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Last week My wife, daughter, and I were in central Florida diving the springs and decided to do a drift dive down Rainbow River. I called up Birds Underwater and they were kind enough to set us up with a guy who lives on the river and runs a pontoon taxi there. He took us up river and dropped us off and along the way briefed us on some of the features we should try too see on the drift back down river. So far so good.
We get in the water with dive flag in tow and begin our dive. Now the fun begins. I'm almost certain the boats were chasing our flag. I realize this is a busy waterway but good grief nobody even tried to stay within 100 feet!
On one of the deeper holes we had stopped on the bottom and was doing a little exploring. This boat pulls up and throws their anchor literally right on top of us. They nearly tangled our flag and line in their prop positioning the boat! At this point I had to go to the surface to see what kind of bonehead this was and I was in shock! It was actually a dive shop with what appeared to be a open water class. I pointed the flag out to the captain and his response was "Sorry, didn't see it." I just shook my head and continued the dive.
Rainbow River was a cool dive but I don't think I'll ever try it again.
Ive had similar instances. I have had jetskiis use my flag as a racing buoy, doing circles around it. I have had boats pull up next to it and literally try to pull it up. On ascent, I was about 11 feet from the surface and a boat went flying by overhead. They need to put a warning that looks like a dive flag with directions on watercraft. Much like the ones in vehicles with air bags or roll overs in SUVs.. Maybe a mandatory class. I have had a few boats myself, but I always knew the local laws to where I am boating.
Did you get the Dive Boat name? Is it possible to report them to someone, or give the shop they are affiliated with a call and say "hey, just wanted to make you aware that whoever was driving your dive boat is unaware of what a dive flag looks like" and explain from there that he of all people should know better.
"Why do animal lovers always make a bigger stink about fur than leather? It is much safer to pick fights with rich old ladies than with bikers." Thanks GypsyJim
If the other boaters were idling past or near your flag, that's perfectly within the law.
I suppose that some of the boats we encountered we just idling past. Maybe the others just didn't see us, It was an awful busy day. The dive shop boat though, I would expect them to be hypersensitive if anything. I got the impression that they just didn't care...
Last week My wife, daughter, and I were in central Florida diving the springs and decided to do a drift dive down Rainbow River. I called up Birds Underwater and they were kind enough to set us up with a guy who lives on the river and runs a pontoon taxi there. He took us up river and dropped us off and along the way briefed us on some of the features we should try too see on the drift back down river. So far so good.
We get in the water with dive flag in tow and begin our dive. Now the fun begins. I'm almost certain the boats were chasing our flag. I realize this is a busy waterway but good grief nobody even tried to stay within 100 feet!
On one of the deeper holes we had stopped on the bottom and was doing a little exploring. This boat pulls up and throws their anchor literally right on top of us. They nearly tangled our flag and line in their prop positioning the boat! At this point I had to go to the surface to see what kind of bonehead this was and I was in shock! It was actually a dive shop with what appeared to be a open water class. I pointed the flag out to the captain and his response was "Sorry, didn't see it." I just shook my head and continued the dive.
Rainbow River was a cool dive but I don't think I'll ever try it again.
The river is not 100 feet wide, boat traffic has a RIGHT to navigation on a navigable waterway. They are only required to exercise caution, ie, proceed slowly and carefully and to stay clear of the divers as much as possible without endangering their vessel or their passage. A dive flag does not give you a right to stop navigation and in fact, frankly, where possible, the diver should remain clear of the navigable section of the waterway where boats traverse. Obviously in some areas neither is possible if both parties are to enjoy the area and therefore the diver should use reasonable care to not restrict boats and boat traffic should remain as clear as possible and proceed with due caution. If that is not OK with you, dive elsewhere.
The dive boats that operate on that river are the rudest bunch I have yet to encounter.
I was bringing up the rear of a group (6-8 divers) in Rainbow in March. Another instructor was leading and carrying the flag for all of us. We briefed the group about staying together and I was very conscious about keeping an eye on our flag and our group together, as we always do in RR.
We had a private boat pull up and drop anchor on top of us as well. I surfaced and (politely) asked the owner if he knew about the flag. He said he did and then proceeded to chew us out, saying that we weren't staying close enough to our flag and that he did nothing wrong.
I kept cool and basically asked him--Isn't avoiding running over and hurting someone more important that being right? He was belligerent and still said we weren't within 100' of our flag that we were wrong and he was right.
The attitude of people these days amazes me. It was like if he had killed someone his logic would have been, "Tough $h!?, it's not my fault the guy was away from his flag... I didn't do anything wrong. It's all his fault."
We were within the 100' range of our flag, but for future dives, I will always bring a second flag for the rear of the group. Still though, a dive flag is not a suit of protective armor or a bullet proof vest--it is just a communication tool to notify that there are divers below.
Education of the boating public is the key to that communication being effective.
... Still though, a dive flag is not a suit of protective armor or a bullet proof vest--it is just a communication tool to notify that there are divers below.
Education of the boating public is the key to that communication being effective.
That kind of thinking will get you nowhere. You can communicate to and educate people until you're blue in the face, and get absolutely nowhere... that is until you give them a reason to listen. Yelling at the "idiot" in the boat (who has already proved he doesn't give a $*^&) is pointless and a waste of energy. I'd lay down good money that he feels he has already paid his dues (bought a boat, registration, etc.) and that alone is his justification for simply "being there."
Boating infractions need to be treated just like vehicular traffic... you hit them in pocketbook and they will start to listen... You take away their hard earned money... they will listen. You impound their watercraft... they won't do it anymore.
Point is... take your argument to the right people and just shake your head at those who really should know better.
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Originally Posted by deepstops
