Divers lose boat, no pilot left aboard - Florida
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The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
No, only those boats which can not move because of such diving operations are required to display that flag. This is more for hard hat diving than recreational. They are tethered to the boat and the boat simply can't move without killing them. The Coast Guard is just fine with the Diver Down flag on boats that are free to move but have divers in the water.
I was responding to @FullThrottle post, specifically about UK dive vessels.
Are diver down flags not used in UK?
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Good point... Yeah, the Dive Flag is a USA invention and some nations have been slow to adopt it. I'm seeing lots of countries that have adopted it, and like that.
PLBs are awesome when you are out of VHF range. When you are in VHF range, other options get you a faster response. The best tool for the job varies with the job at hand.
If I had to drive 300 miles with 3 suitcases & two other people, I would prefer a Cadillac. If I had to drive 50 miles carrying 12 sheets of plywood, I would prefer a pickup truck. If I was going to take a 2-hour ride through the Smokey Mountains, I would prefer a Harley. Which vehicle is the best to drive? It depends. Which personal location device is best? It depends.
never suggested outlawing anything
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
To the question about charging victims for rescue, we already pay for it in taxes. My buddy has a private company that works with USCG here in Tampa Bay. Several times a week they go out in the Gulf and practice dropping swimmers and air lifting crew from the deck. In other words, the Coast Guard is out there all the time and we're paying for their training every day, so I don't care if your accident was a good one or a bad one in the view of others, you go rescue them and they don't get billed for it. There is little extra expense, they're already out there.
Billing for rescue services was tried and discarded earlier, in the area of firefighting.
How Fire Marks Went From Insurance Markers to Collectibles
How Fire Marks Went From Insurance Markers to Collectibles
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
The problem with your analogy is what if you incur conditions your Cadillac can't handle? You'd be wishing you had the truck, especially since the truck can do what the Cadillac can.
I am a minimalist diver for the most part so I would not be inclined to carry both a PLB and a VHF, plus I can't predict if I will be in VHF range of another vessel with the few miles you get with the tiny handhelds, is their VHF on? Does it even work? Do they even have one? A PLB solves that issue. It's the truck that can drive 300 miles, carry 3 suitcases, 2 other people, 12 sheets of plywood and handle unknown road conditions, not the Cadillac. So since I can only choose one, I'll take the truck. YMMV
Mario Vittone, a retired USCG rescue swimmer and now a consultant on sea safety and survival, made a solid case on why victims should not be charged for rescues in this article. In summary, it may cause people to delay or not make a call for help even further when it is already a problem that many people wait too long. Usually, the later the call, the more risk to the rescuers. It also explains why the "book" cost of the operation is not really the additional dollar cost.
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