Sec. 15-135. Position of scuba divers to be marked. Safe operating distance for vessels. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 15-135. Position of scuba divers to be marked. Safe operating distance for vessels. (a) No person shall engage in underwater swimming or diving using a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus or other artificial breathing device in any state or federal water without marking his position with a clearly discernible flag, buoy or other device which the commissioner approves or prescribes. No person when so engaged shall surface more than fifty feet from such marker, except in cases of emergency.

      (b) Not more than four persons shall use the same marking device simultaneously, except when engaged in underwater swimming or diving from an anchored boat displaying such marking device, in which case the number of persons using the same marking device shall be limited to the legal capacity of such boat.

      (c) No person shall operate a vessel or cause any person on water skis to pass within one hundred feet of a device marking the location of an underwater swimmer or diver.

      (d) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.

      (1961, P.A. 520, S. 15; P.A. 76-381, S. 25; P.A. 77-190; P.A. 93-238, S. 5.)

      History: P.A. 76-381 added Subsec. (c) making violation an infraction; P.A. 77-190 replaced "commission", i.e. boating commission, with "commissioner", i.e. environmental protection commissioner, inserted new Subsec. (b) re multiple use of marking device and relettered Subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d); P.A. 93-238 amended Subsec. (c) to increase the safe operating distance for vessels to dive markers from 50 to 100 feet.

      See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.