Over 40 Years of Accomplishments
and Services

About Us

Long Island Divers Association (LIDA)

LIDA is a not-for-profit regional organization dedicated to the promotion of local diving, the representation of divers interests throughout the diving and general community, and the protection of divers rights through outreach to our local and regional government officials. We are funded by member dues, donations and the proceeds from our annual Film Festival fundraiser. LIDA is staffed completely by volunteer members.

The LIDA Constitution and Bylaws (pdf) are available for review.

Our Mission

  • To advance the education, understanding, and enjoyment of SCUBA and skin diving, and related activities, with an emphasis and concentration on the Long Island and the New York metropolitan area.

  • To advocate for access to the aquatic environment for SCUBA and skin divers

  • To provide information to the public regarding legislation and regulations favorable to the responsible implementation, protection and expansion of SCUBA and skin diving related activities.

  • To promote public awareness of Long Island and New York metropolitan area SCUBA and skin diving opportunities.

  • To safeguard the rights of Long Island and New York metropolitan area SCUBA and skin divers.

  • To serve the wants and needs of Long Island and New York metropolitan area SCUBA and skin divers.

Thank you for your support!
All memberships are on a calendar-year basis.

Over 40 Years of Accomplishments and Services

  • Special LIDA Announcement: Another Mission Accomplished:
    For the past several months, Governor Cuomo and his staff have been working alongside Long Island Divers Association (LIDA) to procure a significant amount of materials for a 12-mile offshore artificial reef. As of yesterday, at 12:05 pm Eastern Standard Time, after many years of planning, a 100-foot tugboat named the Dauntless was submerged to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in 125 feet of water off Shinnecock, Long Island, creating the first landmark in the 12-mile structure. It was followed by the 102-foot tugboat Relentless several hours later.

  • Special Newsday Article: Long Island scuba community looking for others to dive in
    By Bill Bleyer, Updated August 15, 2019 7:00 PM
    Nine-year-old Cub Scout Daniel Rucano of East Hampton was excited to try out scuba gear for the first time this summer with other members of Pack 426 at Hampton Dive Center in Riverhead as part of the shop's outreach to young people. "It was very exciting to try something new," Daniel said of his experience in the 20-by-40 pool. "It was amazing that you could breathe underwater like a fish. I can’t wait to try it again."

  • Working with the NY State Governor to help establish new artificial reefs around Long Island.

  • Successfully working with the diving community and Southampton Town to save the Old Ponquogue Bridge. On September 29, 2019, almost two years after the start of the renovation project, the bridge was officially re-opened to SCUBA diving with a unique ceremony. Under a clear blue sky and with a freshening easterly breeze, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman joined a group of LIDA members on a dive beneath the bridge to conduct a formal ribbon cutting ceremony.

  • Worked with the Town of East Hampton to get a new stairway constructed at Culloden Point in order to allow divers easy access to dive on the wreck of the HMS Culloden.

  • LIDA, with a major assist from the Hampton Dive Center was instrumental in getting special diving and snorkel access to Secret Beach in Greenport.

  • Working with NY State, Suffolk County, Town of Southold and Village of Greenport officials to preserve diver access to Clark's Beach, otherwise known as Secret Beach, which is in danger of being lost due to sale of the property by the town for private development.

  • Working with NY State and New York City officials to preserve diver access to Beach 8th/9th Street, which is in danger of being lost due to private development of the property leading to the beach.

  • Successfully working with NY State, Suffolk County, and Town of Babylon officials while developing the Site Master Plan for the former OBI property to include a scuba training park and diving area.

  • Instrumental in opening up six dive sites and one snorkeling site in Suffolk County Parks, four dive sites in New York State Parks, Long Island Region, and in 1999, five dive sites in Nassau County.

  • Played a major role in encouraging the purchase of property at Culloden Point in Montauk, NY, preserving it for divers and other public use. Culloden Point is the site of an historic shipwreck dating back to the Revolutionary War.

  • Promoted the exhibition of artifacts collected and preserved by scuba divers from off shore wrecks and displayed them in the Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy , The Fire Island Lighthouse and the Long Island Maritime Museum.

  • Member clubs have participated in beach clean ups, not only on annual International Beach Clean Up Day, but countless others throughout the years.

  • Offered free introduction to snorkeling and scuba diving for campers at Suffolk County Cedar Point Park.

  • Produced a yearly educational film festival which attracts over 600 attendees, both divers and non-divers. This program includes slide and video presentations on topics related to environmental protection, maritime history, pollution awareness and the sport of scuba diving.

  • Prepared exhibit booths and distributed material concerning park use, environmental conservation and water related activities at various town, county and state functions such as Beneath The Sea, Discover The Undersea Realm, several Suffolk County Parks Opening Days and the Town of Islip Very Special Arts Festival.

  • Participated in fundraisers and promoted the installation of two hyperbaric chambers at Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson.

  • Provided liaison and/or sponsorship to the American Littoral Society, Citizen's Advisory Committee, L.I.. Sound Study, Suffolk County Leisure Services Advisory Council, Divers Alert Network, Underwater Society of America, and Ocean Pals.

  • Intervened on behalf of divers' interests on legislation created by the National Marine Fisheries Council and the NY State DEC concerning the taking of lobsters by hand.

  • Represented divers' interests in the creation of legislation concerning artificial reefs and actively support the Long Island Artificial Reef Program. Most recently worked with the NYSDEC, Moriches Offshore Reef Fund and Cornell Cooperative Extension's Marine Program in the sinking of two fishing trawlers.

  • Met with officials from the U.S. NAVY to represent divers' interests in preserving access to off shore wrecks.

  • Worked with New York State and Southampton Town officials toward developing a solution which preserved the dive site at Ponquogue Bridge, L.I., from being destroyed by a boat ramp and designated the area as a Marine Park.

  • Sponsored seminars on dive related subjects to help promote, increase and maintain divers' enthusiasm throughout off season months.

  • Maintain and distribute a resource guide for Long Island and Metropolitan area Dive Clubs, Dive Shops and Dive Charter Boats.