NO FLOAT, NO FLAG, NO DIVE!
Tony Heugh is a well-known, respected spearfisher from SE QLD. This is some invaluable and indeed lifesaving advice from Tony, who has been actively involved in all aspects of the spearfishing world for many years.

I was out diving with one of the top divers from the TGC about a week ago - he did not have a float - I asked him why when I found out - he told me he no longer uses a float and prefers to dive unhindered with a reelgun - wind was strong SE all day with plenty of white caps, overcast and rain.
The others and I had difficulty keeping tabs on the floatless diver and were concentrating effort on maintaining eyes on his position, whilst compromising eyes for the divers using floats. I thought this to be a selfish attitude and have decided not to take divers without floats on my boat again, unless they have a valid excuse not to have brought a float.
I see no reason why divers, who prefer to use reelguns, should not also tow a float - just mark the spot you are diving with a drop weight and dive around it with the reelgun - that way the boatie has a reference point to look for the diver, handy in adverse conditions - also the boatie will not run a diver down, accidentally, if he knows not to go near a float where there is no diver in sight. A well-known diver was run over by his boatie whilst using a reelgun and died! If one's own boatie can run down a diver without a float - there is also a good chance such a person could be run down by another boat in the area - especially if there is no float to indicate the presence of a diver.
There is a group of AUF divers, who are prominent in this area (Brisbane), who are not using floats whilst diving - no need to mention names, they know who they are!
Floats have to have be 7kg of positive flotation according to A-section rules in comps and not 3kg as is the case with at least one diver diving the Tweed Gold Coast competitions. I think we need to be stricter in the application of A-section rules in competitions!Possibly a good follow up slogan for the safety sticker "FLAG + FLOAT = DIVER", would be "NO FLAG, NO FLOAT, NO DIVE"!
I understand there to be situations during social dives, when a reelgun could be used without a float e.g. jumping overboard for a quick look under the boat, in calm conditions, without wind or current, whilst the engine is turned off and the boat sporting a dive flag.
Not when there is strong wind and current, overcast conditions with rain and no clear vision of land!
Common sense needs to prevail!
Tony Heugh