What is a dive flag used for?

The primary purpose of a dive float and dive flag is to alert boat traffic to the presence of divers below and warn them to keep clear. For safety, a dive flag must be flown when diving in most inland waterways and offshore sites.

What are the 2 types of dive flags?

Locally recognized – There are two recognized dive flags – a red flag with a white diagonal stripe, and the blue-and-white pennant tail Alpha flag. Know which flag to fly in your local area.

Where did the diver down flag originate?

Michigan
In short, the flag was originally invented in the 1950’s by a Denzel James Dockery from Michigan, who wanted a flag to keep boats at a safe distance from dive boats. He used a combination of the Navy’s red ‘Bravo flag’ that was used to connote danger, and sewed a horizontal white stripe across it.

What do you do when you see a diver down flag?

Vessels should stay as far away from a diver-down flag as is reasonable and prudent for the circumstances. The suggested safe distance is 100 yards.

How far do you have to stay away from a dive flag?

Vessels must remain at least 50 feet away from the flag. If they have to approach the diving area, operators must have permission from the person who placed the flag or the boat displaying the flag. Outside of 50 feet, vessel operators must operate at “idle speed” out to a distance of 150 feet.

When you fly a dive flag you must?

This flag explicitly signals that divers are in the water and should always be flown from a vessel or buoy when divers are in the water. When flown from a vessel, the diver down flag should be at least 20 inches by 24 inches and flown above the vessel’s highest point.

How close do you stay to a dive flag?

Stay within 300 feet (90 meters) of the diver down flag or buoy in open water and 100 feet (30 meters) when diving in rivers, inlets or navigation channels. Aim to surface within 150 feet (45 meters) of the dive flag.

What does the blue and white dive flag mean?

A diver down flag, or scuba flag, is a flag used on the water to indicate that there is a diver below. Internationally, the code flag alfa/alpha, which is white and blue, is used to signal that the vessel has a diver down and other vessels should keep well clear at slow speed.

What does a blue and white flag on a boat mean?

Two types of flags are used to indicate diving activity. A blue-and-white International Code Flag A (or Alpha flag) must be displayed on boats involved in a diving activity.

How far should you stay from your dive flag?

Vessels must remain at least 50 feet away from the flag. If they have to approach the diving area, operators must have permission from the person who placed the flag or the boat displaying the flag.

How far must you be from diver down flag?

All vessels must make reasonable effort to stay at least 100 feet away from a divers-down device within a river, inlet or channel. In open waters, vessels must make reasonable effort to stay 300 feet away. For safety, divers should stay within those same distances of their displayed device.

Which of the following accurately describes a diver down flag?

A Diver Down Flag indicates that a diver is down underwater. This warns boaters to not come too close, thus, keeping the diver safe from the boat and propeller when going down or coming up from a dive. The diver down flag should be flown from a vessel or a buoy when divers are in the water.