Wristband alert flag for water sport safety

Abstract

Visual safety device providing a caution wristband and alert flag designed to protect a water sport participant from surrounding boat traffic. The safety device includes a rolled up banner attached to a wristband to be worn by a water sport participant. A downed water sport participant, such as a water skier, wakesurfer, wake boarder, or tuber, manually deploys and waves the alert flag while in the water to notify their boat operator of their location and increasing visibility to oncoming boaters. Once the water sport participant is in a safe position or back on a boat, the alert flag is simply wrapped back into a caution wristband.

1 . A visual safety device for use in open water sports, comprising:
 a wrist strap having a first strap end and a second strap end, and an inner side and an outer side;   a banner having a first banner end and a second banner end, and a first banner side and a second banner side;   a first strap connector on the inner side proximate the first strap end of the wrist strap;   a first banner connector on the second banner side proximate the second banner end;   the outer side of the wrist strap proximate the second strap end being connected to the second banner side proximate to the first banner end;   a second banner connector proximate the first banner end on the first banner side, wherein the second banner connector is configured to be attached to the first strap connector when the wrist strap is wrapped around a wrist of a user; and   a third banner connector on the first banner side of the banner proximate a middle location of the banner between the first banner end and the second banner end, wherein the third banner connector is configured to be attached to the first banner connector when the banner is wrapped around the wrist of a user.   
     
     
         2 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the first strap connector and the second banner connector both include hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         3 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the first strap connector and the second banner connector both include Velcro® fasteners. 
     
     
         4 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the first strap connector and the second banner connector both include hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         5 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the first strap connector and the second banner connector both include Velcro® fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the outer side of the wrist strap proximate the second strap end is sewn to the second banner side proximate to the first banner end. 
     
     
         7 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the wrist strap is shorter in length than the banner. 
     
     
         8 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the wrist strap is constructed of expandable material. 
     
     
         9 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle on the first banner side proximate the second banner end.   
     
     
         10 . The visual safety device of  claim 9 , wherein the handle includes padded material. 
     
     
         11 . The visual safety device of  claim 9 , wherein the padded material is constructed of neoprene designed to float the entire device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a life vest including a should strap, wherein the wrist strap is secured around the shoulder strap.   
     
     
         13 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the first banner side includes a high visibility color. 
     
     
         14 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the wrist strap includes a high visibility color. 
     
     
         15 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the second banner side includes a high visibility color. 
     
     
         16 . The visual safety device of  claim 1 , wherein the banner is coated with polyurethane for waterproof protection on both sides. 
     
     
         17 . The visual safety device of  claim 8 , wherein the wrist strap is constructed of knit elastic polyester. 
     
     
         18 . The visual safety device of  claim 8 , wherein the wrist strap is constructed of neoprene.