Divers Down - Page 2

Simon B · 15 February 2010, 12:14

If it was a commercial operation it should have been posted in notices to mariners, leisure dive vessels should display a "rigidised replica of Int flag A" so the plywood one wasn't that far off the mark. Any divers down should use Surface marker buoys-BUT there is some ignorance of these and no standard configuration. A lot of divers will use a delayed surface marker (pops up at end of dive) these are a fairly standard shape but you do sometimes get numbnuts coming over to see what the strange thing is.

If all this is in place and someone is opened up by a prop then they will probably face the full weight of the law- unless you live in mexico and have lots of money.

willk · 15 February 2010, 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon B

but you do sometimes get numbnuts coming over to see what the strange thing is.

Yes. I've had this problem - I generally interpose the RIB between divers and "threatening" craft. I get quite, um, pushy about it too

.

GordyP · 15 February 2010, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Yes. I've had this problem - I generally interpose the RIB between divers and "threatening" craft. I get quite, um, pushy about it too

.

And rightly so.

BruceB · 15 February 2010, 15:46

I have had a fin keel on a yacht miss me by just a few feet once. I was under a very large orange bouy with the liveaboard vessel about 50 yards away picking up divers and flying a huge A flag.
Apparently they used the bouy as a turning point and shaved it as close as possible, the boat was actually picking up divers and was static doing so.
Its quite normal to have boats come and investigate the "strange bouys" up here and get upset when they are told to "F** off"

In saying that diver boats can be just as bad, I could tell some scary stories about some of the things I have seen.
Thinking about it the only person I know who has been hit by a prop was Mike Morgan from Puffin Divers who apparently fell out his own boat and got hit by his own prop so I am not sure he counts..........

m chappelow · 15 February 2010, 16:48

From what i remember reading RULE 27 col regs the A,alpha flag is supposed to have a minimum size of 1mx1m for uk waters AND be that it has an all around display from any angle ,,,, any size smaller than that and there could be a legal get out if you run over a diver with a boat not displaying the correct size flag ,also the flag must in times of nil wind conditions or where it does not fly proper arrangement must be made to enable it to fly and display properly eg .a ridgid arm along the upper edge ,,,,so before any of you divers out there start gobbing off other boaters for getting too close ,,make sure that your own boat is in order first ,,,lol

Bigmuz7 · 15 February 2010, 17:05

That would make sense as whats the point of a visual aid when its flopped down the flag pole, which is what part of the origainal question was

andyxs · 15 February 2010, 17:08

the most effective thing i saw was a dive rib with a banner down each side with big red letters DIVERS. KEEP CLEAR being in abersoch with loads o knobbers it worked too

Poly · 15 February 2010, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

shallow areas of 4m or so half way along and noticed some sort of service vessel about 30' long in the distance ahead just off the shore and proceeded to go tighter on my turn out to give it a wide berth and keep well clear.. noticed a geezer waving from the deck .. more than just an acknowledgement and suddenly thought possibly divers in area

Either that or he was aground / sinking and trying to get your attention!

I'd have thought frantic waving, a bit like a mysterious SMB is more likely to make someone who doesn't recognise and A-flag come closer to investigate than back off.

Do AIS tranmitters have the ability to show a 'diver down' status?

Heart-trouble · 15 February 2010, 18:59

Do you have an AIS reciever on the boat?

willk · 15 February 2010, 19:06

I'm sticking with my technique:

1. Big "F-O" A-Flag
2. Warning on VHF
3. Ramming

chewy · 15 February 2010, 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

I'm sticking with my technique:

1. Big "F-O" A-Flag
2. Warning on VHF
3. Ramming

Throwing them lead weights at boats that get too close works as well!

Poly · 15 February 2010, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heart-trouble

Do you have an AIS reciever on the boat?

no - and I wasn't suggesting it as the only, or main way of communicating - but they are definitely increasing in popularity, work over relatively long distance, and wouldn't create the 'lets go closer to see that unusual flag/bouy/banner/frantic waving guy problem'.

chewy · 15 February 2010, 19:22

What distance should be kept from a boat flying the A flag?

willk · 15 February 2010, 19:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

What distance should be kept from a boat flying the A flag?

Quite a bit further than I can throw a 4lb weight...

chewy · 15 February 2010, 19:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Quite a bit further than I can throw a 4lb weight...

Bounce them off the tubes, go loads further then!

BruceB · 15 February 2010, 19:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

quite a bit further than i can throw a 4lb weight...

m chappelow · 15 February 2010, 19:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

What distance should be kept from a boat flying the A flag?

HI phil ,in the uk i have heard from 50 to 100 meters exclusion zone ,,,depends on confined waters or open sea ,,,suppose dive boats could always set off a white anti collision hand flare if really needed ,,,though knowing the ignorence of some boaters if they are ignoring the A flag they might think you are in distress and come even closer ,, lol

chewy · 15 February 2010, 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

HI phil ,in the uk i have heard from 50 to 100 meters exclusion zone ,,,depends on confined waters or open sea ,,,suppose dive boats could always set off a white anti collision hand flare if really needed ,,,though knowing the ignorence of some boaters if they are ignoring the A flag they might think you are in distress and come even closer ,, lol

When I did my training I couldn't remember if they was a set distance.

Bigmuz7 · 15 February 2010, 19:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Either that or he was trying to get your attention!

That occurred to me too, but he was close enough to shore, and other people if anyone was in jeopardy I surmised.

wavelength · 15 February 2010, 20:17

Quote:

What distance should be kept from a boat flying the A flag?

"keep well clear and at slow speed"
we always teach the divers down flags (both "A" flag and t'other one) on a level 2 course-its frightening how many of the experienced boaters we have come to us don't have a clue as to what they are. And yes you can hear a fast revving prop underwater, but as to which direction its coming from-well thats another matter!