Diver flag
The dive flag (also dive flag , scuba diver flag , red and white flag , alpha flag , alpha pennant or swallowtail A called) is a protection - and warning signal , which is set in areas where for divers in the water hazard by vessels (ships, boats , Surfers etc.).
The diving flag consists either of a blue and white stand, which is divided vertically in the middle, or a red flag, with a white diagonal line.
The alpha flag
The alpha flag (letter A) of the international flag alphabet also means: "I have divers down, keep my distance, while driving slowly". The Alpha flag is a stand that is vertically divided in the middle. The inner surface is white, the outer blue. Internationally, the collision prevention rules (KVR) published by the IMO regulate the meaning of the alpha flag for all diving activities in Rule 27.
In Germany , within the scope of the inland waterway regulations, the alpha flag must be clearly visible on the diving vehicle and be illuminated at night so that other vehicles can pass carefully and at a sufficient distance.
In Switzerland, there is a legal obligation for all diving sites and divers to place an alpha flag clearly visible from the water at the entry and exit and to illuminate it at night. Watercraft must keep a distance of at least 50 meters from the flag. Failure to comply with these rules will result in a fine.
The alpha flag is also used in Great Britain , Ireland , Australia , Canada , New Zealand , South Africa , and Kenya as the official signal for “divers in the water”.
The American Michigan Diving Flag
In the early 1950s, another flag began to be used as a diving signal. Based on the warning function of the red flag "Bravo" (letter B of the international flag alphabet ), Denzel James Dockery from Michigan created a horizontal red, white and red striped flag as a warning and protection flag for divers. Because of the risk of confusion with the flag of Austria , the white horizontal line was converted into a diagonal line. (A vertical division of red-white-red was out of the question, as this was already used for the number 7 in the US Navy.) The white line starts at the top of the mast and ends at the bottom at the flying end.
While the laws of many states in the United States and Canada require the red and white Michigan flag, the US Navy still uses the alpha flag.
Regulations and acceptance
In international waters , the Collision Prevention Rules (KVR) prescribe the alpha flag. This also applies to the German maritime waterways . There are different international regulations in coastal areas and in inland waters. Sometimes it is recommended to show both flags (alpha and "Michigan" flag) in case of doubt. In contrast to the alpha flag, the "Michigan" flag is not an officially recognized shipping symbol in most countries and in all international waters , which is why it only has a decorative function in many places.
The importance of the diving flag is often not sufficiently well known among water sports enthusiasts, so that accidents and near-accidents occur again and again.
Other uses
Today, some companies and organizations that are active in the field of diving use the diving flag or a variant of it as a logo . Mainly the American Michigan diving flag can be found on various diving equipment and souvenirs. Divers like to use stickers in the colors of the diving flag as a mutual identification mark on their vehicles. Dive sites are often marked with a diving flag symbol on land and sea charts . The rock band Van Halen used the Michigan diving flag on the cover of their album Diver Down in 1982 . There is also a risk of confusion with the flag of Barotseland .
Divers Alert Network (DAN) logo
Van Halen album cover
Flag of Barotseland
Individual evidence
- ^ A Diver Flag , PADI, accessed June 12, 2012
- ↑ Collision Prevention Rules, Rule 27: Vehicles unable to maneuver or maneuver impaired ( Memento of July 14, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 14, 2015.
- ↑ Federal Inland Navigation Ordinance, Art. 32 , accessed on June 12, 2012
- ↑ Federal Inland Navigation Ordinance, Art. 49 , accessed on June 12, 2012
- ↑ Bodenseeschifffahrtsordnung , TSG Konstanz e. V. and Olaf Trittel, accessed on July 12, 2012.
- ↑ Diver down? (PDF; 110 kB), Wellington City Council, accessed June 13, 2012
- ↑ a b c Other Random Diving Stuff , Goning down, accessed June 12, 2012
- ↑ a b Dive Flags. The story of the scuba diver down flag. Cyprus-Scuba, archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; accessed on July 14, 2017 (English).
- ↑ Divers FAQ. Do I always have to set up a diving flag in Switzerland? And which flag is the right one? dive.steha.ch, accessed on April 17, 2020 : “ The Michigan diving flag spread around the world probably only thanks to the large American diving organizations. In most places, however, it only has a decorative function. "
- ↑ Dive sites in Lake Constance. Tauchakademie Bodensee GbR, archived from the original on December 19, 2013 ; accessed on July 14, 2017 .