I hate dive flags!!!

[Coldiver1]

I have been diving since 1985 since then I have lost or got fouled up in more dive flags/lines than I can count.
I moved to the west coast -no dive flags needed- I should have stayed because of that reason.
I have been back east now and have lost every dive flag that I was in charge of.
I have cut myself free of at least 4 lines. I have been at 75 feet only to see my dive buddies laughing at me
because I was towing the flag underwater at that depth. I have had the wind rip the flag from the float only
to find this out after the dive. I have used thick polypro line so entanglement wouldn't be as frequent as a
thin line only I dropped the handle and it floated up and away from me. I have used a retractable dog leash
which worked ok except for the fact that I have to carry about seven of them and attach them together the deeper
I go. BUT I am on to a new idea. I have found a small construction measuring tape (100 feet). It retracts with
a small handle. Also I drilled a hole into it and placed a lanyard to go over my wrist. I hope this works.
Why can't someone invent a remote control dive flag? You place a transmitter on you self. The dive flag on the
surface is propelled by a model boat motor and servos, and tracks you underwater movements?
Or why doesnt someone invent a "dog leash" that keeps tension on the line that is at least 130 feet long?

 

[Mud&Rox]

lol I feel ya....a RC flag would be awesome! but in my area ppl love to steel them......had 2 stolen last year....one took the float and flag and cut the line....another they cut the zip ties and stole the flag and placed a empty beer can on the fiberglass rod....damn rednecks....no worse feeling then dragging a stupid flag around only to surface to find you had been advertising for Natural Light....now im just using a 1' long piece of a pool noodle with a fiberglass driveway marker thru it and the cheapest flags I can find....for the line I use cheap masonry line from lowes ....kinda diggin the dog leash idea...

 

[DennisS]

l....another they cut the zip ties and stole the flag and placed a empty beer can on the fiberglass rod....damn rednecks....no worse feeling then dragging a stupid flag around only to surface to find you had been advertising for Natural Light....cheap

Now that's funny!!

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Have you considered tying off the flag and staying within a reasonable distance of where you have tied off? That practice is acceptable in most places. As for entanglement in your own line, it happens, but can be minimized with attention to the slack on a regular basis. It's not really pleasant to have no slack, where wave action can "tug" on your line, and you. I have come to use an inflatable inner tube-like device with the dive flag above it, and a center area with a bottom that I can put a bottle of water and other stuff in, so it make the flag seem a bit more useful. I hang a three pound weight under the float for "ballast" and it's pretty stable. The flag is a pain, but it is also an important safety device- to let people in boats know to back off a bit, and also to let people know they are divers out there somewhere, in case you have an issue and don't return.
DivemasterDennis

 

[nimoh]

I agree that flags shouldn't be necessary, unless you are prone to going to the surface without looking around first. I think a dive flag displayed on a boat is a good idea, but for shore dives, I think they are unnecessary. Instead, maybe there should be a requirement to shoot a smb before surfacing. I mean, what is the dive flag's function during the dive?

However, if you are getting tangled in your line, isn't that a different issue?

 

[Coldiver1]

I agree that dive flags are unnecessary. How many time have dive flags attracted boaters. I wonder if dive flags/ lines have caused fatalities? I do love the SMB idea at the end of a dive. Although sometimes this is confused as a distress signal. Maybe a different SMB that indicates a diver is ascending.

As far as getting tangled in the line... Yeah I got me some issues allright and they aren't limited to the underwater environment!

 

[Coldiver1]

I have come to use an inflatable inner tube-like device with the dive flag above it, and a center area with a bottom that I can put a bottle of water and other stuff in, so it make the flag seem a bit more useful. DivemasterDennis[/QUOTE]

Yes it is useful- It holds beer. Unless you surface to find the whole damn thing is gone. Then it is a crying shame.

 

[Garrobo]

Never dove with a dive flag. What am I missing?

 

[Coldiver1]

You should dive with one. Sooner or later that is what you will be missing!

 

[TMHeimer]

I'm lucky in that there are practically no boats at any of the local sites I dive. Need the flag (and usually required by law) when I'm further South. Yeah, sometimes it's practical to anchor it and stay relatively nearby. Generally it's a pain, especially when I am carrying my shell collecting bag as well.