Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Other Equipment and Regulations
Diver-Down Flags
West Virginia law requires that skin divers and scuba divers display
a diver-down flag to mark their diving area. Divers must stay within
a 100-foot radius of the flag. Motorized vessels must remain at
least 100 feet away from the flag. Two types of flags are used
to indicate diving activity.
- A rectangular red flag, at least 10 inches on any side, with
at least a 11/2-inch, white diagonal stripe running from upper
left to lower right is required on state waters.
- A blue and white International Code Flag A (or Alfa flag),
at least 3.3 feet (one meter) high and visible from all directions,
must be displayed on vessels on federally controlled waters.
This flag indicates that the vessel is involved in a diving activity.<
Divers Flag
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Alfa Flag
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Scuba divers and snorkelers
should not place a flag in an area already occupied by other
boaters or where their diving operation will impede the normal
flow of waterway traffic. Divers also should follow all of
the water safety rules themselves. |
Small Government-Owned Reservoirs
On some smaller government-owned reservoirs, motorboats are limited
to a maximum of 10 horsepower. Motorboats with more than 10 horsepower
must have the propeller removed or have the motor raised to the
maximum trailerable limit while operating on these reservoirs.
Local Regulations
Local waterways may have specific equipment and operational restrictions
in addition to those covered in this chapter. Be sure to check
for local regulations before you go boating.
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