Laws and Safety Equipment

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DIVER SAFETY AND REGULATIONS

• Every person in the water, outside a designated swimming area, using an underwater breathing device often known as scuba gear, shall display a diver’ s flag, having one diagonal white stripe on a red background and capable of being identified at a distance of not less than one hundred yards. Such flag shall be placed at or near the point of submergence, and shall constitute a warning that a diver is submerged and may be within a radius of one hundred feet from such a flag. Vessels shall keep a distance of one hundred feet from the diver’s flag. Scuba divers shall keep a distance of one hundred feet from dam outlet structures.
• If a vessel is engaged in diving operations and as a consequence is restricted in its ability to maneuver, a rigid replica of the international code flag “A” or Alpha Flag shall be displayed.
• The flag must be not less than one meter in height and the flag must be blue and white in color.
• The requirement that the Alpha Flag be displayed from a vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver does not relieve the requirement that the diver’s flag also be displayed at or near the point of submergence.