It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - FL Spiny Lobster Season Opens Tues. Aug. 6th!

That feeling when you catch your limit! Please note that current daily limits for the upcoming season are 6 lobsters per diver, which does differ from the 12 per diver during mini season.

After a successful mini season that included a bonus day for Florida residents, we are excited to enter our regular season for lobster this Tuesday. Lobstering is a fun, sustainable activity that many of our divers look forward to participating in. The season runs from August 6th through March 31st of next year.

Ready for a mixed grill after a successful day on the water.

While lobster is a relatively safe activity, we always like to provide from pointers going into the season. If you’ve been diving with us you know safety is of paramount importance, and this applies just as much to lobster season as any time of year. If you’re new to the sport, don’t worry - we’ve got you covered. Many divers chose to come out with a private guide for a one-on-one lesson with us before setting off on their own to hunt.

You’ll have luck looking for lobsters under rocks and ledges and especially along our Palm Beach reefs, you will find them holing out under massive barrel sponges.

The biggest safety tip we can give you is to know you limits. And no, we aren’t just talking about your lobster limit (but yes you should know that too!). We are talking about air consumption, no decompression limits and time needed for a safe ascent. Lobstering is like a scavenger hunt under the sea, and sometimes divers get so engrossed in the hunt they fail to pay attention to their gauges and computer. My personal rule of thumb: if I spy some antennas from above, before I dive down and get into position, I check my computer to see how much bottom time I have then I immediately also check my pressure gauge to see if I have enough air left to wrangle them into my bag and still make it safely to the surface with at least 500psi.

I personally find lobstering more successful - and more enjoyable - when you’re with a buddy. You never know when a lobster is going to dart away after you tickle it out of its whole, and a buddy that has your back makes it so much easier to trap them! Not to mention the safety considerations.

Because we are often diving deeper sights while hunting, paying attention to your bottom time is critical to avoid having to do decompression stops. Another pro tip is staying about 15-20 feet above the bottom - this helps a bit with air consumption, extends your dive time and allows you to scan the bottom more efficiently. The only caveat - if you are diving in a buddy team make sure you and your buddy are at the same depth since the current often flows at a different pace at various depths. It is not uncommon for the current to be much stronger the higher up you are in the water column, and it can be very difficult (sometimes nearly impossible without a scooter) to swim against if you need to get back to them. Lobster gear does add some drag to your set-up so always keep that in mind when diving in strong currents like we have here.

In a pinch I have a used a zookeeper to collect lobster in. You can easily store a few plus some lionfish - only trouble is when the lobsters are really big, it can be hard to squeeze them in there. But I love any gear that is multi-purposed! We sell them in many different colors and sizes in the shop.

Next let’s talk about essential gear needed. You will need to make a personal decision regarding how you want to get the lobsters - with a tickle stick and net, a snare and a bag or you can always get them the old fashioned way - grab ‘em! If you do go for the manhandling approach, you need to make sure they are far enough out of the hole to grab the carapace, not the antennas. You rarely are able to get a good enough grip by grabbing the antennas and they break off really easily, so please be thoughtful with this approach.

I personally never grab the lobster by their antennas as a way to pull them out of their hole, I see it as both inhuman and ineffective. Plus, the antennas can be used to clean to the insides when you’re ready to prepare them for cooking!

Regardless of your method the non-negotiable gear items are: thick gloves (we call them spiny lobsters for a reason), a gauge for measuring their length, a carrying container (preferably clipped on to you), and of course - recently serviced and dependable dive gear. You will also need a lobster permit issued by Florida Fish and Wildlife to legally be able to harvest. Please also note that you must measure the lobster under the water and should never bring up to the boat any lobsters with a carapace of less than 3” or one that has eggs.

Every diver has a responsibility to hold a current lobstering permit and to know and abide by the regulations. This ensures sustainability of this practice so future generations can continue to partake in the fun.

I personally missed mini-season this year, so I can’t wait to get out there this week!

My final word of advice - ALWAYS make sure your lobster bag is zipped up before you jump in! You might think I’m joking, but we’ve seen it all out here . . .

Good luck everyone - and as always, safe diving! -Grace