I hate dive flags!!!

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We don't tow a flag in lakes anymore, all they do is attract watercraft who use them as pylons for turns. We do put a flag near the beach entry point though. In the ocean, the boat has a flag.
 
By law we have to use dive flags in the lake where we do our training, and power boats are not even allowed in the lake (with the exception of the Sheriff's department). The way we use them is also sort of meaningless since when we are diving, we take the flag out and tie it off, leaving it there for the whole day. So even though there is a dive flag in the water, at any given time there may or may not be divers under it.

Furthermore, there are usually a few groups out diving, all with their own flags so pretty much any time you go out to the lake the water has flags all over the place, and I can't think of any useful purpose for them.
 
yea lately Ive been just tieing it off where ever I drop down and going from there.....kinda a suprise at the bottom of the cereal box to see if its still there when I return
 
yea lately Ive been just tieing it off where ever I drop down and going from there.....kinda a suprise at the bottom of the cereal box to see if its still there when I return

Maybe you could set up a sting operation, obviously the cost of a dive flag is not worth the time of the police, but they could generate some revenue by citing boats for dive flag encroachment :)
 
unless they are divers, I'd bet there isnt a single boat in NE TN waters that can identify a dive flag..... let alone know the law as to STAYING AWAY...Ive often wanted thought about making a floating billboard that in depth explains the laws of boaters and divers but figured it would just turn into a "Billy Bob loves Sue" billboard....

ive also wondered how well a speargun would penetrate the bottom of an AL fishing boat :idk:
 
I dislike towing a dive flag as much as anyone, lost a few, etc.... I much prefer having an SMB and popping that should I need to surface away from the shore or boat.

The tried and true method of pulling the flag to the reef and anchoring it with a weight works for me. I start and stop the dive with the flag which is both when it is helpful and when LEOs will be checking for it. Its not like they have time to sit and compare the position of your bubbles to the flag and figure out you anchored it.
 
coldwater, the teflon construction tape is the best I have used and been using for different dives for decades. only one thing if a diver decides to try is when ascending the reel get bigger winding in and you will go faster. it often made me think of how to generate a way to get some where from shore, except fisherman would snag it, so it would always be coming back, that ain't all bad either though if you have a leg cramp, just wind in.


mud rox you would need more like a bang stick. still do not know if penetrate al boat.
 
Novice divers.. have no clue how to effectively tow a dive flag...:shakehead::shakehead::shakehead:


The very best way is to get your buddy to tow it.. don't they teach this in dive classes anymore? :confused:


Where i dive, we generally always carry a float. There are two choices, cheap polypropalene yellow rope of 3/16 or some people use 1/8" too. We have a small light weight grappling hook on the end. What i have done to reduce the entanglement issues is to run the last 6 feet or so of the line through some clear vinyl tubing (from home depot).. Bright yellow pneumatic air line hose works too. Anyway, you tie knots on either end of the tubing/hose so it is fixed.

Here's another hint: They make these little metal grappling hooks for hanging horse stuff in a barn. I don't even know what they hang on them? However, they are very cheap, pretty damn strong and if you rinse them after use, you will lose it before it rusts too much..

It is nearly impossible to get tangled in the rope because it is held kinda stiff by the hose. I won't wrap around your first stage etc and the drag is minimal.

The other option is to use a good reel and a grappling hook. This is more expensive to get a good decent reel. If you keep the line short and taunt, it is less liely to wrap you up. for a few years now i have been using dynema line (used for kite surfing) it is more expensive, but much, much stronger than nylon cave line and much more abrasion resistant.
 
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My wife and I were out diving and I was towing the flag. I turned to look at a nice fishy there and over there and over there. Then I found that I was hanging negatively buoyant and completely wrapped up. The first thing my wife had to do was clear her mask as she was laughing so hard. After she got me untangled she swooped off knocking my reg out of my mouth. I resolved the issue in a few seconds and she apologized for two weeks. Aside from losing cool points by getting all tied up, it was a win win outcome.
 
So now I really am wondering... Have there been any fatalities due to dive flag usage? IE: entanglement, being dragged by a passing boat, someone shooting at the flag...ect.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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