MNScuba.com

We have had so much discussion on this topic, I thought I would put it in its own thread.

From the Minnesota Statute

86B.601 Scuba diving.

Subdivision 1. Flag required.
(a) A person who swims in waters of the state, except designated swimming areas under section 86B.311, subdivision 4, while wearing or carrying a breathing apparatus allowing the swimmer to breathe while under water, except a snorkel that is not attached to an artificial container of compressed air, must display a diver's flag above the surface of the water.

(b) A person who places a diver's flag must remain within 50 feet of the flag, measured on the surface of the water.

© A person shall not place a diver's flag where it will obstruct navigation.

(d) A diver's flag shall measure at least 15 inches horizontally and 12 inches vertically, and both sides shall have a red-colored background bisected diagonally by a three-inch wide white stripe having its upper end adjacent to the lagstaff.

(e) A diver's flag shall be displayed in a vertical plane extended from a rigid flagstaff equipped to maintain the upper edge of the flag at least 30 inches above the water surface.

(f) A diver's flag may be reflectorized or fluorescent provided the entire surface is uniformly reflectorized or fluorescent.

(g) A diver's flag may be anchored or secured to the bottom when a safety hazard would result from towing the flag.

(h) If at the discretion of the diver it would be safer and more visible, the flag may be displayed on a watercraft. If the flag is displayed on the watercraft, the craft must be at anchor or, if not at anchor, attended by a diver or a person appointed by the diver to tend the craft. Only watercraft displaying an official diver's flag are authorized in the diving area.

Subd. 2. Group diving. (a) Not more than four divers may dive under one flag.

(b) If a group of divers is operating in a contained area, the perimeter must be marked and be outside of the normal area of navigation. The markings shall consist of the official diver's flag and be placed on the perimeter of the diving area at intervals not exceeding 150 feet.

Subd. 3. Light required for night diving.

A person may not scuba or skin dive in waters of this state from one hour after sunset to sunrise on the following day unless the diver has in possession a diver's light that is visible from above the water at a distance of at least 150 feet, except that a diver's light is not required in an emergency, salvage, repair, or construction operation.

Subd. 4. Night diving with spear prohibited. A person may not scuba or skin dive while in possession of a spear from sunset to sunrise.

When freediving, and especially for spearfishing, I always have a flag within 25' of me. It actually clips off to the end of my speargun, in case I spear a fish I cna drop everything and not worry about loosing it. Since my float is torpedo shaped it makes it easy to pull through the water. I know of some diver who convert old Boogie Boards to carry all of their stuff, like fresh fish, while diving. Other times, when we are going deeper, we will use a larger surface float and line to practice our dives with. Under those conditions we are all within 10' of the flag. When we want to move to a new area we just drag the float with us.

For other types of diving, like deep diving in Lake Wazee, I don't know of a single diver who carries their flag with them. It would be such a pain in the @$$ to have a 200'-300' flag and float line dragging along above you as you swim through the water with doubles, stages, rebreathers, ect on. Everyone I have ever seen, or dove with, just ties their flag off where they know they will exit and go about there dive as planned. If there's a problem, they shoot a bag and come up under it.

For wreck diving we have flags on the charter boat, but people don't carry flags with them under water- even though some of the wrecks are over 300' long and they are technically in violation of the law. Most of the time they come back up the mooring line and there's not a problem. Once in a while there's a problem and they have to come up away from the boat. If they know what they're doing they will shoot a bag, if they don't they just pop up and wave to us to come and get them.

It's not always as cut-and-dry as it seems.

BTW: wasn't the dive flag, the red and white one and not the Alfa flag, invented in Minnesota back in the 60's?


Jon

Thanks, igotoofar. good to know the rules.

Even if common sense makes some of us think of them as guides.

According to this webpage, , it was invented in Michigan.

Cool link MarkY.

Than you for setting it straight and writing it all in