New England Lobster Dives.

[In-Hoc]

Hello everybody,
Ever since I started diving I have always wanted to dive for lobster (BUGS ) I have never experienced this before and I just want to try it. I was considering putting together an extended weekend trip together with some of my friends. I just have NO CLUE on who to contact for a dive operation?, Where to go?, What time of year to plan?, What will I need?
I was trying to solicit some inside info from the fellow scubaboard members.

 

[paulthenurse]

The good news is that it's really not that hard to catch 'em if you find 'em, and any charter operator will be able to take you to someplace where you stand a chance of finding them.

The bad news is that you need to be a Massachusetts resident or own property in Massachusetts in order to be able to get a license. And no charter boat is going to take you lobstering without a license.

Sorry to rain on your parade.
PTN

 

[spectrum]

So dive to observe them in their habitat and then go out for a nice lobstah dinner. Spotting a lobzilla in his home is very cool and you have to wonder how big it really is. We frequently see monsters on simple shore dives.

Pete

 

[STOGEY]

So dive to observe them in their habitat and then go out for a nice lobstah dinner. Spotting a lobzilla in his home is very cool and you have to wonder how big it really is. We frequently see monsters on simple shore dives.

Pete

Or you could go out on a charter with someone who has a lobsta license themselves. You are allowed up to 15 lobsters per day. So that means if you get 15 lobstersif both of you do the work you just divide the booty.

 

[Vtdiver2]

Hello everybody,
Ever since I started diving I have always wanted to dive for lobster (BUGS ) I have never experienced this before and I just want to try it. I was considering putting together an extended weekend trip together with some of my friends. I just have NO CLUE on who to contact for a dive operation?, Where to go?, What time of year to plan?, What will I need?
I was trying to solicit some inside info from the fellow scubaboard members.

Is there a reason for coming to New England? Sure, I think the lobster tastes better than their Florida cousins, but it seems easier to do down there. The lobsters in the Keys were easy to catch, as they are Spiny lobsters and didn't have claws like those in New England. Besides, you don't have to hook up with a property owner with a license, as we were informed by our dive op that they had licenses, and to feel free to bag a few for dinner.
Might be worth checking out,
C-Dawg

 

[Deep Impression]

Why go all the way to the New England states. Their laws are more strict concerning lobster, its further to go, and the fisherman that make a living at this really frown on someone diving for lobster especially if your anywhere even close to there traps.
For many years I have taken lobster dive trips off both the New Jersey and Maryland coast line. The best places to find them are on wrecks or under rocks or coral, and most of the dive charter boats have the numbers for the wrecks. So just hook up with one of these and enjoy but you nshould go with someone that has done it before as there is a definite nack to it.

 

[In-Hoc]

Thank you all for your Information. I live in Ohio (GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I just never thought about diving in Florida for Lobsters. Does anybody know a good Dive Operation that would be a good fit for a newbie to harvesting lobsters? I really don't have a preferance to where I go, I just really want to go and try this experience.

 

[Vtdiver2]

Thank you all for your Information. I live in Ohio (GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I just never thought about diving in Florida for Lobsters. Does anybody know a good Dive Operation that would be a good fit for a newbie to harvesting lobsters? I really don't have a preferance to where I go, I just really want to go and try this experience.

Go to the Florida Conch Divers section and ask around. There are a few operators that are members of Scubaboard. I'm sure they can hook you up, and tell you when the season is.
Good Luck. PS, Here's one I caught a couple of years ago in the Bahamas freediving with a Hawaiian sling.

 

[Ocean County Diver]

Thank you all for your Information. I live in Ohio (GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I just never thought about diving in Florida for Lobsters. Does anybody know a good Dive Operation that would be a good fit for a newbie to harvesting lobsters? I really don't have a preferance to where I go, I just really want to go and try this experience.

I've dove w/ SCUBA TYME in Pompano Beach a few times as well as several operations in Key Largo. Just about any of them down there will take care of you. But you need to remember that Florida has lobster seasons.. a 2 day mini-season and a longer season that is a couple of months. Make sure you are booking your Florida trip during one of those times.

 

[ScubaNorth]

Oh seriously come to MA for a real lobster dive. You can't touch (well maybe if you put them back after) and most of us with Lic. will not let you catch em or what have you (for your sake and ours) as the EP are not know for taking your word that you weren't hunting without a lic. If you haven't dove NE you are really missing some great diving. Florida is beautiful but NE is really so much better, if you can dive NE you can dive any place on the planet (well OK that black water thing still scares me). You can not take the big guys but you can sure take a look at them and they are truly amazing to see.