FL Dive Flag Violations Question

[Angry Turtle]

Dumb question, I've never had anything like this happen, but do they even know who you are? I mean you're not driving, so they don't have a drivers license to go by. If you didn't pay it (unless you gave them your real name) how would they even know for sure who you were? I don't carry any sort of ID when I'm diving so if I were ever stopped I'm giving them a fake name.

The OP said they were trying their hand at lobster hunting. They would have needed to keep their fishing license with them and produce it upon request.

 

[tddfleming]

Was surpised that they did not ask for the number for our fishing lic. or to see if we had all the right stuff for lobster. When down here in July to find housing and such, daughter and I went to LBTS and went snorkeling when we were on our way back to the car, just existed the Dania area, we were stopped and asked if we got any lobster, it was during mini season. He was going to check us had our answer been any different. Anyhow, I try to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, Nothing is worth jail time, in my mind Stuff does happen, just live and learn.

Off topic, anyone know of any really good cuban restaurants with the best ever tri leche cake in PBC or Broward county????

 

[rha600]

The OP said they were trying their hand at lobster hunting. They would have needed to keep their fishing license with them and produce it upon request.

I wasn't really asking in this particular instance, but more so just a "how would they know" kind of question. Even further, what if the people they stopped were minors? Say a couple of 13 or 14 year old kids that were diving with no flag? It just seems that they are really trusting the person to give the correct info.

 

[nimoh]

I wasn't really asking in this particular instance, but more so just a "how would they know" kind of question. Even further, what if the people they stopped were minors? Say a couple of 13 or 14 year old kids that were diving with no flag? It just seems that they are really trusting the person to give the correct info.

I don't think any LEO would take your word for it when asking your name. They would be more likely to follow you back to your car or boat and cite you when they could verify your ID.

 

[rha600]

True. I guess that part would depend on how major the violation was.

although, they sure don't seem to care about proper ID when they send you a ticket for running a red light and all they have is a photo of your car.

 

[DiverAmy]

Off topic, anyone know of any really good cuban restaurants with the best ever tri leche cake in PBC or Broward county????

In PBC the Tulipan Bakery on Belvedere or Northlake is an excellent Cuban bakery, with great Tres Leche, among other things, like their guava-cheese pastry.

As to restaurants in PBC with great Tres Leche desserts, I would recommend Havana Restaurant | Best Cuban Food in Town! on Forest Hill and Dixie HWY.

 

[danvolker]

Was surpised that they did not ask for the number for our fishing lic. or to see if we had all the right stuff for lobster. When down here in July to find housing and such, daughter and I went to LBTS and went snorkeling when we were on our way back to the car, just existed the Dania area, we were stopped and asked if we got any lobster, it was during mini season. He was going to check us had our answer been any different. Anyhow, I try to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, Nothing is worth jail time, in my mind Stuff does happen, just live and learn.

Off topic, anyone know of any really good cuban restaurants with the best ever tri leche cake in PBC or Broward county????

Best restaurant like this I know of is Cabana Nuevo Latino Not certain about this specific desert, but every thing I have ever eaten there was excellent.

I would fight the ticket on general principles....if this was about safety, the LEO's would be constantly looking for boaters violating the dive flag distances and speeds....IF that was happening, then the ticket may be valid...but since they ignore the boaters, they pretense of safety is pure fiction. I would also ask if you were near any other divers flag...and if so, you may have been perfectly legal. You have to be a certain distance to a flag...it does not have to be a flag you are pulling.

 

[tddfleming]

Best restaurant like this I know of is Cabana Nuevo Latino Not certain about this specific desert, but every thing I have ever eaten there was excellent.

I would fight the ticket on general principles....if this was about safety, the LEO's would be constantly looking for boaters violating the dive flag distances and speeds....IF that was happening, then the ticket may be valid...but since they ignore the boaters, they pretense of safety is pure fiction. I would also ask if you were near any other divers flag...and if so, you may have been perfectly legal. You have to be a certain distance to a flag...it does not have to be a flag you are pulling.

No other shore divers around us, we showed up at the park just after 8 am, I know we were in the water before 9. I see your point, as before we moved down here I was reading the post on here and all the boating issues that folks were talking about.

For the record, good thing our daughter was not waiting at home hungry for lobster, as we would have failed her and we had meal back up plans

Dan: you should try the cake!!! It is kind of like crack. You cannot get enough of it. We went to one in Boyton the other day, the meals were good, not much flavor, but their cake did not stack up to the cuban place in Richmond, VA. The Sugar Cane juice was good and different that they gave us.

 

[bilsant]

I wasn't really asking in this particular instance, but more so just a "how would they know" kind of question. Even further, what if the people they stopped were minors? Say a couple of 13 or 14 year old kids that were diving with no flag? It just seems that they are really trusting the person to give the correct info.

I'm pretty sure that "how they know' has a bit to do with technology. If you provide a name and date of birth and it doesn't match up the drivers license photo, criminal history, salt water fishing license and lobster stamp...information at the fingertips of the officer stopping you, then the citation turns into a boat ride back to shore to verify information. If it turns out you lied about whom you were, this now may be followed by a ride to the local jail. If you want to up the ante a bit, remember the game laws also empower the arresting officer to seize all equipment, including vehicles, boats, spearguns, bugging gear, and scuba equipment used in the commission of the crime for civil forfeiture action to be turned over to the state. In addition to criminal violations, FWC can also enforce certain sections of the Florida Administrative Code, which is about as arcane, expensive, and convoluted a set of regulations as you can find. Another interesting tweak is that judges can in addition to standard criminal penalties for game law violations can sentence a ban from future hunting or fishing in the state as a condition of probation or parole.

As in most interactions with the criminal justice system, the sillier you want to be, the more potentially expensive the experience.

As to juveniles, the officers have the ability to hold them until parents are contacted and respond to the scene or the local police station to verify their identity and pick them up. When I was 15 this was considered a fate worse than death.

Getting caught in a violation and receiving a ticket sucks. Getting caught lying about who you are to get the blame shifted to someone else cranks up the suck factor by orders of magnitude.

Just sayin'

And 2nd on Havana Restaurant on Forest Hill...

 

[roost5o]

True. I guess that part would depend on how major the violation was.

although, they sure don't seem to care about proper ID when they send you a ticket for running a red light and all they have is a photo of your car.

The ticket may or may not be sent to "You" in the mail. It goes to the owner of the vehicle. The camera does not know the identity of the person driving. In my jurisdiction it is considered a civil issue handled through parking services. No points are assessed on anyone's license.

A minor infraction is one thing but lying about your identity will have you bonding out of jail. Your criminal history is affected and so forth and so on...not a good idea.