Owner calls cops when man tries to sell his stolen scuba tank on Craigslist

A man trying to peddle a stolen scuba tank on Craigslist for cheap was busted on Sunday when the real owner discovered his property listed on the online advertising site, police said.

Christopher Logan Lewis, 21, of 870 64th Ave. S,, is charged with dealing in stolen property and is being held on a $20,000 bail at Pinellas County Jail...[Link]

The Elbow Reef, North Key Largo

Within sight of Carysfort looking south, another tower marks the location of the Elbow Reef, so named for the change of direction the reef line takes here from south to southwest.

The City of Washington Wreck, a large steel freighter that went aground in 1791 lies here in 20 feet of water. Much of the wreck has disintegrated but you'll find a plethora of marine life in and around this site, including arrow crabs, cleaning shrimp, green morays, angelfish, flame oysters and much more...[Link]

Boys Home Boat To Become Artificial Reef

A place that turns boats into homes for at-risk boys is now giving one of its boats a new home.
The 75-foot boat is going from the Safe Harbor Boys Home on Blount Island to the deep sea, where it will provide a home for fish...[Link]

Scuba shop to offer underwater weddings

A Florida scuba shop says it is seeking pastors, priests, rabbis and other religious officials for its latest promotion -- underwater weddings.

Pro Dive International of Fort Lauderdale said it is recruiting clergy members for its first underwater weddings to be conducted within the next few months, The Miami Herald reported Monday.

Debbi Ballard, 47, a Jewish cantor, said her training with the scuba shop involved use of a mask with a microphone that would allow her to communicate with a bride and groom while guests listen and watch a video link from a boat.

Reform Rabbi Barry Silver of L'Dor Va-Dor congregation in Boynton Beach, Fla., said the ceremonies could be legal under Jewish law provided certain traditions are kept intact...[Link]

Underwater Music Festival celebrates The Beatles

About 400 divers and snorkelers had to get wet to listen to a radio station's broadcast in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The annual Underwater Music Festival is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" album.

Divers took the plunge Saturday dressed as the four Beatles with a replica of their submarine. They swam at the Looe Key reef while listening to music piped beneath the waves by WWUS-FM...[Link]

Florida’s springs keep their cool all summer long

Once July and August roll around, residents of North Central Florida battle through their daily routine in a scorching sauna known simply as summertime. The high temperatures usually leave locals searching for any and all ways to cool off.

More than 700 springs are located all around Florida and give visitors an experience much different from a city or backyard pool.

Springs maintain a year-round temperature of about 72 degrees, which is almost 10 degrees cooler than most municipal pools, and many of them have a host of activities for visitors in addition to swimming.

Several springs around North Central Florida provide residents of all ages with a place to dive a little deeper into the nature and culture of this region...[Link]

Divers hit by speeding boat off Hollywood Beach

A boat traveling dangerously close to the Hollywood Beach shore slammed into two divers Sunday morning before gunning its engines and disappearing.

Both victims, a father and son, were quickly transported to hospitals nearby, according to Hollywood Fire Rescue. A third diver was not injured.

Law enforcement officials are now searching for Karma, a 25-foot white boat believed to have struck the two and left the scene.

According to Fire Rescue, lifeguards with the department's Beach Safety division spotted a boat making its way north about 200 yards from shore near Johnson Street at around 11:50 a.m.

It was 100 yards too close, according to the division's Capt. Pat Hendrick.

The boat approached a red diving flag floating, alerting of divers in the water, Hendrick said. The boat slammed into two of them: a man in his 40s and his teenage son.

Lifeguards radioed for help, said Hendrick, who sent out a lifeguard on a jet ski. The lifeguard found the three conscious divers swimming near the flag, and two were injured.

The third diver, a family friend, told lifeguards that the boat slowed down after hitting them. Then a person aboard the boat looked back. Then they gunned the engines, took a 45-degree right turn and fled into the ocean...[Link]

Diver discovers Spanish shipwreck off Singer Island

A few weeks ago a diver snorkeling not far from shore on the northern end of Singer Island, Florida, stumbled upon a huge anchor and other artifacts.

Local divers like Brian Portmann and Peter Leo quickly assembled their expertise determining the anchor, which has a wooden stock and is in excellent shape, likely came from a Spanish sailing ship from the late 1800s.

"This anchor still has wood on it, which is rare and means it's been covered up in the sand a long time," says Portmann.

"It's definitely a piece of a maritime artifact that's really going to enlighten the area," Leo added.

There's no treasure at the site, just a scattered section of century old pieces unearthed by sand shifting in the current.

"You've got something people have been swimming over for 100 years and didn't know it was there," says Portmann...[Link]

Underwater cleanup needs helpers

Scuba divers, boat captains,and other volunteers are needed to participate in an underwater clean up of Sebastian Inlet on July 18 and in Ft Pierce Inlet on July 25.

Kayakers are needed to man kayaks sponsored by Kayaks Etc and Tropical Kayak Tours in Sebastian and Vero Beach.

A removal of derelict crab traps will take place on July 18 in the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and anyone with a boat interested in helping haul traps to shore is asked to contact us.

Abandoned crap traps and other discarded fishing equipment continues to kill wild life and is known as "ghost fishing" One trap removed in 2007 contained at least 25 trapped species...[Link]

Collier building another artificial reef

A big bunch of concrete is sitting at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico just off the Collier County coastline.

In total, 950 tons of concrete is getting dumped about 4 miles off the beach in Naples.

Thanks to a $60,000 grant, Coastal Zone Management workers are laying the foundation for what will grow into Collier County's latest artificial reef.

Within months, the artificial reef will produce two big benefits.

The first, barnacles and other marine life will start to grow on the concrete to make it a central habitat for many species of fish.

The second benefit, a new reef means a new place for you to fish, and for fishing captains to take tourists in the wake of a weak economy.

"We will use that to take people out and actually catch fish off that reef, and also take them out scuba diving," said Captain Joey Dobin, a charter boat fishing captain in Naples...[Link]