Too close?

[Danchc]

Hi

I think this boat is too close to the snorkeler/Alpha flag.

Unfortunately, the wind was blowing the flag the opposite direction from the direction the boat was coming - but it should still have seen the small buoy and turned to port.

That's my opinion anyway.

 

[longjohnsilver]

As a diver I'd say he probably didn't see the buoy, that type is pretty useless, and even if he had seen it I'm still not sure he was really too close.

If that's the diver or more likely, snorkeller, we can see in the water, then I'd also say what's the point of having a surface marker buoy and then surfacing quite some way away from it.

 

[Just_sayin']

but it should still have seen the small buoy and turned to port.

Is that a new ColReg?

What would have happened if the guy in the water had SURFACED to port?

 

[Danchc]

Is that a new ColReg?

What would have happened if the guy in the water had SURFACED to port?

There is nothing new about steering clear of divers/alpha flags. It is the same as the red with white stripe flag used in the US/Canada/Italy.

I simply said port as the buoy and diver were to starboard - hence, it would have increased the distance between the fairly fast moving boat and the buoy/diver. The whole point of the alpha flag is to get boat owners to stay clear and slow down while passing - to reduce the chance of hitting a diver or a boat that is unable to maneuver when it has a diver down.

 

[Just_sayin']

There is nothing new about steering clear of divers/alpha flags. It is the same as the red with white stripe flag used in the US/Canada/Italy.

I simply said port as the buoy and diver were to starboard - hence, it would have increased the distance between the fairly fast moving boat and the buoy/diver. The whole point of the alpha flag is to get boat owners to stay clear and slow down while passing - to reduce the chance of hitting a diver or a boat that is unable to maneuver when it has a diver down.

But you said that the divers flag was not visible which from my obviously limited understanding just makes the buoy, er, a buoy. No obvious reason to go further to port that I can see.

 

[Danchc]

But you said that the divers flag was not visible which from my obviously limited understanding just makes the buoy, er, a buoy. No obvious reason to go further to port that I can see.

If you see a buoy that is not normally there, you should look to see why. In this case, the divers head was out the water, probably judging if he was safe from the approaching boat. The boat did not alter course or speed as it passed, assuming it saw either. Whether it was too close/fast or not is a matter of opinion, I suppose.

 

[l'escargot]

It looks from the picture as if the diver has surfaced between the buoy and the shore and the boat has passed to the seaward side of the buoy. Not really a problem. As said above, the diver is some way from the buoy, he should surface nearer to it.

 

[rbcoomer]

Personally, I'd have slowed right down but I wouldn't necessarily say he was too close. I've been amazed at how close divers often opt to go to other vessels too. We held a rally at Babbacombe Bay over Easter 2011 and despite the Bay being packed with vessels both anchored and going to & fro (not just us) there were two ribs with approx 8 divers each scuba diving! Not only did they not use buoys, but it was very hard to keep track of 16 bods in the water (2 remained in each boat). There were probably in excess of 50 props in the water! I was very nervous for them, but they didn't seem at all bothered.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Personally, I'd have slowed right down but I wouldn't necessarily say he was too close. I've been amazed at how close divers often opt to go to other vessels too. We held a rally at Babbacombe Bay over Easter 2011 and despite the Bay being packed with vessels both anchored and going to & fro (not just us) there were two ribs with approx 8 divers each scuba diving! Not only did they not use buoys, but it was very hard to keep track of 16 bods in the water (2 remained in each boat). There were probably in excess of 50 props in the water! I was very nervous for them, but they didn't seem at all bothered.

Well, with no surface marker buoys they were idiots, or more likely novices, in which case their instructors were worse than idiots, they were negligent.

 

[rbcoomer]

Well, with no surface marker buoys they were idiots, or more likely novices, in which case their instructors were worse than idiots, they were negligent.

TBH they were very close in (<100' from shore) and there were swimmers around as well. A number of our group commented however and whilst I'm sure they could see us, we couldn't see them half as well! We did notify the local dive clubs of the rally as Babbacombe is a popular spot for diving - as I'm sure you know - and we also did handouts to our group with the flags etc to look out for. A few of the attendees had only ever done lakes/inshore waterways, so we felt some highlighting was necessary and glad we did. No harm done, but we were quite surprised when they started diving in amongst the anchored boats a few yards offshore!

The picture below illustrates how busy - one of the ribs in the foreground before they went out, but they were diving where the boats can be seen and a couple waded in/out!

http://swfbr.org.uk/2011/galleries/babbacombe_bay/069.JPG (I won't embed as a bit large!)

I'm pretty sure I have some pics somewhere with them in the water, but I think you'll get the idea anyway!

 

[TerryW2]

A number of times I have had my surface marker buoy (SMB) hauled up by a passing boat. Nobody understands the flag.

A wise diver is able to release the line attached to the buoy very quickly. I have mine on a quickly detachable clip. One small squeeze and it is gone. Also, I carry a small "emergency" SMB in my stab-jacket pocket. This one has a 10 metre line with a heavy fishing weight on it so that I can come up to decompression depth and then deploy the "emergency" SMB from their.

The point I am trying to make is that the diver MUST NOT RELY ON ANYONE ELSE FOR THIER SAFETY.

Terry

 

[dp24]

A number of times I have had my surface marker buoy (SMB) hauled up by a passing boat. Nobody understands the flag.

A wise diver is able to release the line attached to the buoy very quickly. I have mine on a quickly detachable clip. One small squeeze and it is gone. Also, I carry a small "emergency" SMB in my stab-jacket pocket. This one has a 10 metre line with a heavy fishing weight on it so that I can come up to decompression depth and then deploy the "emergency" SMB from their.

The point I am trying to make is that the diver MUST NOT RELY ON ANYONE ELSE FOR THIER SAFETY.

Terry

A wise diver doesn't clip the line to themselves...

 

[longjohnsilver]

A wise diver doesn't clip the line to themselves...

Agreed, have always held the reel, it usually has a bag of scallops attached to it!

 

[MapisM]

should still have seen the small buoy and turned to port.

Agreed.
Then again, 'fiuaskme if it's so unusual that they didn't, I'm afraid NOT AT ALL would be the answer....