Diver down flag

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Diver Down flag
Diver Down flag

A diver down flag, or scuba flag, is a flag used to indicate that there is a diver below. It is red with a white stripe from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. It can be placed on a boat or on a Surface Marker Buoy.

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[edit] Purpose

It is used to notify to any boats to steer clear for the safety of the diver.

The use of this flag is required by law or regulation in many US states and Canada[1], as well in several other countries in the world (eg. Italy[2]). Usually the regulations require divers to display the flag and to stay within a specified distance of it when they are near the surface. As well there is often a larger zone around the flag where no boats are allowed to pass. Some states also prohibit the display of this flag when there is no diver in water.

[edit] Other uses

Today the red and white flag is so strictly associated with scuba diving that it is also used to indicate a place where there are services for divers, for example stores selling or renting diving equipment or scuba service stations. You can even see it often on car windows or bumpers of avid divers.

[edit] Signal flag ALFA/ALPHA

The "Alpha" or "Alfa" flag - Designates a vessel engaged in diving operations with restricted maneuverability
The "Alpha" or "Alfa" flag - Designates a vessel engaged in diving operations with restricted maneuverability [3]

The international Signal flag A (letter ALFA/ALPHA) is also used to indicate the presence of a diver in the water, and is more common in countries such as United Kingdom and Ireland.

However the exact meaning and the purpose are slightly different: it means that diving operations are restricting the ability of the ship to manoeuvre[4]. As recent U.S. Coast Guard Notices to Mariners emphasize:

The ALFA flag is a navigational signal intended to protect the vessel from collision[5]


[edit] External Links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Maritime Warning Signals. Sea Flags. Joseph McMillan. Retrieved on 2008-05-26.
  2. ^ Italian regulations about the Diver Down Flag. D.P.R. n° 1639 del 2 ottobre 1968. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  3. ^ Rule 27: "Vessel Not Under Command", U.S. Coast Guard, accessed 15 February 2008
  4. ^ IRPCS Rule 27. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  5. ^ Warning Signals