MARINE SAFETY AND BEST PRACTICES

Diver Down Flags in New York State

Under 9 NYCRR §448.8, a diver's flag must be red with a white diagonal stripe, at least 12 by 12 inches with a three-inch stripe, or a rigid replica of the international code flag Alfa at least one meter high and visible all around. Divers must surface within 100 feet of the marker. All vessels other than the tending vessel must stay at least 100 feet clear of the flag in every direction. Flags are positioned about two feet above the surface.

Machinery Isolation

Before a diver enters the water near a vessel: engines shut down with keys held by the dive supervisor, shore power disconnected, and thrusters, stabilizers, intakes, and discharges secured and tagged.

Electric Shock Drowning

Stray AC current leaking into the water around docks and marinas can incapacitate a swimmer before drowning follows. It is preventable and consistently under-recognized.

• Do not swim around docks, marinas, or boats connected to shore power
• Marinas and dock owners should be working to NFPA 303 and the marina provisions of the National Electrical Code, with ground-fault protection on shore power pedestals
• Vessels with AC systems should carry an equipment leakage circuit interrupter or an isolation transformer, wired to ABYC standards
• Have the vessel tested annually for leakage. Failing water heater elements are among the most common sources, and they leak at levels that will not trip a breaker
• If you feel current in the water, shout, tuck your legs up, and swim away from the dock or boat rather than toward a metal ladder

Swim Areas and Marker Lines Under New York Code

New York's bathing beach design standards (10 NYCRR §6-2.19) set specific requirements worth knowing before ordering a swim line. These standards apply to public bathing beaches; the principles are also useful reference for private waterfront swim areas:

• Marker lines with buoys are required to designate the perimeter, the separation between shallow and deep water at a depth of three to four feet, the diving area, and any dropoffs, slope changes, or underwater obstructions
• Lines carry floats at five-foot intervals and must be securely anchored, with buoys no more than 25 feet apart and at every point where lines join
• A separate wading area up to two feet deep should be designated by lines
• Diving is prohibited where water depth is less than eight feet, and depth markers are required at diving boards and platforms
• Water clarity standard: an eight-inch black-and-white disk must be visible in four feet of water
• Plug-in electrical devices are prohibited within 20 feet of the water
• Maximum bather density is one bather per 25 square feet of water surface