Dive N’ Surf monster Lobster Mobster contest lives up to its name

Jacob Street, of Wilmington, won the 2016 Dive N's Surf Lobster Mobster contest with this 15.17 monster. photo by Marcello Malinconico — Jacob Street, of Wilmington, won the 2016 Dive N’s Surf Lobster Mobster contest with this 15.17 monster. photo by Marcello Malinconico/Dive N’ Surf

Two records were set in the 40th Annual Lobster Mobster contest, which marks the opening of lobster season and is sponsored each year by Dive N’ Surf in Redondo Beach. Approximately 200 divers participated in the contest. It began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and ended at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Jacob Street, who won the contest last year with an 11 pounder, paid tribute to the contest’s name by bringing in a mobster monster, 15.17 pound lobster this year. Contest organizers believe it is the largest entry since the contest was founded in 1976.

“Have you been growing that in your swimming pool?” Dive N’ Surf’s Marcello Malinconico asked Street when the diver pulled the bug from his cooler.

Jagger and Jacob Street admire dad Jacob's 15.17 pound lobster, winner of the Dive N' Surf Lobster Mobster Contest. Photo couresy of the Street family — Jagger and Jacob Street admire dad Jacob’s 15.17 pound lobster, winner of the Dive N’ Surf Lobster Mobster Contest. Photo courtesy of the Street family

The 38-year-old Wilmington longshoreman said he caught the lobster, which is as long as his three-year-old son Jacob is tall, free diving in about 15 feet of water, off “one of the islands.”

“It was in the open, on sand, away from the rocks. So it was easy to grab,” Street said. “I grabbed it behind the horns and clutched it to my chest. When you do that, they grab on to you. So it was easy getting it to the surface, but I had a little trouble fitting it in my bag.”

“I only target big lobsters for the contest,” Street added. A Filipino friend will prepare the lobster for a big family dinner, he added.

Over the last few years Dive N’ Surf has provided researchers from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation the lobsters’ measurements and numbers to help the foundation better monitor the lobster population.

Steve Delamar placed second with this 9.03 pounder. Photo by Marcello Malinconico/Dive N' Surf — Steve Delamar placed second with this 9.03 pounder. Photo by Marcello Malinconico/Dive N’ Surf

Steve Delamar placed second with a 9.03 pounder he grabbed outside Long Beach Harbor. Randy Weston was third with an 8.97 pound lobster.

Dr. James Cassidy, 64, and grand son Aden, 5. Cassidy has participated in all 40 Lobster Mobster contests. Photo by Marcello Malinconico/Dive N’ Surf

Dr. James Cassidy, 64, of Torrance, extended his record setting number of Lobster Mobster dives to a perfect 40 Saturday morning. He has a Lobster Mobster T-shirt from each year to prove it. The psychologist and dive partner Chris DeSantis dove the artificial reefs between Marina Del Rey and Palos Verdes and brought in seven lobsters each, the legal limit.