Lobster Diving in the Florida Keys

If you have ever been scuba diving or snorkeling you will love the Florida Keys. The average visibility ranges from 40-100 ft and average water temperature of 70-80 degrees.  The lobsters love it and so will you!  Located an hour and a half south of Miami, the Florida Keys stretch about 100 miles down to Key West.  The regular lobster season starts in August and ends in March but Sportsman Weekend at the end of July brings many, many sport divers out for a exciting and busy weekend.  Thousands of divers swarm the Keys on this weekend hoping to get the largest lobsters.

When you plan a lobster dive there is some specialized gear you will need.  You'll need some hand nets.  Most are aluminum with nylon netting.  They are lightweight and sturdy.  Secondly, you will need a "tickle" stick.  This device is made of either plastic, fiberglass, or aluminum.  It is used to get behind the lobster and draw him into your net or at least out of his hole.  Lobsters love to back into a hole and wedge themselves as far away from a divers hands as possible.  Speaking of hands, one of the most important items needed is a good pair of lobster gloves they are usually thick and coated in silicone rubber to make holding the lobster bearable.  You have to remember, Florida lobsters do not have large claws but they are spiny, and they can jab you pretty well if you don't wear gloves.  If you talk to a wildlife officer, they will tell you the "most" important piece of equipment when diving for lobster is a lobster gauge.  A lobster gauge is what you use to measure your lobster from between his eyes to the bottom of his carapace.  You must have a gauge with you when catching a lobster or you can be fined.  And if you happen to keep one that is not 5 1/2 inches the fine is very stiff.  And touching someones lobster trap is considered a felony.

Diving for lobster can be very easy if you find the right spot.  Lobsters tend to spread out and travel at night, finding holes during the day to hide in.  Snorkeling can be fun and many of the waters off of the Keys are shallow enough to do just that.  Many groups will drag divers on a line until they find the holes and mark the area.  The limit is 6 per day per person and you must not remove their tales until you get them on dry land.  Florida lobster do not have large claws but their tail meat is as sweet as any other lobster.  But I find that just getting out on the water in the Keys with a little Parrot head music playing and diving with friends is what makes it great.  At the end of the day it's time to clean and prepare the lobster tails, make a Rum Runner and get the lobster on the grill....perfect day!