Red Flags

[NautiWeasel]

Seems like it would be obvious if you were actively pulling someone - it's when you're no longer actively pulling them that they're at risk!

Yep, my thoughts exactly, but I wasn't going to argue with law enforcement. That's never a good idea, or a winning option.

Good discussion. I’m actually opposite on this one. I’ve had other boaters come up to me to say that if we’re anchored and swimming, then we need to have the flag up, which is incorrect. The flag is to signal to other boaters that there is a skier down, so other boats need to look further away from the boat - scan the area. If I’m anchored and they don’t notice a 25’ boat, then I don’t think the orange flag is going to help them…they’ve already broken a lot of boating safety rules by that point.

I see your point as well. Agreed, good discussion. I guess what gives me solace is that we are all thinking about this, and that alone tells me that we all care about what happens around us. If only everyone could be so vigilant!

[jhnmdahl]

A dive flag typically indicates a diver may be in the water, but is really for the safety of the diver when at the surface. It's commonly used for snorkeling, spearfishing, etc. too, so may be a reasonable option for swimming off the boat if they don't like a solid flag?