Time has arrived for divers to get ready for lobster miniseason
Equipment check is vital, and avoid that July rush
Lobster miniseason is July 26-27, which means nowis the time to make sure you are ready for one of South Florida’s biggest events of the summer.
Thousands of recreational divers hit the water for miniseason, because it gives them the first shot at lobsters since the recreational and commercial seasons closed April 1.
Because of the closure, lobsters are usually plentiful, plus the daily bag limit in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties is 12 per person, which is double the regular-season limit.
With all those people diving, waiting until the last minute to get your scuba equipment checked out can leave you stranded. Dive shops have plenty of time to inspect and repair gear now. Wait until theweek of miniseason and youmight not get it back until the regular season opens Aug. 6.
Matt Stout of Underseas Sports in Fort Lauderdale said that when people bring him their dive gear three days before the miniseason he has to tell them he can’t help them “because we’re already up to our elbows” working on other divers’ equipment.
And just because your gear worked fine last miniseason doesn’t mean it’ll work if you haven’t dived since.
O-rings can dry out, resulting in leaks. Stout said a common issue is a second stage, which is the mouthpiece you breathe from, that free-flows because it doesn’t close off completely.
Divers who bring their regulators to stores should also have their buoyancy compensators or BCs inspected.
“A lot of people don’t think about getting their BCs serviced, butwe can check the bladders for leaks,” Stout said.
Air tanks also need to be inspected. Visual checks must be done annually and hydro checks done every five years. Stout said the beginning of July is a better time to do that, rather than the end of July when others are trying to get their tanks checked and filled at the last minute.
An often overlooked item is your dive computer. Jeff To rode of South Florida Diving Headquarters in Pompano Beach said to check the batteries and buy new ones just to have as a backup.
Torode, who will have three miniseason dives a day on each of his three boats, said computers might work fine when you turn them on but shut off before you jump in the water. He also noted that his boats carry spare batteries, but they might not have the battery made for your computer.
The boats also have spare dive masks for those who break a strap, but it’s better to have your own spare strap so you canwear your mask.
“Don’t just look at the big stuff, look at some of the little stuff that can ruin your dive, like a worn fin strap,” Torode said. “Make sure the batteries are good in your lights and you have a backup light.
“Hoses, too, are a big thing. They check the regulator but the hoses are dry-rotted and then they blow a hose.”
Lobstering equipment also needs to be checked. Many divers don’t realize they have a hole in their lobster nets until they catch a big bug, only to have it escape through the hole.
Lobster divers also need a reliable dive flag and float. Stout said cheap floats can rest flat on the surface and even be pulled underwater. He added that an inflatable safety sausage will help divers be seen by boaters if they get separated from their buddy who has the dive flag.
“Something that divers who have their own boat should do is make sure they’ve got the dive flag on the boat,” Torode said. “And look at your anchor to make sure your anchor rope is good so you don’t come up and your boat’s amile away.”
If you haven’t dived for a few years, diving nowis a goodway to see if you and your equipment are ready for miniseason.
“Do a couple of shallow dives so you feel comfortable,” said Torode, who also offers refresher courses in a pool and in the ocean. “You don’t want to learn your problems the first day of miniseason.”