Florida Dive Regulations

[cawzt3]

Diver Down Flag - State law requires that scuba divers or snorkelers display a flag whenever they are in the water.

The "diver down" flag is a square or rectangular red flag (if on boats, at least 20 inches by 24 inches; at least 12 inches by 12 inches on towed buoys) with a white diagonal stripe and with wire or other stiffener to hold it unfurled and extended.

Boaters must make reasonable efforts to stay 300 feet away from dive flags in open water; 100 feet in rivers, inlets and navigation channels.

Boaters approaching diver down flags closer than 300 feet in open water and 100 feet in rivers, inlets and navigation channels must slow their vessels to the minimum speed required to maintain forward motion and steering.

I dont know how many times, ive been diving in the keys, and had the flag out, and still had people go right by us.

[Walter]

Originally Posted by cawzt3

Florida Dive Regulations

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Diver Down Flag - State law requires that scuba divers or snorkelers display a flag whenever they are in the water.

Not entirely accurate.

All divers must prominently display a divers-down flag in the area in which the diving occurs, other than when diving in an area customarily used for swimming only.

[DennisS]

Go with the bigger flag, the (12x12) ones are hard for a boat to see until they are on top of them. A boat going 30 miles an hour travels 1/2 mile in a minute, not much time to see the flag if they are paying total attention (which no boater is doing 100% of the time)

[cawzt3]

i have a pretty beefy dive flag its a 14 inch flag with a 30 dollar bouy on it, along with some extra weight on a string added to the bottom. giving it great stability in rough waters. But ya sometimes it hard to see someones flag till your right up on them.

We have been flying a big dive flag on the boat, and then we trail the dive flag behind the boat about 50ft out, to help keep the other boats from coming too close, and its also good for my girlfriend when she gets tired.

[SkimFisher]

Question about FL Dive Flag laws - when is it necessary or required to display the alpha flag? I'm a boat owner but have never dived off my own boat - I'm about to start though.

I've been on a few charter boats and they never display the alpha flag - only the dive flag. So what's the law (if any) that governs the display of the alpha?

Thanks.

[200 Bar]

Originally Posted by SkimFisher

Question about FL Dive Flag laws - when is it necessary or required to display the alpha flag? I'm a boat owner but have never dived off my own boat - I'm about to start though.

I've been on a few charter boats and they never display the alpha flag - only the dive flag. So what's the law (if any) that governs the display of the alpha?

Thanks.

Title XXIV VESSELS
Chapter 327 VESSEL SAFETY

327.331 Divers; definitions; divers-down flag required; obstruction to navigation of certain waters; penalty.--

(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Diver" means any person who is wholly or partially submerged in the waters of the state and is equipped with a face mask and snorkel or underwater breathing apparatus.

(b) "Underwater breathing apparatus" means any apparatus, whether self-contained or connected to a distant source of air or other gas, whereby a person wholly or partially submerged in water is enabled to obtain or reuse air or any other gas or gases for breathing without returning to the surface of the water.

(c) "Divers-down flag" means a flag that meets the following specifications:

1. The flag must be square or rectangular. If rectangular, the length must not be less than the height, or more than 25 percent longer than the height. The flag must have a wire or other stiffener to hold it fully unfurled and extended in the absence of a wind or breeze.

2. The flag must be red with a white diagonal stripe that begins at the top staff-side of the flag and extends diagonally to the lower opposite corner. The width of the stripe must be 25 percent of the height of the flag.

3. The minimum size for any divers-down flag displayed on a buoy or float towed by the diver is 12 inches by 12 inches. The minimum size for any divers-down flag displayed from a vessel or structure is 20 inches by 24 inches.

4. Any divers-down flag displayed from a vessel must be displayed from the highest point of the vessel or such other location which provides that the visibility of the divers-down flag is not obstructed in any direction.

(2) All divers must prominently display a divers-down flag in the area in which the diving occurs, other than when diving in an area customarily used for swimming only.

(3) No diver or group of divers shall display one or more divers-down flags on a river, inlet, or navigation channel, except in case of emergency, in a manner which shall unreasonably constitute a navigational hazard.

(4) Divers shall make reasonable efforts to stay within 100 feet of the divers-down flag on rivers, inlets, and navigation channels. Any person operating a vessel on a river, inlet, or navigation channel must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from any divers-down flag.

(5) Divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of the divers-down flag on all waters other than rivers, inlets, and navigation channels. Any person operating a vessel on waters other than a river, inlet, or navigation channel must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from any divers-down flag.

(6) Any vessel other than a law enforcement or rescue vessel that approaches within 100 feet of a divers-down flag on a river, inlet, or navigation channel, or within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on waters other than a river, inlet, or navigation channel, must proceed no faster than is necessary to maintain headway and steerageway.

(7) The divers-down flag must be lowered once all divers are aboard or ashore. No person may operate any vessel displaying a divers-down flag unless the vessel has one or more divers in the water.

(8) Except as provided in s. 327.33, any violation of this section shall be a noncriminal infraction punishable as provided in s. 327.73.

History.--ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 74-344; s. 64, ch. 74-383; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 86-35; ss. 7, 8, ch. 2000-362.

Note.--Former s. 861.065.

The Alpha Flag is an International maritime signal flag, meaning, 'Diver down, keep clear'. Outside Florida territorial limits an Alpha Flag is required...(9miles Gulf of Mexico, 3 miles all others ) Cuz aint no local can write a ticket outside thier jurisdiction....

Hope it helps !!!

Just as a side note, when we dive ship bottoms at our port, part of our tag out process is for the Capt/1st Mate to hoist the "A" flag on his mainmast (tallest) as well as a Red/White Diver Down Flag which all foreign flagged vessels carry anyway..

[mboyd03]

you don't need the Alpha flag.

[mboyd03]

you don't need the Alpha flag. I have the flag on the boat but also put a floating flag on the tag line just to be safe. like said above boaters dont pay attn all the time and some are just plain stupid. I'm in Ft Lauderdale and see ppl boating over the reef often even though there are mooring bouys.

[chrisculina]

Originally Posted by mboyd03

you don't need the Alpha flag.

To divers dropping by this thread: It's about Florida dive regulations. In other parts of the world, the alpha flag (white and blue split flag) may be used, like here in Norway.

Dive flag awareness is a problem i Norway too. Boaters almost seem drawn towards the flag, and when they spot the bubbles, it's like their brains short circuit. There is hope though... A certificate for motor powered leisure boats has finally been made mandatory. Also, the Norwegian Dive Federation made a poster which is available at no cost for clubs, dive centers, etc. I only wish PADI would show responsibility and do something similar - world wide.

[200 Bar]

Originally Posted by chrisculina

To divers dropping by this thread: It's about Florida dive regulations. In other parts of the world, the alpha flag (white and blue split flag) may be used, like here in Norway.

Dive flag awareness is a problem i Norway too. Boaters almost seem drawn towards the flag, and when they spot the bubbles, it's like their brains short circuit. There is hope though... A certificate for motor powered leisure boats has finally been made mandatory. Also, the Norwegian Dive Federation made a poster which is available at no cost for clubs, dive centers, etc. I only wish PADI would show responsibility and do something similar - world wide.

Well then why doesn't the Norwegian Dive Federation make theirs available -world wide...