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If any of you have read the rob Murphy thread, then you know a diver was recently run over by a boat. Even though "protected" by a dive flag, and even close to his own boat, a dirtbag boater ignored the flag--or perhaps was not looking at anything but his gps, and had no idea of the danger he was creating.
Everytime I hear some diver say we need more boater education, it makes me want to puke. It is the typical reaction of a person who does not really want to do much--and if they do this tiny thing, then they can feel good about themselves.
The reality is, while some boaters are careful to avoid dive flags, there are many boaters who just don't care at all...some can't stand divers, and with a few beers in them, you would not want them on the same reef you are diving on.
The real deal is, for the large number of boaters who just don't care about dive flags, there needs to be a big punitive threat for running a boat in close proximity to a diver with a flag. It needs to be like a DUI offense, only harsher still, due to the assaultive nature of running over a diver's head.
Until we have legislative change, and can get big teeth for a law, and a large revenue stream for the law enforcement officers ( like speeding tickets..ie., Tifton Georgia( poster town for speed traps and revenue), the whole idea of "enforcement" for the dive flag distance will be a cruel joke..the way it is now.
And for the boater that actually runs over a diver with a flag, you can NOT have the Fish and Wildlife service ready to call this an accident....
If a drunk runs over your 3 year old child, who was sitting in your driveway, off of the main road, would you take this as "just an accident"?
So, here we have a supposedly "active" group of Internet divers, who can sit back and do nothing over an incident like this Rob Murphy Tragedy...and where whining about better education about dive flags is the "easy out" a few "guilty" members of this huge group want to show thier solidarity with.
The only shot we have at fixing this ENORMOUS PROBLEM for all divers, is to "become a real group, a real force", a real lobbying group, and tirelessly fight for legislative changes and huge punitive measures..and the creation of a huge revenue stream for the local law enforcement agency responsible for each reef used by divers.
Dan V
Everytime I hear some diver say we need more boater education, it makes me want to puke. It is the typical reaction of a person who does not really want to do much--and if they do this tiny thing, then they can feel good about themselves.
The reality is, while some boaters are careful to avoid dive flags, there are many boaters who just don't care at all...some can't stand divers, and with a few beers in them, you would not want them on the same reef you are diving on.
The real deal is, for the large number of boaters who just don't care about dive flags, there needs to be a big punitive threat for running a boat in close proximity to a diver with a flag. It needs to be like a DUI offense, only harsher still, due to the assaultive nature of running over a diver's head.
Until we have legislative change, and can get big teeth for a law, and a large revenue stream for the law enforcement officers ( like speeding tickets..ie., Tifton Georgia( poster town for speed traps and revenue), the whole idea of "enforcement" for the dive flag distance will be a cruel joke..the way it is now.
And for the boater that actually runs over a diver with a flag, you can NOT have the Fish and Wildlife service ready to call this an accident....
If a drunk runs over your 3 year old child, who was sitting in your driveway, off of the main road, would you take this as "just an accident"?
So, here we have a supposedly "active" group of Internet divers, who can sit back and do nothing over an incident like this Rob Murphy Tragedy...and where whining about better education about dive flags is the "easy out" a few "guilty" members of this huge group want to show thier solidarity with.
The only shot we have at fixing this ENORMOUS PROBLEM for all divers, is to "become a real group, a real force", a real lobbying group, and tirelessly fight for legislative changes and huge punitive measures..and the creation of a huge revenue stream for the local law enforcement agency responsible for each reef used by divers.
Dan V