Home Tournaments Calendar Weather Merchandise Sponsors

Go Back   Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum > United States Geographical Locations > Florida Gulfcoast Spearfishing

Florida Gulfcoast Spearfishing Post here to discuss regional action or issues about spearing on Florida's Gulfcoast.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 05-18-2017, 01:32 PM   #1
grey2112
Registered User
 
grey2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: New Port Richey FL
Posts: 1,984
Question for charter captains regarding licensure

So, if you are a charter captain in Florida, taking people out to scuba dive, other than needing your license, any state licenses, liability insurance, etc. do you need a special fishing license or permit if you aren't using that license to cover the divers with regards to fishing?

Meaning, if I was a captain, charging to take people out on my boat to scuba dive, and someone on board who had their own fishing license happened to bring a spear gun and shot and kept some fish, is that OK, or would I still need to have the special Federal licenses (can't remember what they are called) to cover that?
grey2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2017, 05:12 PM   #2
StukNotAnchored
Registered User
 
StukNotAnchored's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Ocean City, NJ & Islamorada, Fl
Posts: 179
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

If you are thinking of the HMS (Highly Migratory Species) - some tunas, sharks, some, billfish and some others, the permit follows the BOAT not the captain or the anglers.

https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/permitDetails?ID=999992017
__________________
You can't stop stupid; you have to work really hard just to contain it.
StukNotAnchored is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2017, 10:19 PM   #3
gcracker89
Registered User
 
gcracker89's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Port Richey, Fl.
Age: 69
Posts: 1,415
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

Captains lic, is required to take passengers for hire this is not a rule that has any wiggle room. Can you do it and have a wink wink agreement with the passengers sure and on a sunny day simple its easy money. When things go wrong they really goes wrong, now you fall under maritime law very different that law of the land. It could cost you everything you have and everything you ever hope to have. Any insurance you have wont stand behind you, they wont defend you. If you think someone that get hurt or if someone dies wont turn on you your mistaken.
Outside 9 miles Federal permits, reef for bottom fishing, migratory for king fish, and other fish.,
inside 9 miles state fishing lic. you can rely on your passengers to have a lic or for $400. you can buy one for the boat that covers everyone.
I'm not sure but I think you have to have a documented vessel to have the federal permits.
To cover your divers the most inexpensive insurance requires you have a Dive master rating at a minimum. and is purchased thru dive certification agency I believe.
__________________
THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE
ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.
gcracker89 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2017, 10:36 PM   #4
gcracker89
Registered User
 
gcracker89's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Port Richey, Fl.
Age: 69
Posts: 1,415
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

Running a charter business can be fun and rewarding. It is also very stressful to be responsible for the people on your boat. You have little control of them above the water and none when they go over the rail. It can be a long hour waiting for everyone to surface and return safety to the boat. What do you say to a group that spends a lot of money to go fishing and you return to the dock and fillet the fish it does not fill a zip lock bag. remember what ever happens its your fault.
Hard to beat the smiles and banter when you fill the coolers, those are the days you bust your ass for fixing and cleaning and preparing your boat for. Don't be confused by the dark side of this post but be prepared for it. I loved working on the water but at the same time I worked hard on and off the water to be prepared, to be legal.
__________________
THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE
ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.
gcracker89 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 05:07 AM   #5
sealark
Registered User
 
sealark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pensacola Fl
Posts: 512
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

I have done it all a long time ago. And now a days unless it's a full time job and you have lots of money and all the federal and states licenses it isn't worth it. Take friends out and share expenses with them.
sealark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 08:44 AM   #6
grey2112
Registered User
 
grey2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: New Port Richey FL
Posts: 1,984
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

Thanks, guys, for the informative posts. Don't know if I'd want to do this, but was wanting to get this information straight in my head as a friend asked about me helping him out with a desire to charter divers and was wondering about the spearing aspect of things. He may have an actual "sponsor" that he'd be doing this under, but obviously they would have to provide for a lot of things, and we'd have to get Dive Master training to take divers out.
grey2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2017, 08:41 PM   #7
searaydiver
Capt. Bob Roemer
 
searaydiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Trenton, Florida
Posts: 556
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

You WILL need a Reef permit to take fish using any method, spear or pole. Permits, since the moratorium, have been selling for over6000.00 dollars if you can find them. A sting operation out in the panhandle nailed several operators a few years back and the fines were in the thousands of dolars.
__________________
If you are enjoying the sunrise, then you made it through yesterday.
searaydiver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2017, 05:57 PM   #8
zackistre
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 117
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

You will need to recheck on the pricing. Recently charter reef/pelagic permit combo pricing is 25k. They use to be 4-6k. A couple years ago.
zackistre is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2017, 08:13 AM   #9
slowboat
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Key West
Posts: 302
Re: Question for charter captains regarding licensure

20,000 is the current package price for the gulf permits ,
Speculation is they could go to 40,000, if catch shares are implemented for
Gulf charter vessels
South Atlantic charter permits are still open access, though a control date is a consideration being discussed.
Insurance for my boat is 300 a month .
slowboat is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:20 AM.


The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Social Media Forum Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2002 - 2014 Spearboard.com