Lobster Season Safety Tips
The 2018 two-day Spiny Lobster Sport Season opens at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25th and ends at midnight on Thursday, July 26th. For the uninitiated, that’s two days of craziness as lobster hunters flood Florida waters in search of their bag limit of the delicious bugs—which for the record is twelve per day off the Jupiter coast!
We get it, everyone loves lobster, and for forty-eight hours, it appears that the entire population of the Eastern Seaboard is partying on our waterways. Increased boat traffic, inexperienced hunters, and alcohol add to the crazy factor of mini-season. But there are steps you can take to increase your safety.
Before you dive:
Make sure your dive gear is in good shape and has been serviced. If you haven’t been diving since last mini-season, you need to pay particular attention to your equipment.
Familiarize yourself with the environment and type of diving. The waters off Jupiter can have a stiff current and all the dives are drift dives. If you decide to do a night dive, know that you are comfortable in the dark before lobstering.
Listen to the boat briefings. They are chock full of information regarding the conditions, the site, what to do in an emergency, and other guidance to make your dive safer and more enjoyable.
In the water:
Make sure you are either pulling a float or are with someone who is. All Jupiter Dive Charters have an in-water guide who pulls a float.
Carry—and know how
