About the FSDA
The Florida Skin Divers Association (FSDA) was established in 1952, when clubs from around the state saw a need to create a single “voice of the diver”. FSDA has worked to maintain that “voice” in advocacy, conservation, and safety. This year follows a long tradition of influence in the underwater community.
On the advocacy front, FSDA and our clubs have been instrumental in stopping overzealous regulations prejudiced against divers. We defeated discriminatory spearfishing bans in 1992, 1993, 2013 and again in 2023. We helped defeat a proposed 2023 South Atlantic Fishery council grouper spearing ban- a ban refuted by a few FSDA member fishery scientists introducing quantitative data showing the minimal and selective impact of recreational divers on the fishery. In 2024, FSDA fought to restore recreational access to fisheries closed due to poor science- advocating for the abandonment of an ineffective NOAA federal MRIPS fishery data system in favor of a smaller, more targeted FWC State Reef Fishery Survey. A watershed shift this year away from the flawed NOAA model to smaller targeted Gulf state models has gained the support of all Gulf governors and legislatures. This move was initiated on the NOAA Gulf Fishery Council by a local diver, fisherman, and charter owner, Captain Ed Walker. This all started when FSDA and local fishing clubs rallied divers and fishermen around the state to advocate for the appointment of Captain Walker to the Gulf Fishery Council. Captain Walker, a former FSDA State Skindiving team champion and USOA National participant, received hundreds of letters of recommendation for a highly competitive state appointment by the FL Governor and is now leading the Gulf council to sound and fair fishery management.
FSDA was instrumental in the 1965 USOA transport and placement for the famous “Christ of the Abyss” statue in the Pennekamp underwater state park, after its donation to USOA by the Cressi family. Recently, FSDA has continued this tradition, sponsoring the placement of two service member statues and active involvement in the maintenance and cleaning of the “Circle of Heroes” underwater memorial at the Veterans’ reef in Clearwater, FL (in partnership with our friends at the nonprofit Reef Monitoring organization). In 2024, FSDA established a new conservation chair position, electing Captain Warren Hunt. Captain Hunt has spent a career in permitted marine activity and support of artificial reef programs and will explore new opportunities for FSDA to establish reefs in the FWC artificial reef program.
For years, FSDA funded the Beneath the Seas/Ocean Pals “Save our Seas” poster contest for the Southeast USA- sending contest packet mailers to almost 2,000 art teachers throughout FL and Gulf states and funding monetary prizes for K5-12 grade students, who demonstrate their awareness of conservation by creating a poster of a different imperiled marine animal every year. Our focus on marine education has graduated to supporting worthy marine science college students with the creation of the Ken and Sonia Smith Memorial scholarship in 2013. Ken, our longtime FSDA treasurer, and Sonia, who personally organized and conducted those thousands of mailings for the “Save our Seas” poster contest for over two decades, both spent a lifetime of service to the underwater community. The Ken and Sonia Smith scholarship has proudly donated thousands of dollars in scholarship awards and continues its impact to a new generation of Florida marine scientists since its inception.
Lastly, the FSDA Scuba Training committee was one of the earliest certifying agencies in the United States, creating original Standards & Procedures for diver safety. FSDA was the first organization to issue new diver certifications and was heavily involved in lobbying for the acceptance of the red and white “Diver Down” flag in Florida state law. In February 1976, the Scuba Training Committee separated and became an international certification agency (IDEA), but our FSDA clubs have continued our role in providing safety awareness to divers- from free Freediver Safety or First Aid Seminars our dive clubs have hosted in recent years, to a youth skin diving safety workshop planned for this summer- introducing bay area youth to basic snorkeling water safety principles and even an introductory pool safety experience.
As we look for new opportunities to impact the underwater community, we appreciate our support and partnership with USOA in continuing to be the “voice of the diver since 1952” for Florida and we are proud of our relationship with USOA, its councils and its many clubs.
Written by Bill Van Deman
On the advocacy front, FSDA and our clubs have been instrumental in stopping overzealous regulations prejudiced against divers. We defeated discriminatory spearfishing bans in 1992, 1993, 2013 and again in 2023. We helped defeat a proposed 2023 South Atlantic Fishery council grouper spearing ban- a ban refuted by a few FSDA member fishery scientists introducing quantitative data showing the minimal and selective impact of recreational divers on the fishery. In 2024, FSDA fought to restore recreational access to fisheries closed due to poor science- advocating for the abandonment of an ineffective NOAA federal MRIPS fishery data system in favor of a smaller, more targeted FWC State Reef Fishery Survey. A watershed shift this year away from the flawed NOAA model to smaller targeted Gulf state models has gained the support of all Gulf governors and legislatures. This move was initiated on the NOAA Gulf Fishery Council by a local diver, fisherman, and charter owner, Captain Ed Walker. This all started when FSDA and local fishing clubs rallied divers and fishermen around the state to advocate for the appointment of Captain Walker to the Gulf Fishery Council. Captain Walker, a former FSDA State Skindiving team champion and USOA National participant, received hundreds of letters of recommendation for a highly competitive state appointment by the FL Governor and is now leading the Gulf council to sound and fair fishery management.
FSDA was instrumental in the 1965 USOA transport and placement for the famous “Christ of the Abyss” statue in the Pennekamp underwater state park, after its donation to USOA by the Cressi family. Recently, FSDA has continued this tradition, sponsoring the placement of two service member statues and active involvement in the maintenance and cleaning of the “Circle of Heroes” underwater memorial at the Veterans’ reef in Clearwater, FL (in partnership with our friends at the nonprofit Reef Monitoring organization). In 2024, FSDA established a new conservation chair position, electing Captain Warren Hunt. Captain Hunt has spent a career in permitted marine activity and support of artificial reef programs and will explore new opportunities for FSDA to establish reefs in the FWC artificial reef program.
For years, FSDA funded the Beneath the Seas/Ocean Pals “Save our Seas” poster contest for the Southeast USA- sending contest packet mailers to almost 2,000 art teachers throughout FL and Gulf states and funding monetary prizes for K5-12 grade students, who demonstrate their awareness of conservation by creating a poster of a different imperiled marine animal every year. Our focus on marine education has graduated to supporting worthy marine science college students with the creation of the Ken and Sonia Smith Memorial scholarship in 2013. Ken, our longtime FSDA treasurer, and Sonia, who personally organized and conducted those thousands of mailings for the “Save our Seas” poster contest for over two decades, both spent a lifetime of service to the underwater community. The Ken and Sonia Smith scholarship has proudly donated thousands of dollars in scholarship awards and continues its impact to a new generation of Florida marine scientists since its inception.
Lastly, the FSDA Scuba Training committee was one of the earliest certifying agencies in the United States, creating original Standards & Procedures for diver safety. FSDA was the first organization to issue new diver certifications and was heavily involved in lobbying for the acceptance of the red and white “Diver Down” flag in Florida state law. In February 1976, the Scuba Training Committee separated and became an international certification agency (IDEA), but our FSDA clubs have continued our role in providing safety awareness to divers- from free Freediver Safety or First Aid Seminars our dive clubs have hosted in recent years, to a youth skin diving safety workshop planned for this summer- introducing bay area youth to basic snorkeling water safety principles and even an introductory pool safety experience.
As we look for new opportunities to impact the underwater community, we appreciate our support and partnership with USOA in continuing to be the “voice of the diver since 1952” for Florida and we are proud of our relationship with USOA, its councils and its many clubs.
Written by Bill Van Deman