Laws and Safety Equipment

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DIVING AND SNORKELING

Skin and Scuba divers must display a diver's flag from a mast, buoy, or other structure at the place of diving; and no person shall display such flag except when diving operations are under way or in preparation or display a diver's flag in a location which will unreasonably obstruct vessels from making legitimate navigational use of the water.

The diver's flag shall be square, not less than twelve inches on a side, and shall be of red background with a diagonal white stripe, of a width equal to one fifth of the flag's height, running from the upper corner adjacent to the mast downward to the opposite outside corner.

Operators of vessels underway in the waters of the Virginia must not approach closer than twenty-five yards (75 feet) to any structure from which a diver's flag is then being displayed.