWC'ers. So like gadget, I'm in the market for some small torpedo's. Seriously though--I teach part of boating safety class and I bring one the flags and stress the importance to the class members the importance of staying away from the flag. I encourage to stay at least 200 feet away.

[Dryglove]

Yea i like everyone else here use a flag.Gives the boaters something to steal while im exploring.Half the time it seems to attract boaters as they follow me around trying to figure out where the bubbles are coming from.I wont dare attach it to me for fear of being pulled to the surface or dragged behind a boat.I have been waiting for one to pull a gun and start shooting at the bubbles trying to land some kind of river monster.On second thought maybe i should ditch the flag.Might be safer.I need one that says diver below.I dont think many of them understand the flag.A buddy of mine came to the surface one time only to find a beer can shoved over the top of his flag pole.I couldnt help but to snicker a bit.

[Fishkiller]

I have this nice mushroom anchor tied to a poly rope..


I have been lucky I have only seen a dive flag salomed through, my friend imediatly went to the Sherif and reported the fellow and it was taken care of


it is better to err on the side of safty and use one

[Norm]

Yes I do. They CAN levy a $90 fine for not having one!

[wannabe]

I don't use one (quit shore diving) but the minute I put up the dive flag on the boat the same thing happens.

So many stupid people with ability to buy boats and PWC, I almost think licences should be required (going against every libertarian instinct I have)

[jbd]

wannabe--I think it will come to that at some point in the future

[BigDiver]

I always use a blowup float when there is any possibility of boat traffic or fisherman, but on the other hand if there will be no fishing or boats I won't.

Like I said I like the blow up kind with the water in the bottom. My first thought was that it was going you bust/ tear, but trust me first impressions can be deceiving.

[Hawk]

Here in Oregon they recommend that people stay at least 200 ft from a dive flag. The only true restriction though is that PWC must go no faster than 5 mph within 200 ft of a dive flag.

Boating liscenses are definately coming. Our state is slowly making it so, depending on when you were born. Within the next 5 years everyone will have to have one. Maybe this will help a little.



Later, Hawk.

[BEM]

The only time we don't, is when we are diving within 30 feet of our dock (on a small land-locked lake). But when we do this, we leave it visible on the dock.

I use the one with a flag positioned on top, blow up the middle section and put water or sand in the lowest section. I use a 3/16" yellow nylon rope and plastic unit to wind the rope around. It is a bit of a pain having to hold the unit, especially on windy days, but I'm getting used to it.

As an aside, does anyone know how far away motorized (and non-motorized) boats must be from the flag and what speeds are allowed? I've tried to find the requlations for Canada, specifically for Ontario and Quebec, but they state "a safe distance".

But so far, no-one has dropped an anchor or fishing line near us.

[blawler1]

I use a blow up float when bug hunting in the Keys. I tie the bug locker on a rope and hang it from the float.

[Welshman]

I know they can be attraction to the jet ski morons but on balance would you rather know that they know you are there than not. Personally I'd use the inflatable which you send up when you're at the 5m safety stop.

[Ben_ca]

Is there a fine for PWC ers and boaters who race to the finish line flag (dive flag) ? It would be great to have some surface support there with a video camera to bring some awareness and maybe prosecute ones who are a danger

[SA-Diver]

In South-Africa and Mozambique most of our diving is done off inflatables.
We do drift dives with the DM using a surface marker - usually bright orange, with a reel.
This allows the boat to follow the dive group at a distance and be ready to pick up divers on ascent.
When we dive on some of the wrecks in a strong surface current we often dive without this setup and deploy a SMB at the end of the dive prior to ascent.

[CBulla]

Use a flag on a simple float with bright yellow braided poly line tied to it. Thus far no dives over 20' with it, and luckily have had no PWC morons attempt to play tag-the-flag with it.

I have debated having a watch on the beach armed with a .30-06 and VHF on ch16 to let the CG know that the smoking boat tried to kill divers.. especially after wathing a boat race right up between 2 flags off shore under which were 3 scubaboarders, one being my wife.

[DA Aquamaster]

I had a jet skier pull my flag up once. Given the cost of the flag and reel and no deco obligation I went up with it. Scared him silly when I popped and ripped him a new one. Idiots should not be allowed on personal water craft.

The more usual result is some form of slalom run around the flag and boaters coming over to see what it is.

I used to spearfish extensively, and invariably within about 15 minutes of being in the water fishermen would show up as they figured if I were still there, there were fish in the area. They then normally would ***** about having to stay 75 ft away and how divers hog all the good points and prevent them from fishing them.

The end result was a change in the dive flag law in South Dakota to allow boaters to run over divers as long as they only use an electric trolling motor. So rather than running over me with a noisy outboard that I can hear and avoid, they use a silent trolling motor. Much more of a saftey hazard in low visibility conditions but now perfectly legal. Idiots should also not be allowed in the legislature either.

[Kev Martin]

:D LOL

Spent a very interesting 50 minute dive at a place called Bacoli just outside of Naples, Italy towing an elderly gentleman and his boat around the bay whilst he fished!

I'm not sure who was more suprised.

I suppose the exercise did me some good.

Dive safe, all

[The Kraken]

Too funny, Kev . . .

[KrisB]

But so far, no-one has dropped an anchor or fishing line near us.

Too bad... you could have had fun pretending to be a fish hooked on their line, or detaching their anchor from the anchor line. :-)

That would show them!

[DennisS]

I always wondered how much good it does me when I'm 30 feet down to have a flag on the surface. I've seen some big hooks imbedded in the coral and the bottom, if it keeps the trollers away its worth it! Some of those /0 hooks look like they would really hurt.