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ooliviaik
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Thanks again! It is so nice to tap into this collective wisdom.
Please Educate Me on Dive Flags and SMB's
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IncreaseMyT
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I found this video really helpful when I first learned how to tie up my finger spool, its long and he drags it out, but good info 
Good idea, but do learn how to use it in a safe and shallow location (ideally a pool) first. It may look easy to deploy, but mid-water does require good buoyancy control and co-ordinated motor skills that only come with practice..... and more practice.
Dive flag
Flown from the boat to advise other boats there are divers in the water and they should stay clear and proceed with caution. There are two different flags, dependent on geography.
In the USA or US dependents, you tend to see the American Dive flag, Red with a diagonal white strip. This is not listed in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and is basically a 'local signal'.
Other parts of the world you tend to see the Maritime International Alpha Flag (Vertical White and Blue half's), which is specified in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
In some places you see both.
SMB
A float or buoy, sometimes with a flag. Inflated prior to the dive, attached to a reel. Towed by the diver throughout the dive.
Again the primary objective is to advise surface traffic of divers and their location.
Sometimes local regulation requires an SMB to be used.
DSMB
A buoy that the diver can inflate at the end of the dive whilst submerged. Often used when diving wrecks, during the dive the boat knows the divers location (because they are on the wreck). The divers inflate the SMB when leaving the wreck, allowing the boat to follow the divers as they drift in the tide.
Folding Flag
Surface detection aid. To help search parties locate missing divers on the surface.
Normally used in conjunction with other detection aids, including inflated DSMB's, torches, whistles etc.
**** It should be noted that a lot of boat users do not understand the meaning of various signals. Including the American Dive Flag, the international Alpha Flag, and SMB's (and DSMB's).
In fact some boat users use SMB's and DSMB's as convenient turning points!
Always take care and look out for boat traffic during ascent and when on the surface.
Flown from the boat to advise other boats there are divers in the water and they should stay clear and proceed with caution. There are two different flags, dependent on geography.
In the USA or US dependents, you tend to see the American Dive flag, Red with a diagonal white strip. This is not listed in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and is basically a 'local signal'.
Other parts of the world you tend to see the Maritime International Alpha Flag (Vertical White and Blue half's), which is specified in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
In some places you see both.
SMB
A float or buoy, sometimes with a flag. Inflated prior to the dive, attached to a reel. Towed by the diver throughout the dive.
Again the primary objective is to advise surface traffic of divers and their location.
Sometimes local regulation requires an SMB to be used.
DSMB
A buoy that the diver can inflate at the end of the dive whilst submerged. Often used when diving wrecks, during the dive the boat knows the divers location (because they are on the wreck). The divers inflate the SMB when leaving the wreck, allowing the boat to follow the divers as they drift in the tide.
Folding Flag
Surface detection aid. To help search parties locate missing divers on the surface.
Normally used in conjunction with other detection aids, including inflated DSMB's, torches, whistles etc.
**** It should be noted that a lot of boat users do not understand the meaning of various signals. Including the American Dive Flag, the international Alpha Flag, and SMB's (and DSMB's).
In fact some boat users use SMB's and DSMB's as convenient turning points!
Always take care and look out for boat traffic during ascent and when on the surface.
Darcimus
Contributor
Our local regs stipulate a flag for each dive group or boat, and my local lake has a lot of boat activity, so I bought one (a $15 floaty). I plan to attach it to a 100' reel and tow it behind me. I haven't actually used it yet but that's because more experienced members of the dive group have towed one with them.
Divers at our local lake have had issues with the cottage owners. It's been pretty bad in the past, with some of the cottage owners thinking the lake is their personal property, and some divers have found nails around their tires when they're gearing down and getting ready to leave.
Apparently, at some time in the past, a LDS did a boat ride around the lake with the Coast Guard after some problems arised. (Up here, the Coast Guard has jurisdiction over all shores, not just ocean...but local lakes.) A few threats to deal with non-regulation docks (I didn't even know there were regs for docks) by seizure was all it took to remind the cottage owners that the lake they bought property at wasn't "their" lake, despite paying money for property there. A little time passed, and then that pendulum swung the other way. Some of the cottage owners did some research and they discovered that shore divers have to flag their group as boat divers do. So every now and then one of them reminds us about that, and we grab the flag from the truck box and go out diving.
Sometimes it sucks. You gear up and walk down the 30 or so steps to the lake, and some numbnut reminds you about the flag your group "forgot" so you climb back up. Oh well. The group has invested too much in that lake (nav course, et al) to simply walk away because of a few a$$bags.
Some days I'd like to figure out who the cottage owners are and give them a speeding ticket when they're heading back into the city after a long weekend. But that's probably a bad thing. Unethical even.
Divers at our local lake have had issues with the cottage owners. It's been pretty bad in the past, with some of the cottage owners thinking the lake is their personal property, and some divers have found nails around their tires when they're gearing down and getting ready to leave.
Apparently, at some time in the past, a LDS did a boat ride around the lake with the Coast Guard after some problems arised. (Up here, the Coast Guard has jurisdiction over all shores, not just ocean...but local lakes.) A few threats to deal with non-regulation docks (I didn't even know there were regs for docks) by seizure was all it took to remind the cottage owners that the lake they bought property at wasn't "their" lake, despite paying money for property there. A little time passed, and then that pendulum swung the other way. Some of the cottage owners did some research and they discovered that shore divers have to flag their group as boat divers do. So every now and then one of them reminds us about that, and we grab the flag from the truck box and go out diving.
Sometimes it sucks. You gear up and walk down the 30 or so steps to the lake, and some numbnut reminds you about the flag your group "forgot" so you climb back up. Oh well. The group has invested too much in that lake (nav course, et al) to simply walk away because of a few a$$bags.
Some days I'd like to figure out who the cottage owners are and give them a speeding ticket when they're heading back into the city after a long weekend. But that's probably a bad thing. Unethical even.
Darcimus
Contributor
I can attest to this. The recreational boaters course I took years ago provided next to no information on dive flags. And there was next to no information on how far away to stay away from that flag. Again, check local regs and be prepared for people to have no idea what your flag means, and dive safe.
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We used to live at Paint Lake near Thompson, MB. Never saw a diver there, but can attest to all the screwy regulations when living in a provincial park. Dock regulations being one of them. Having to replace your old dock because it's a hazard, while there are tons of other ways you can injure yourself along the rocky shores, including the pile of junk along the shore of the Parks personnel's residence. And that's 400+ miles North of Winnipeg. Not anywhere near as bad at our present cabin on a non-park lake in that area. You need a dive flag in Nova Scotia, of course, and I've heard that close to Hfx. Harbour they will get after you. I haven't used it over winter because there are really no boats there in winter and most people would assume nobody's nuts enough to winter dive in the ocean here.
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