New Keys Diving Initiative Touts Safety, Offers Event to Entertain and Educate
KEY WEST, Florida Keys A multi-agency initiative, designed to enhance sport diving safety, is to be highlighted by a Lobster Diving Rodeo and Dive Safety Expo Monday, July 23, in the Florida Keys.
The free event 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 the Floridas special two-day mini-lobster season, a time 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 Sheriffs Office Dive Team. Most are preventable, if divers review skills and check equipment properly.
Dubbed Dive Alive, the dive safety initiative is a result of input from officials at the U.S. Coast Guard; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Monroe County Sheriffs Office and Key West Police Department marine units; Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Florida Keys Community College dive program. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council is supporting measures with a communications program designed to reach Keys visitors.
We decided to combine our agencies resources to prevent accidents rather than responding to them, said Captain Scott Buschman, the Coast Guards Key West Commanding Officer.
The event is to combine scuba and snorkeling skills stations and games with mini safety briefings. Skills stations will vary from basic mask clearing, controlled emergency swimming ascents and weight dropping. There are even demonstrations designed to hone ones lobster-catching skills including tickling techniques and bagging simulated lobsters.
Activities geared specifically toward children are also to be included.
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 FKCCs hyperbaric chamber facility.
Food and beverages are to be available for purchase and local area dive shops are to provide prizes and discounts coupons.
More details on the event and Dive Alive program, as well as a free downloadable dive safety brochure, are available at www.divealive.org.
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KEY WEST, Florida Keys A multi-agency initiative, designed to enhance sport diving safety, is to be highlighted by a Lobster Diving Rodeo and Dive Safety Expo Monday, July 23, in the Florida Keys.
The free event 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 the Floridas special two-day mini-lobster season, a time 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 Sheriffs Office Dive Team. Most are preventable, if divers review skills and check equipment properly.
Dubbed Dive Alive, the dive safety initiative is a result of input from officials at the U.S. Coast Guard; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Monroe County Sheriffs Office and Key West Police Department marine units; Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Florida Keys Community College dive program. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council is supporting measures with a communications program designed to reach Keys visitors.
We decided to combine our agencies resources to prevent accidents rather than responding to them, said Captain Scott Buschman, the Coast Guards Key West Commanding Officer.
The event is to combine scuba and snorkeling skills stations and games with mini safety briefings. Skills stations will vary from basic mask clearing, controlled emergency swimming ascents and weight dropping. There are even demonstrations designed to hone ones lobster-catching skills including tickling techniques and bagging simulated lobsters.
Activities geared specifically toward children are also to be included.
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 FKCCs hyperbaric chamber facility.
Food and beverages are to be available for purchase and local area dive shops are to provide prizes and discounts coupons.
More details on the event and Dive Alive program, as well as a free downloadable dive safety brochure, are available at www.divealive.org.
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