By Capt. Steve & Cherly Powers, Co-Owners, Sea Tow Key Largo
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]very summer, the Florida Keys become a hotbed of activity as hundreds of lobster hunters towing boats on trailers head south to their favorite dive and snorkel spots for the two-day Spiny Lobster Mini-Season. This year, the Mini-Season falls on July 24 and 25, which are sure to be two of the busiest days of the season here at Sea Tow Key Largo.
While most lobster hunters are experienced boaters who come for Lobster Mini-Season year after year, we still wind up towing a lot of boats that have gone aground or gotten into some other sort of difficulty. Weâll never forget the time we were on patrol in one of our yellow Sea Tow boats during Mini-Season and came across a diver who had been caught in a strong current underwater. He surfaced so far from his boat that it was practically out of sight over the horizon. We pulled him aboard our boat and saved his life.
Here are eight tips for boaters from our Sea Tow captains on how to spend a safe and enjoyable Lobster Mini-Season this year.
1. Prep your boat before you launch it. We canât believe the number of people who ignore the boat rampâs staging area and wait until their boat is on the ramp to load it with their gear, wasting the time of all the other boaters waiting to launch.
2. Bring a chart for the local waters or load it into your chartplotter so you know the boundaries of marine sanctuaries and other waters where lobster fishing is prohibited, even during Mini- Season. The chart also will show you the areas where it is safe to anchor.
3. Stay out of âskinnyâ water. The Keys are notorious for their shallow flats and coral reefs that can be located miles offshore. Watch the depths on your chart or chartplotter and keep an eye out for rocks and other obstacles. If you see a bird apparently walking on water, itâs a bad sign!
4. Steer clear of divers and snorkelers. By Florida law, boats operating at any speed faster than idle must keep at least 300 feet away from a vessel displaying a âdiver downâ flag (red with a diagonal white stripe).
5. Watch out for divers where you donât expect them! Some boaters donât own a dive flag or forget to put one up while they have people underwater hunting lobster. During Mini-Season, we also see divers and snorkelers pop up like turtles in main navigation channels and other unexpected (and foolish) places. Ask a crew member to keep watch on the waters around your boat; wearing polarized sunglasses, if possible, in order to see through the glare.
6. Donât drop the hook on a coral reef. Your anchor could destroy a beautiful natural resource that was thousands of years in the making. Tie up to a mooring buoy (if you are early enough to find one) or anchor on sand.
7. Keep track of the tides. Download the Sea Tow App (www.seatow.com/app) before you head out on the water. This free mobile app for iPhones and Android smartphones has a detailed tide-finder function that will display the local tide chart right on your phone. This can help you to avoid putting divers in the water during the strong currents created by changing tides.
8. Check the weather forecast frequently. In July, thunderstorms often pop up in the afternoon along the Florida coast. You can use the Sea Tow Appâs weather function to check the forecast and receive any weather alerts for the area. If you need help on the water, the App will also let you call Sea Tow by simply swiping a finger on the screen.
Happy hunting â and eating â during the upcoming Lobster Mini-Season!
For more information on Sea Tow Services International, Inc., Sea Tow Key Largo and other Sea Tow locations, please visit www.seatow.com. Sea Tow Treasure Coast may be reached at (772) 225-3144.