Jurrasicdiver
Contributor
I'll second that Groundhog.
JD
JD
Bbp???
- Thread starter scottmc
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I wonder if there are differences between provinces. Could be a thing to take up with an mpp not that divers are a priority or anything.
Groundhog246
Contributor
PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE, leave it ALONE. The very last thing we want is government intervention. First and foremost, there are many more boaters than divers and they are very visible and have numerous organizations. If the government, at any level, gets involved, we, the divers will lose. We'll end up with restrictions on where we can dive (for example, no diving within 500 feet of a dock, a channel, a boat launch, etc), when we can dive, how we can dive. We'll have to drag around flags, floats, maybe surface spotters to warn off boats. We could end up with a new level of certification required like in Quebec. (Although I'll note that the FQAS, has received kudos for their efforts to educate boaters on the meaning of dive flags, by means of posters and flyers). You can be sure that guys like former Ontario premier Peterson, who has a cottage in the 30,000 Islands that is accessible ONLY by boat and is an avid boater, will not sit for much in the way of restrictions on his boating (I happen to know he was very vocal is his objection to some proposed boating rules in the 30,000 islands, that some mainland cottage owners wanted). It's happened numerous places in the US, if there's a conflict between boats and divers, the boats will get right of way.
As a small example, a few folks brought it to the attention of the municipality, that there was a "No Diving" sign at the boat ramp in Rockport and there was in fact no bylaw and would they ensure removal of the privately placed sign. The municipality jumped right on it and passed a bylaw against swimming, including scuba diving as swimming, from the boat ramp and posted an official sign forbidding same. If they had kept quiet, all they'd have to worry about would be a complaining citizen next door, who really couldn't so anything but complain. Now, they face a fine.
Now all that said, it's a STUPID place to dive. I was down a while back (before the controversy) and watch 2 divers just about get it, when they surfaced and walked up the ramp, behind a guy trying to load a 30 foot offshore boat, onto a trailer. He had gotten on crooked and backed off, without having seen the divers and just about took them out. IT'S A BOAT RAMP, DUH, but you should have heard the divers telling off the guy in the boat that HE should be more careful.
So let me say it again, PLEASE LEAVE IT ALONE. Dive defensively and assume the boat will not be aware of you. Speaking as a boater, I race on a C&C 30 and on the water, trying to find a 2 foot, orange, tetrahedral race mark, that I now approx where it is, can be difficult, even from 400 to 500 feet, don't expect the boater will see a small, 1 foot dia float, or 1 foot square flag, especially if he's downwind of the flag, that he's not particularly looking for, because it won't happen.
As a small example, a few folks brought it to the attention of the municipality, that there was a "No Diving" sign at the boat ramp in Rockport and there was in fact no bylaw and would they ensure removal of the privately placed sign. The municipality jumped right on it and passed a bylaw against swimming, including scuba diving as swimming, from the boat ramp and posted an official sign forbidding same. If they had kept quiet, all they'd have to worry about would be a complaining citizen next door, who really couldn't so anything but complain. Now, they face a fine.
Now all that said, it's a STUPID place to dive. I was down a while back (before the controversy) and watch 2 divers just about get it, when they surfaced and walked up the ramp, behind a guy trying to load a 30 foot offshore boat, onto a trailer. He had gotten on crooked and backed off, without having seen the divers and just about took them out. IT'S A BOAT RAMP, DUH, but you should have heard the divers telling off the guy in the boat that HE should be more careful.
So let me say it again, PLEASE LEAVE IT ALONE. Dive defensively and assume the boat will not be aware of you. Speaking as a boater, I race on a C&C 30 and on the water, trying to find a 2 foot, orange, tetrahedral race mark, that I now approx where it is, can be difficult, even from 400 to 500 feet, don't expect the boater will see a small, 1 foot dia float, or 1 foot square flag, especially if he's downwind of the flag, that he's not particularly looking for, because it won't happen.
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