Diver Down Flag

Facts about the Flag of Diver Down Flag

1. Two different flags mean diver below: the red flag with a white diagonal stripe used chiefly in North American waters, and the blue and white letter A flag of the international code used elsewhere.
2. Vessels are expected to keep clear of either, and in many jurisdictions this is a legal requirement rather than a courtesy.
3. A safety flag used by recreational divers, especially in North America.
4. The flag belongs to recreational diving. It is used in principally North America.
5. It was founded in 1956 by Denzel James Dockery.
6. It is flown from a boat or a float to warn other vessels that a diver is in the water below.
7. The flag was adopted in 1956. It was designed by Denzel James Dockery.
8. The design is 70 years old as of 2026.
9. Construction: Red field with a white diagonal stripe.
10. It is normally drawn to a ratio of 2:3, which makes it rectangular.
11. The flag uses 2 colours: red and white.
12. The red stands for the field.
13. The white stands for the diagonal stripe.
14. Diagonal stripe: Warns other vessels that a diver is in the water below and to keep clear.
15. Outside North America the blue-and-white Alpha signal flag is generally used for the same purpose.
16. It is filed here under Signal, Sport and Symbolic Flags, one of the categories of flag that belong to no country.