Posted by Mojo.Mike on August 09, 2004 at 10:12:48:
In Reply to: Canada: Hit & Run boater kills scuba diver posted by on August 09, 2004 at 01:19:10:
It always disturbs me. When I hear of a diving accident that could have been so easily avoided. I wonder if Canada has a driver's test for boaters?
I had a similiar experience this week on a California lake. Diver's flags give a false sense of security. I rarely use one. Although I was this time. I was doing a solo dive off a friend's dock in a calm protected cove. I was checking out some of my equipment before traveling to the ocean. I heard a screaming motor noise just above me. I hunged the bottom. I was only in 10 feet of water at the time. I looked up, but couldn't see the surface. I had stirred up the bottom. I had taken a bearing off the end of my friend's dock. I crawled along the bottom and surfaced under my friend's dock. To find a couple of teenagers on jet skis doing doughnuts around my dive flag. This has happened to me in the past, but this is the first time in such shallow water and within 30 ft of a boat dock. When the jet skiers saw my, if looks could kill, stare on my face. They took off.
The day before I had dove without a flag. I saw 3 little girls riding jet skis that were about 10 years old. They saw me also. I was very worried at first, but was pleasantly surprised. They gave me a very wide berth, about 300 feet. Somebody gave these kids some good training. Although I think they were much to young to be riding jet skis.