2

4/24/2008 2:54:54 PM

Quote :

"please divers, use your flags, there is no reason we can't all enjoy the same waters together"

This is actually a source of contention among divers.
I have a few friends who wouldn't use the flag if it weren't a requirement. They're annoying to keep up with while you're diving and can be a significant source of task loading if you're not used to it.

BUT the real argument is that most boaters don't know what a dive flag is. So, the boat full of drunk rednecks sees this thing in the water and uses it as a slalom course, or decides to come pick it up (again, opposite reason of a dive flag...they mean "Please stay away", not "Please come here"). Until all boaters are familiar with what a dive flag is, often times they attract more attention than we'd want, or perhaps the wrong kind of attention.

Penalties for not using a dive flag are a bit much, with regards to what the crime is. I have a friend who was caught not using one -- had to go to court and all that. Then his application to college was held up for a few weeks due to this being on his record.

Personally I'll always use a dive flag. I'd rather deal with drunk rednecks pulling on it than get my ass run over and killed by a propeller.

[Edited on April 24, 2008 at 3:04 PM. Reason : ]

4/24/2008 2:59:20 PM

http://www.dive-flag.com/North-Carolina.html
http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_75A/GS_75A-13.1.html

Quote :

"§ 75A-13.1. Skin and scuba divers. (a) No person shall engage in skin diving or scuba diving in the waters of this State that are open to boating, or assist in such diving, without displaying a diver's flag from a mast, buoy, or other structure at the place of diving; and no person shall display such flag except when diving operations are under way or in preparation. (b) The diver's flag shall be square, not less than 12 inches on a side, and shall be of red background with a diagonal white stripe, of a width equal to one fifth of the flag's height, running from the upper corner adjacent to the mast downward to the opposite outside corner. (c) No operator of a vessel under way in the waters of this State shall permit the vessel to approach closer than 50 feet to any structure from which a diver's flag is then being displayed, except where the flag is so positioned as to constitute an unreasonable obstruction to navigation; and no person shall engage in skin diving or scuba diving or display a diver's flag in any locality that will unreasonably obstruct vessels from making legitimate navigational use of the water. (d) A person who violates a provision of this section is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and shall only be subject to a fine not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00). (1969, c. 97, s. 1; 2006-185, s. 1.) "

...alright I'm done hijacking the thread now.

4/24/2008 3:05:28 PM

^$25, seriously?

I'd spend more on the freaking flag and float than that... Just pay the fine...

4/24/2008 3:38:16 PM

Quote :

"^ I did not know you could purchase those. Worth looking into, particularly if the pump is already going bad. Does it cut down efficiency or anything?"

Not that I'm aware of. On the ones I've done it was pretty simple. There are six or eight bolts that hold the intake manifold on the engine (the part that the carb sits on.) Take it off and the oil pump is sitting right there, held on by one or two bolts. Take it out, replace it with a little aluminum blockoff plate (with some silicon to seal it), cut the oil lines and block them off, put the intake manifold back on and you're done.

The blockoff kit should come with some instructions.

[Edited on April 24, 2008 at 3:41 PM. Reason : l]

4/24/2008 3:38:28 PM

the problem is when they don't use the flag, then some dumbass pops up out of the water less than 100' from you, it's hard to make a triple engine boat go from 70 to 0


plus we've had divers cut our downrigger lines and do various other asshole things to our lines

but when some asshole does that, we go upcurrent and dump a bucket or two of menhaden oil and chum in the water... it's funny watching someone climb in a boat with that stuff on them


the point is, it's a large ocean, we can all use it together and appreciate it

4/24/2008 3:43:04 PM

Wait...
How do they cut your lines?
Aren't you trolling when you use the downrigger?

4/24/2008 3:46:09 PM

they've cut it while we didn't know we were near them


they have their flag up and no where near it, we'd be up the reef somewhere, and "ting" the line goes flying


(you can see them on the bottom machine)

a lot of these guys hate boats like ours


trollin for kings is anywhere between 1.5 to 3 kts, nothing fast... you can see the downrigger ball in the water and the line

[Edited on April 24, 2008 at 3:49 PM. Reason : !]

4/24/2008 3:47:39 PM

my dad had a diver pulling on his line one day sheephead fishing. that was funny.

4/24/2008 3:51:29 PM

ah...gotcha. I didn't know you were going slow enough for them to grab a moving line. I've never used downriggers, but I did buy some nice Walkers and sell them on eBay one time.

4/24/2008 3:52:39 PM

yeah, we always use the riggers to try and put some color down deep, throw a blue or pink skirt on a ribbonfish and usually it will get a bite


sometimes thats the only lines that get hit


yeah, downrigger balls are expensive too, we have electric downriggers and one messed up the other day and didn't stop when it got all the way up and snapped the line off, we had to fish the rest of the day with one downrigger

4/24/2008 3:54:44 PM

Quote :

" $25, seriously? I'd spend more on the freaking flag and float than that... Just pay the fine... "

The $25 fine isn't the problem, it's the misdemeanor on your record, and the necessary court appearance.

[Edited on April 24, 2008 at 3:55 PM. Reason : ]

4/24/2008 3:54:44 PM

Quote :

"Realistically, unless you live next to a large body of water they aren't a good buy."

Well, I do. With a launch ramp. So I'm prolly get many more than 30 days per year of use.

I'm looking into used Yamaha GP1200s. Thanks all.

4/24/2008 4:29:36 PM

Quote :

"^$25, seriously? I'd spend more on the freaking flag and float than that... Just pay the fine..."

To add to what Gzusfrk said, it's also a matter of safety. I'd like boats to know where I am, even if it sometimes attracts unwanted attention.

I have some friends I was river diving with down in Florida over Spring Break. They were separated from the group (low vis) and had no dive flag. A boat ran right over them and they almost caught a propeller to the head. If they had been using a dive flag, chances are that wouldn't have happened.

[Edited on April 25, 2008 at 11:19 AM. Reason : ]

4/25/2008 11:19:18 AM