Boats @ Mukilteo

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:37 am

Last night while at Mukilteo we had a jet ski running through the dive area. The guy almost hit me and my buddy in standing depth as we surfaced. We told him that this was a dive area and that there were a number of divers in the water but he kept screwing around for another 20 munites or so.

I was about to call the CG but what would be the apropriate procedure? Also who could we call to possibly get some bouys set up for a no boat boundry. Maybe it is time to begin requiring a dive flag while diving Muk...

GillyWeed · Post by **GillyWeed** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:44 am

I could be mistaken, but I believe dive flags are already required anywhere you are planning to dive... Yes, I know that we as a collective group usually do not bring the flag.. I am guilty of this myself many times, but I do think it is required or on the books as law or something.. The guy was obviously an a-hole but I don't know if he was doing anything illegal if you didn't have a flag (immoral yes, illegal not so much?).. I wonder if he would have been so cocky if he would have hit one of the divers and seriosly injured one of them? Bet you would have seen a different attitude then.

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:51 am

Honestly I'm not sure of the "legality" on diving without a flag, definately punctuates the wisdome of it no matter what.

I do know from talking to others that the CG has come by at times and told boats to move on. When we did our Cert their my instructor set up a bouy bit I haven't seen one there since.

Gets me motivated to get a flag though in any case.

GillyWeed · Post by **GillyWeed** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:57 am

I don't know.. I know there is a sign at Seacrest that says something about 'divers are requred to have a flag' yadda yadda yadda.. But very rarely do divers actually bring a flag.. Sure instructors do because of the liability of students and all that.. And like I said I am just as guilty of not bringing one.. But I don't know if the guy was doing anything "wrong"... Of course being a total pinhead (would have like to use a different word instead of "pin" but this is a family show) is kind of wrong in my opinion... So I guess in that case, yes, he was...

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:03 am

I know I was operating boats as early as I could row them and motorboats as soon an I could pull the starter. Luckily my dad always instilled in me to be cutteous and if we saw bubbles get the HELL away so you don't hurt anyone.

I know that in some of the dive site reviews I'ere there are coments on some, like Alki pipeline, that specify flags required.

I'm just glad that someone wasn't hurt.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:10 am

The dive flag requirements are creatures of the local municipal code, I'd look in the City of Muckilteo's code for guidance. If I had to place a wager, there is a requirement in there, as dive flag provisions are fairly common.

As for the boats at Mukilteo, on opening day of crab season I watched a cabin cruiser consistently towing divers back and forth to the oil dock-and pulling in next to the T-dock within 50 feet of shore (lazy f-ing divers being towed) directly on top of bubbles. Given that divers themselves were involved in this (the ones being towed) I was kinda shocked.

But, then again, the stuff I saw that day made me swear off ever going crabbing again on opening day. A total zoo.

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:22 am

I was there too and was actually thinking it was a good ides except inhailing the exhaust part. But them again, I a minimalist on the work part...

That cruiser though, at least what I saw, stayed away from shore. This guy was buzzing around 5 -6" from shore.

dsteding · Post by **dsteding** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:39 am

TCWestby wrote:I was there too and was actually thinking it was a good ides except inhailing the exhaust part. But them again, I a minimalist on the work part...

That cruiser though, at least what I saw, stayed away from shore. This guy was buzzing around 5 -6" from shore.

I thought it was a horrible idea, and saw it twice get closer to shore than the middle of the T-dock. Ridiculous.

Agreed, 5-6 feet is even worse, it is that time of year . . .

lamont · Post by **lamont** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:20 pm

generally the laws are often that divers are required to fly a flag, but there's little actual legal recourse for prosecuting boaters that are behaving unsafely around a dive flag.

the best thing to do on shore dives is really to treat the surface like a soft overhead and surface only in very shallow water and to listen before surfacing. and on boat dives the best thing is to have a live boat pickup with a captain willing to defend the dive site with his boat. dive flags are pretty pointless and likely to attract stupid boaters who don't know what the float is for (most boaters don't get any kind of education in boating...)

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:41 pm

Yup - a dive flag can be seen like a barrel in barrel racing.

Aaah diving during boating (drinking) season.

Unless there is a police or CG boat in the water who witnesses the dangerous act, there's just about nothing you can do. There are laws that would prevent buzzing the swimmers, but generally unless there is a cop out there who yanks the dude off the ski, you're on your own.

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:31 pm

Amen on the boters don't know what they are doing, I was fortunate that I had a dad that drilled it into us and a retired fishing boat skipper that taught us the corredt way of doing things.

I wish I had oone of those mini James Bond torpedos...

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:36 pm

Jetskiers

I have had them on several occasions think my dive flag is a buoy. It is really scary, especially when I am out with an openwater class. I know there are responsible jetskiers out there, but most don't have a clue how to behave in the water.

I thought I heard from somewhere that Washington state was requiring boat owners to take a boating safety class. When I owned a boat years ago, we got a break on our insurance if we took the course.

I always assumed that diving with a flag was required and smart. I do most of the time.

boydski · Post by **boydski** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:10 pm

Pinkpadigal wrote: I thought I heard from somewhere that Washington state was requiring boat owners to take a boating safety class. When I owned a boat years ago, we got a break on our insurance if we took the course.

Hi Amy,

You heard right. They are phasing in mandatory boater education:

http://parks.wa.gov/boating/boatered.asp:

By Jan. 1, 2008, boaters 20 years of age and younger will be required to obtain their Boater Education Card. Then by Jan. 1, 2009, it will be boaters 25 years of age or younger will be required to obtain their Boater Education Card. The phased-in period for compliance will continue until 2016 for various age groups. Boaters born before Jan. 1, 1955, are exempt from having to obtain a Boater Education Card.

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:36 pm

It seems to me that the younger foolks are the biggest problem, whether they ignore or just don't care about the rules of the road or just basic common sense.