it"s fun working on stuff like that but{will a boat really see that in the water}NOT.

hi paul, do you mean that my flags not sitting high enough out of the water or that it needs a bright orange float? Always keen to improve on a design. been using it for a year so far without problems. dive buds seem to be able to find me ok too. Ihad thought of giving the float a bright orange coat of paint.

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Do you know what really makes me smile? Facial muscles.

maybe spray your float orange there are some dick heads out there who buy a boat and have no f[[ken idea with what they are doing.go down to rye boat ramp christmas time and watch the dick heads.remeber your float is design to keep these dickbhead away from you.

Smart idea blinky
However I think Paul is essentially right ... the bigger and the brighter the float the better
also, can't really see the size of the flag from your photos, but from what you show it really seems that the flag is a bit low and a bit small.
Have a read at some of Maltese Falcon's posts on the forum

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Il mio mare e i miei fondali sono quelli del golfo de La Spezia

here's a better pic with 2ltr coke bottle and tape measure for size reference. I had a look at my flag while diving today and could see that the top half of the float is mostly visible. so that would mean from water level to the top of flag would be roughly 45cm. the flag is 30cm length and 25cm height. I also noticed it doesn't sit upright very well so i'm going to lower the lead weight to hopefully stabilize it more. Can someone with an idea of different shop bought floats let us know what the general dimensions of a typical float such as flag height above water and visible area of float and perhaps also the flag dimensions please? It would help some noobs like me if they plan to make thier own float without having an idea for specs on popular designs.

cheers

Leigh

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Do you know what really makes me smile? Facial muscles.

The big plus for sausage shaped floats is they pull easily along the top of the water.

Round floats that have lead sticking down into the water column have more resistance. Also, has been my experience that if the attachment of the cord to the float is not at water level, a surprising amount of effort is wasted in tipping the float when you pull on it. This might seem not all that important, but my experience is that it makes a difference in the amount of effort needed to pull it.

When berleying for snapper, I like to anchor my float exactly, and get the berley stream falling where I want it (usually on the sand near a ledge) so not only do I need to anchor the float securely (with a big sinker - sometimes jammed into a crack or behind a rock) but also adjust the length of the float cord. I use a shark clip - one end tied to the float and the other end clamping on the float cord where I want it. A bit of slack cord floats around, but that isn't too much of a problem. I take the clip off when I am travelling.

Ric

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Ric Fallu started spearfishing in Pt Phillip in the early 1960s, and never really stopped

hi ric,
love the shark clip on the float idea. Very simple and effective.

As for the drag on my float, its the only one i've ever used so i don't know how much better a sausage one is for dragging around yet. i got lucky with the design that the rope does tie off at water level on the float. I think the best float design i've seen are the ones that have a similar shape to a small body board. I like the way the flag sits high out of the water and the space available for any other bits and pieces. I might make that my next project for summer diving.

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Do you know what really makes me smile? Facial muscles.

Next time you are in the water, swim up to the float and have a look at it. Pull on the rope to move the float - if the flag leans over a bit, its stealing energy. Prolly not all that much, certainly not as much as a stringer full of fish and a bag of crays, but enought to make a difference if you want to do a longish swim.

A visible flag is really important - but some boat owners will actually come over to look at the funny thing in the water, and speed in. I remember being out about 1 k at Rosebud (chasing scallops) and looking up at one boatie, who had stopped about three metres away from me - he turned to his mate and said "What is it? A dolphin?" My response was a little sarcastic. But it does show boat drivers really don't have much awareness of divers, particularly offshore where they don't expect them.

Seems to me that the most important thing about a visible flag is that it means you have a better case when you sue the boatie for letting his prop chop off your legs.

Ric

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Ric Fallu started spearfishing in Pt Phillip in the early 1960s, and never really stopped