Snorkelers, free divers and dive flags.



Some of you will remember the incident at one of the FADs off Rottnest last year in which a free diving (breathholding) spear fishing diver was injured by a boat while he was flying a dive flag.



Joe Petrovitch, Recfishwest Board Member from the Australian Underwater Federation (AUF) told us that previous changes to the Navigable Waters Regulations 1958 appeared to have removed the protection that a dive flag gave to snorkelers and free divers.



There were even various statements/questions made at some stages of the discussions that it might actually be illegal to use a dive flag if you were snorkelling or free diving.



Dive flag rules seem to have real gaps in the protection they provide and it seems they are often ignored in practice.



This topic generated some hot debate in Recfishwest about what could be done, who should do it, and how to do it.



Recfishwest wrote to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure requesting amendments to the Regulations, specifically proposing a meeting with representatives of breath-hold divers, the boating industry and DPI to discusss the issues further.



That was Recfishwest making a move to get the matter discussed by the other people and organisations most involved and with DPI who have the responsibility.



If that meeting had been set up, then it would have been widely publicised and a call for nominations to attend.



DPI didn't take up the request to discuss the issues, so nothing has changed.



Instead DPI explained that some things are "impractical and difficult to enforce" or "are extremely difficult to police or prove and interpretation is far too subjective."



They confirmed that the current Regulations do not have any penalties for divers choosing to carry/use the dive flag and so it is not an offence, but is rather a matter of personal choice for their own safety.



All this is covered in http://www.recfishwest.org.au/SubSnorkelerDiveFlag.htm , including links to the sections in the Navigable Waters Regulations 1958 and other DPI information.



The recent snorkeling death has made this a hot topic once again, and maybe this will lead to another look at what should be done, so Recfishwest has decided to publicise their actions on this and the DPI response.



I don't think it is appropriate to comment on the recent incident until the results of the Police investigation are released.



The dive flag problems/limitations could remain well into the future, so can people please limit their comments to the Regulations, and what could or should be done.



TerryF

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Beavering away in the background.......







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