Dive Flag Laws

[JBPearson]

FYI, here is the response I got from the DNR regarding the possibility of signs at public accesses...

Thank you for your question about a potential scuba diving awareness sign at public water access sites.  The laws regarding diver’s flags are found in many DNR publications including the Minnesota Boating Guide, Boating Safety Course manual, comic book, Lake Superior Guide, Buoy ID sticker, etc. These publications are readily available to the public.  The DNR supports education efforts that would help boaters become more aware of what the diver flag looks like and the laws associated with it, however we do not feel that signs are the answer.  Signs are costly to provide and maintain and work only if people take the time to read them.  A bigger challenge to informing boaters through the use of a sign is that only portions of the boaters on the lake use the public accesses, while the remaining are coming from private property. 


If there were a particular lake where diver flag awareness has been an issue the DNR would be willing to work with you on a press release to the local newspapers.  Also, it may be good for you and other concerned scuba divers to work with the local Lake Association or Lake Improvement District to educate boaters through their newsletters.  There may also be an opportunity to make boating enforcement officers aware of the lakes where divers are having problems with boaters so that education and enforcement efforts could be increased. 


Thanks again for your question and feel free to contact Tim Smalley, Boat and Water Safety Specialist at (651) 259-5354 or myself if you have any additional questions or concerns.



Nancy Stewart
Public Water Access and Fishing Pier Coordinator
Division of Trails and Waterways
500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155-4052
(651) 259-5616
Fax: (651) 297-5475
nancy.stewart@dnr.state.mn.us

[DiveCaptDean]

That was a nice letter, but still a bit of a blow off.  I do have a question..where do those people that live on the lake put theirboat in the water in the first place?...hint...( the public water access)..i can understand the cost involved...BUT!!!!! when you have among you someone like shooter..who may be willing to provide said signs at a reasonable discount..maybe we as divers would be able to come up with the funds to make it happen...my question is..if you told them that you would be providing the signs and their installation and upkeep, how could they say NO..especially sinse it is evident that they believe in the cause...as proved by the fact that she states that the dive information is in most all of their publications...

Their is another way to combat this though...if each one of us carried in with us one log each time we took a dive in a local lake...in a short period of time, the boater would run out of money for having to buy new props each week..boaters just dont like "deadheads"
Thoughts
Deano

[BioDiver]

This is a little off topic but just a heads up for those who use shelters around their ice hole (or anywhere on the ice for that matter). You DO NOT need a license for a portable shelter on the ice any more. You still need to label your shelter with your name and address or your DL number or your MNDNR number. You no longer need the tag.

[arcFlash]

While reading the letter I was thinking. I already have a flag on my van. Maybe I just need something like a real estate sign saying, "Scuba Diver below this flag!".  I would move it from site to site. Any lake with enough divers would produce enough awareness.

That way when they hit Dean's log we can ask if they read the sign?  ;D

[arcFlash]

Cool, did that start last year or 08/09? Last year they sold me one and said I had to have it for any shelter.

[SCUBA Dog]

First of all, JB thanks for making the effort to contact the DNR regarding this issue.  I agree with Deano that it is a blow off answer and not totally unexpected. However, they seem to be promoting a double standard. They say that the information is included in the boating guide (among other publications). They say that the signage is costly and only work if they are read by boaters. Further they believe it will only potentially reach "the portion" of boaters that use the public access. All of the items that they currently post at the boat launches regarding boating laws, minimum fish requirements and milfoil are included in boating or fishing guides (and other publications). I would think that theses signs would suffer from the same negative drawbacks that were quoted in the DNR response regarding a dive flag info sign. Seems like an odd response since they feel the current signage is worth the time and money to try and inform boaters regarding these other issues.

[eric myers]

I was out at McCarron's a few years back and had a boat drive literally right over the top of our diver/flag.

No previous experience necessary.
No license required.
No familiarity needed.
No "rules of the road" review required.

Any adult in MN is allowed to operate a boat. Now that is scary!

[BioDiver]

Cool, did that start last year or 08/09? Last year they sold me one and said I had to have it for any shelter.
[/quote]

It started the 07-08 ice season. Where did you buy your tag? They shouldn't have told you that every shelter needed one; only the ones left on the ice unattended.

[arcFlash]

Inver Grove off of Concord.

[Shooter]

Maybe a sign stating the dive flag laws with a large disclaimer at the bottom  reading  " failure to comply with these laws may result in, bottom of boat being perforated, and or your vessel becoming an underwater marine habitat area "  >