Diver Safety
It’s that time of the year. Calm winds, low swell and good vis. Perfect conditions for diving in Perth! Certainly not by coincidence they are perfect conditions for boating. While boats are an integral part of offshore diving, boats are not always a diver’s best friend. Thankfully boating in Western Australia is not a free-for-all, and rules are in place to help ensure the safety of boat users and divers alike.
All vessels with divers operating from it must carry the appropriate signals to warn other boaters in the area. For daytime diving, appropriate flags must be shown, and for night time diving, suitable lights must be displayed.
Diver Safety Flags
The internationally recognised single for divers operating in daylight hours is the International Code Flag Alpha. The code A flag must be at least 750mm long and 600mm wides and must be displayed aboard a diving vessel so that other boat users in the area can see it. Although not a legal requirement, it is highly recommended that divers/snorkelers operating from shore/jetty should also use a dive flag to warn other water users. It is common to see spear fisherman towing a float with a dive flag attached while they swim from the shore to their preferred freedive location.
Diver Safety Lights
In reduced visibility and night time hours, a dive flag is no longer an appropriate method of warning boat users of divers below. The use of vessel lights is required. Dive boats must display three all-round (360 degree) lights in a vertical line (RED – WHITE – RED) atop the vessel so as to be visible from all angles.
Vessel Safety
When a vessel is displaying the appropriate signal to indicate divers below, ALL vessels in the area must keep at LEAST 50 meters clear. If this is not possible it is critical that vessels within 50m of a dive signal use extreme caution and operate their vessel at a cautious speed and be extra vigilant in looking out for divers.
If there is no valid reason to be within 50m of a dive signal then don’t be. It’s very simple. Where possible it is recommended to stay far more than 50m from a dive signal to further increase the safety of divers operating below.