The Medium Trident Nylon Alpha Dive Flag is great for use on surface marker buoys, plus on small private boats in some states (not SA, VIC and TAS). Let everyone know that you have divers in the water with this large sized blue and white, divers below, Alpha Flag.

Size: 610 mm x 510 mm (24 x 21 inches)

This Flag is the international signal A (letter ALFA/ALPHA), used to indicate the presence of a diver in the water.

Note: The picture displays both Medium and Large sized flags.

The boating regulations and requirements for displaying a dive flag vary in Australia from state to state. Here we provide what we currently know the boating handbooks in some states to show.

NSW Boating Handbook (2016)
The blue and white Alpha flag must be displayed whenever divers, spearfishers or snorkellers are operating from the vessel. It should measure at least 40 centimetres x 40 centimetres in size, be rigid, and be flown in a vertical position at least one metre above the vessel's superstructure and visible through 360 degrees.

Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook (2012)
Diving Operations from a Small Vessel
Any vessel with divers operating from it must always display signals by day or night to inform other vessel users. The daytime signal for divers is an international Code Flag 'A', at least 750mm long and 600mm wide. It should be placed to ensure all-round visibility.

Tasmanian Safe Boating Handbook (2011)
Diver Below
Any boat that has divers operating from it must display signals by day or night to inform other boat users. The daytime signal is the international Code Flag 'A', at least 750mm long and 600mm wide. Divers on board a boat displaying the 'A' flag are exempted from wearing a PFD. The boat may be under power when displaying this flag but cannot exceed a speed of 5 knots.

South Australian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook (2017)
Diving Operations A vessel with one or more divers operating from it must display signals indicating this. The international flag 'A' (refer to image below) is the signal that 'I have a diver below—keep well clear at slow speed'. Other vessels must navigate to avoid injuring the diver or interfering with the vessel, float or buoy. In South Australia, the speed limit is four knots within 50 m of a vessel or buoy displaying a divers flag (flag A).
During the day:

• vessels 10 m or more in length must display a divers flag, either as a flag or rigid replica
• vessels less than 10 m long must display divers flag as a rigid replica, at least 750 mm by 600 mm, either from the vessel or floating buoy
• a diver operating independently of a vessel must ensure that a rigid replica of a divers flag (at least 300 mm by 200 mm) is displayed from a buoy or float moored within 30 m of the diver or is attached to a line and towed by the diver (a diver must not operate independently of a vessel in a dredged shipping channel within a harbour).

Thus, as best as we can tell, the Medium sized Trident Alpha Dive Flag does not meet the minimum requirements in SA, VIC and TAS for recreational vessels.

(06/17 LRB)