KEY WEST, Florida Keys – A multi-agency initiative, designed to enhance sport diving safety, is to be highlighted by a Lobster Diving Rodeo and Safety Expo Monday, July 23, in the Florida Keys.

The free, highlight event of the new Dive Alive program, is to be staged on the campus of the Florida Keys Community College, at 5901 College Rd., in Key West, two days prior to the July 25th opening of Florida’s special two-day, lobster mini-season, a period that traditionally attracts the most divers to the Keys.

The challenge, marine-related officials say, is that in their enthusiasm to catch the tasty Florida spiny lobster, many divers either forget or fail to exercise proper scuba diving safety measures. Failure to do so can result in diving accidents and sometime those mishaps can be catastrophic.

“A lot of accidents occur in shallow water with divers forgetting very basic skills,” says Robert Guhl, a member of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office dive team. “Most are preventable, if divers review skills and check equipment properly.”

The event is to combine scuba and snorkeling skills stations and games with mini safety briefings. Skills stations are to vary from basic mask clearing to controlled emergency swimming ascents and weight dropping. There are even demonstrations and contests designed to hone one’s lobster-catching skills including “tickling” techniques and bagging simulated lobsters.

Activities geared specifically toward children are also scheduled.

To participate in scuba activities, attendees must bring a scuba certification card and their own gear. Air fills are to be available. Non-certified divers can participate in snorkeling activities.

Mini briefings are to include safe boating skills, dive flag use, proper lobster gauging, gear demos, Marine Sanctuary rules, and bends avoidance. Participants can also tour FKCC’s hyperbaric chamber facility.

Food and beverages are to be available for purchase and local area dive shops are to provide prizes and discount offers.

More details on the event are available by downloading the Lobster Rodeo brochure.

Click to download the Dive Alive safety card.

The dive safety program is a result of input from officials at the U.S. Coast Guard; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Key West Police Department marine units; Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; Florida Keys Community College (FKCC) and the Lower Keys Medical Center.