lobster hunting

[blueringocto]

I am twelve years old and I'm new to scuba diving. I was recently certified and I am Jr OW. I am interested in lobster hunting. I would like to know where, permits needed, season, special tech., and whats used to catch them.

 

[porgyhunter]

H ey octo; Looks like you;ll be going for our ''clawed'' friends. First check out the wreck diving forum and see how the debate on lobster regs is going. The powers that be may not issue permits if laws are passed. If not....pull up Virginia Marine Fisheries? Hopefully they are like Mass. and you can get a 10 pot scuba permit this would be under recreational. Also check commercial, up here students can get a seasonal lobster permit. :cool2:

 

[tddfleming]

Thank you Porgy, bluering is my daughter. She was very excited to have received your response. As much as she likes seafood, I hope this does not turn into an obsession. What kind of depths are we talking about with lobster hunting? She has also mentioned scallops. I guess the scallops don't come wrapped in bacon already when you bring them up? I would never get her out of the water then.

 

[Rhone Man]

I'll be the boring old guy: just remember that lobster hunting can be a major distraction whilst diving ('task loading' being the technical term). Make sure you are pretty comfortable with your skills and your environment before you start seriously hunting for bugs.

For the record, my Dad first took me lobster hunting when I was 9, but it wasn't until I was 17 I got my first one. Hope you have better luck!

 

[cmburch]

Found this at Virginia.gov
REGULATION: PERTAINING TO LOBSTERS

Maryland
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regulations/coastalbaysregulations.html

Hopefully someone from Virginia or Maryland with lobster experience will chime in.

I have only used lobster traps in Maine. I lived in Maryland.

Southern California we night dive because they walk out in the open at nighttime. We also use hoop nets in the evening. Very interesting to see them walking in the open, single file across the open sandy areas at night. Ours do not have claws.

I will try searching SpearBoard to see if there is anything on Lobster for North Atlantic.

 

[tddfleming]

Thanks Rhone, that was one of my worries. We keep practicing our skills, I am much more conservative than my kid. Which if I remember correctly, my parents were also.

She actually does better at the task loading than me. We just did our UW Nav course and she was able to plan ahead and be ready to take over from my turn navagating, keep track of her kicks, keep an eye on me. Inst was impressed with her ability to plan ahead and not have to stop and look at our board to see what was next. We are done for this season, as last weekend the water was 58. I do not plan to do any hunting yet, but she wants to try and find out all the whos, whats, when, wheres that she can. I don't think we will try this hunting thing until another year or two.

 

[tddfleming]

Found this at Virginia.gov
REGULATION: PERTAINING TO LOBSTERS

Maryland
Coastal Bays Regulations

Hopefully someone from Virginia or Maryland with lobster experience will chime in.

I have only used lobster traps in Maine. I lived in Maryland.

Southern California we night dive because they walk out in the open at nighttime. We also use hoop nets in the evening. Very interesting to see them walking in the open, single file across the open sandy areas at night. Ours do not have claws.

I will try searching SpearBoard to see if there is anything on Lobster for North Atlantic.

Thanks for the info, was just reading it, is there a Padi class in this???

Need to know if male or female and eggs. There is much more that we need to learn.

 

[cmburch]

Some dive shops offer hunting trips and classes.

For California, there are spearfishing classes, Abalone diving classes, etc.

Also, local dive clubs.

There are junior divisions at tournaments. I think 16yr and under.

My wife took Underwater Naturalist which may be as close as can get to understanding and identifying local flora and fauna.

If conditions are good, I may take my daughter out next year freediving for Abalone, Cabezon, Lingcod, Rockfish, etc. She enjoys crabbing with traps or line.

 

[cmburch]

I saw this post today about Blue-ringed Octopus. Someone thought they saw one in California.
poisonous octos? - Spearboard Spearfishing Community

 

[Rhone Man]

Thanks Rhone, that was one of my worries. We keep practicing our skills, I am much more conservative than my kid. Which if I remember correctly, my parents were also.

She actually does better at the task loading than me. We just did our UW Nav course and she was able to plan ahead and be ready to take over from my turn navagating, keep track of her kicks, keep an eye on me. Inst was impressed with her ability to plan ahead and not have to stop and look at our board to see what was next. We are done for this season, as last weekend the water was 58. I do not plan to do any hunting yet, but she wants to try and find out all the whos, whats, when, wheres that she can. I don't think we will try this hunting thing until another year or two.

My suggestion would be to let her hunt whilst you 'supervise'. Most common things to go wrong lobster hunting (in my part of the world) are buddy separation (both too busy looking under ledges), or a diver getting jammed up with an uncooperative crustacean (easily resolvable if there is a second pair of hands nearby).

If only one of you is hunting, that significantly reduces the risks. I know it is not exactly PC as far as PADI is concerned, but underwater hunters make very good divers.

Might also be worth taking a quick look at this thread.

Good luck!