When it comes to how each of us will make an impact on this world, some are destined to do so through a career in medicine, while others are better suited to fixing the many things that get broken along the way, from kitchen sinks to automobile engines.
Enter the Van Hooks
For the Van Hook family, diving has been their way of contributing for generations. It’s what’s gotten them out of bed in the morning and how they’ve made an impact in their community for as long as they can remember.
It was Ray and Shirley who first dipped their feet in diving’s proverbial waters. In 1967, Ray, was serving in the Air Force in Guam. It was there where he and his wife Shirley began diving – a decision that would become a lifelong pursuit, following them back to the States in the early ’70s when Ray got transferred to Homestead Air Force base in south Florida.
Shortly after relocating to the Sunshine State, Ray and Shirley founded the Cutler Ridge Diving Center, where the couple taught diving, ran scuba charters and also took locals and tourists out lobstering and spearfishing.
While Ray and Shirley eventually retired and sold the dive shop, they’ve kept a love of the water going in their family, handing down their penchant for diving to their son, Ray Jr., his wife Michelle and their children, Derek and Justin.
The Family that Lobsters Together, Stays Together!
To this day, diving plays a central role in their lives, and their involvement in Lobster Mini Season exemplifies this ongoing passion for the sport.
For those who aren’t familiar with this annual event, Lobster Mini Season is equal parts tradition and tourism. Occurring at the end of July in the Florida Keys, just before the commercial traps hit the water, Lobster Mini Season sees thousands of sea-loving tourists brave the briny blue for some spiny reds.
While the event is limited to two days, it has a tremendous impact on tourism, the community and conservation, generating millions in revenue, instilling a sense of pride for residents and bringing awareness to the fragility of reef ecosystems.
Joining all those tourists, of course, is the Van Hook family. For them, Lobster Mini Season is more than just a south Florida tradition, it’s also a Van Hook tradition. One that affords them the opportunity to enjoy two of their favorite things – family and the water. And if history is an accurate barometer of things to come, there will be more generations of Van Hooks waiting to take the plunge into the big blue and bring more of these prized ten-legged crustaceans to the surface.