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At night, I like a line that floats. Thus, I'm kinda stuck with polypropylene. If I get a bit focused on something, I want all slack to disappear above me...
A flag that is less of a drag?
- Thread starter aquacat8
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The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Be sure, be sure, be sure that the flag on your float is legit for Florida. Many of the torpedo floats have too small a flag.
Nick Steele
Contributor
I freedive the east coast beaches fairly often and while it would be easier without a flag I tend to love my flag when I do actually need it. Over the past 2 months I have had to raise my flag high in the air to wave off boats that were heading straight towards me twice. Only time I really notice it is if I’m lobstering and get a some bugs in the bag tied to the flag. Also I leave the flag 30’ or so behind me when I’m covering ground and this makes towing the flag easier IMO
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aquacat8
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I think some boats are actually attracted to them.
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Dano"s float and float system complete with flag and weight is possibly the very best available at this time and will be for some tome to come
The float was designed for the SoCal life guards by a SoCal life guard the late Bob Burnside (Also LA Co UW Instructor) as a rescue can, in it's original life guard configuration it had a strap arrangement that the rescuer slung over his shoulder and towed the can behind him while swimming a flank speed towards the victim.
Many years ago it was as discovered by LA County SoCal scuba instructors and dive charter boat owners and became known as the "Burnside Buoy"--- which might have be it's official name
A few years later Bob produced a super buoy which was about a third longer which gave additional floatation capabilities but was equality awkward to use and never gained popularity with my instruction/spearfishing tribe.(Dano note !)
All this occurred in the early 1970s or so when PADI was two cardboard boxes in a small office in Costa Mesa. Therefore you will hear very little on the subject from the PADI types.
Bob is no longer with us and is rescuing in the great reef in the sky. I suspect his company was sold and or the patents expired and some other company is producing the cans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The correct size of a dive flag-- So many manufactures condider a dive flag as anything red with a white stripe. Not So ! .
.Its original configuration as established and agreed upon in the developmental stages over 60 years ago was to be flame orange color 5 units wide X 4 Units high X a 1 unit white diagonal stripe, later changed from blaze orange to red background and to to a square configuration for ease of production. Some day some one with be injured fling what is representative of a dive flag and some sharp attorney will declare it a red & white rag.
<<< FYI...... I have been known as an "expert witness " since 1957.....surprisingly the first case was a shooting death with a spear gun..the defense declared a spear gun was a toy --it was proven other wise.- long story for another time
However, my milestone case was in 1962 when a diver who was displaying a then 5 years old divers flag was struck by a boat and injured. I was called as the only expert witness, certainly an awesome responsibility but we prevailed and the red and white flag was identified in a court of law as a recognized flag of diving activity.
In 1988 a fellow on the east cost claimed ownership of the red and white divers flag. After 18 months the judge declared it generic to diving with no ownership.
In my 60 plus years of expert witnessing (I sound like dr bill!) I have had a number of consults regarding the red and white divers flag - so far only the two have resulted in litigation, but there are several in the wings .
I would strongly urge all who dive in waters where it is required or where there is excessive boat traffic to fly the flag. Flying a dive flag does not protect the diver from injury but if there is an accident the diver has recourse I a court of law-- with out the flag there is very little legal protection.
Hope this wee bit of saga advice shed some light on the right and privileges of a diver flying the red & white diver flag
SDM
The float was designed for the SoCal life guards by a SoCal life guard the late Bob Burnside (Also LA Co UW Instructor) as a rescue can, in it's original life guard configuration it had a strap arrangement that the rescuer slung over his shoulder and towed the can behind him while swimming a flank speed towards the victim.
Many years ago it was as discovered by LA County SoCal scuba instructors and dive charter boat owners and became known as the "Burnside Buoy"--- which might have be it's official name
A few years later Bob produced a super buoy which was about a third longer which gave additional floatation capabilities but was equality awkward to use and never gained popularity with my instruction/spearfishing tribe.(Dano note !)
All this occurred in the early 1970s or so when PADI was two cardboard boxes in a small office in Costa Mesa. Therefore you will hear very little on the subject from the PADI types.
Bob is no longer with us and is rescuing in the great reef in the sky. I suspect his company was sold and or the patents expired and some other company is producing the cans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The correct size of a dive flag-- So many manufactures condider a dive flag as anything red with a white stripe. Not So ! .
.Its original configuration as established and agreed upon in the developmental stages over 60 years ago was to be flame orange color 5 units wide X 4 Units high X a 1 unit white diagonal stripe, later changed from blaze orange to red background and to to a square configuration for ease of production. Some day some one with be injured fling what is representative of a dive flag and some sharp attorney will declare it a red & white rag.
<<< FYI...... I have been known as an "expert witness " since 1957.....surprisingly the first case was a shooting death with a spear gun..the defense declared a spear gun was a toy --it was proven other wise.- long story for another time
However, my milestone case was in 1962 when a diver who was displaying a then 5 years old divers flag was struck by a boat and injured. I was called as the only expert witness, certainly an awesome responsibility but we prevailed and the red and white flag was identified in a court of law as a recognized flag of diving activity.
In 1988 a fellow on the east cost claimed ownership of the red and white divers flag. After 18 months the judge declared it generic to diving with no ownership.
In my 60 plus years of expert witnessing (I sound like dr bill!) I have had a number of consults regarding the red and white divers flag - so far only the two have resulted in litigation, but there are several in the wings .
I would strongly urge all who dive in waters where it is required or where there is excessive boat traffic to fly the flag. Flying a dive flag does not protect the diver from injury but if there is an accident the diver has recourse I a court of law-- with out the flag there is very little legal protection.
Hope this wee bit of saga advice shed some light on the right and privileges of a diver flying the red & white diver flag
SDM
t3chnobrat
Contributor
LOL ok the flag is all you next time ;-)
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
They used not to be and I was glad when they changed it. I use top shaped float when I can...
tarponchik
Contributor
The flag drag comes mostly from the winds and currents, so you'll get the same drag for more money.
I've found that like most things in diving, the more often I carry a flag the easier it gets to manage. I don't like the yellow handle thing, and replaced mine with a spare jump reel. I hadn't thought of the benefits of having floaty line. It might be worth trying to load up some poly rope onto a reel.
I can see it being a hassle with freediving, since you're moving a lot faster than you would on scuba.
I can see it being a hassle with freediving, since you're moving a lot faster than you would on scuba.
I encourage you to rethink that. If a boat does run over your flag and it gets attached to the boat you might be in for an arm injury or an ultra-fast drag to/across the surface. I only hold my flag with my hands, that way if something grabs the flag then even if I don't consciously let go I will lose my grip and not get injured.
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