President’s Message

Bob Kelley

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  – Mark Twain

DiveBar is a unique legal organization that brings together a diverse group of people who are enchanted by the endless wonders of the ocean and are passionate about protecting it.  As a DiveBar member you will have the opportunity to embark on truly awe-inspiring adventures.  In the past, members have tagged sharks in Florida Bay, witnessed whale sharks in Mexico and Belize, swam with stingrays in the Florida Keys, encountered Goliath Groupers in Jupiter, and chased lemon sharks in Key West.

Since its formation in 2011, DiveBar has also been a philanthropic dynamo.  In perhaps its signature humanitarian achievement, DiveBar planted over 1,000 pieces of new coral in conjunction with the Nova Southeastern Oceanographic Center’s National Coral Reef Institute to form “DiveBar Reef” off the coast of Fort Lauderdale.  Additionally, DiveBar has donated more than $25,000 to charities, including the DiveHeart Foundation, University of Miami RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program, Loggerhead Marine Life Center, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) and the ROOT Project: Restoring Our Oceans Together. 

While DiveBar is proud of its accomplishments, there is still work to do and places to explore. Climate change, diminishing natural resources, and pollution remain formidable enemies.  There is no way to salvage the ocean or set sail on journeys without our members.  Your support makes it all possible – the dives, the protecting the environment, and the giving back to the community. 

You only get one shot at life.  Get out of the office and get into the ocean!