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Abalone diving
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Moderator  Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: on the verge of insanity
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I went for the first time on Saturday. I live on the North Coast of California and we have an abundance of red abalone, which happens to be the most sought after kind.
You can only free dive for them as tanks are prohibited. It was an amazing experience. Swimming through kelp beds, diving down and searching. There were quite a few, but you are only allowed to take three a day.
They are fairly easy yet sometimes a little tricky to get. You use a special pry bar that has a six inch marker on one side (six inches is the smallest you can take). When you find one you want, you slide the bar under the "foot" to break the seal, then just easily pop it off. I pulled one on my first dive, my instructor was impressed.
I did end up running into a couple of probelms though. I would hold onto kelp to keep myself steady, a couple of times as I was reaching to place the bar, the water would shift a few inches and I would tap the abalones shell, which would cause it to tighten down on the rock. They really don't like it when you say hi.
We pulled our limits and hung out in the ocean for a while checking out the kelp beds. It was great. I had a few friends over and we all eat our fill off of two. I put the spare in the freezer for now and will probably eat it in the next couple of days. If the weather permits, I'll be going out on Saturdays and Sundays until the end of the season.
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I like my water with hops, malt, hops, yeast, and hops.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: USA
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Moderator Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: on the verge of insanity
Status:
Offline
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I don't have a camera. Next time I go, I'll see if I can borrow one from someone.
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I like my water with hops, malt, hops, yeast, and hops.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Near Boulder, CO
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Belgium
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Great I learned a new word in English today: "Abalone". Thanks
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iMac 20" C2D 2.16 | Acer Aspire One | Flickr
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vacation.
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Abalone inlays in the fingerboard (the birds), in case you were wondering what they use this stuff for:
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Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: May 2005
Location: West LA
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that sounds like so much fun, ive always wanted to try free diving.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Partying down with the Ewoks, after I nuked the Death Star!
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Isn't diving in kelp forests really dangerous because of sharks?
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"Hello, what have we here?
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Moderator Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: on the verge of insanity
Status:
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The water this far north is generally too cold for sharks.
DFG recommends that divers who are spear fishing or abalone diving should try to stay in kelp-forested areas where sharks are less likely to be searching for food. Sharks tend to swim in open water areas, both shallow and deep, according to the DFG.
This is from an article two years ago when I man was killed by a shark. Full article here.
MENDOCINO COUNTY
Aug. 16, 2004
Kibesillah Rock, north of Fort Bragg; abalone diver; killed
Aug. 12, 1993
Westport-Union Landing State Park; abalone diver; bitten on back, shoulder and head
Aug. 9, 1975
2 miles north of Usal; diver; severe lacerations to arm
This is the number of documented attacks in the last 30 years. Acquired from this source.
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I like my water with hops, malt, hops, yeast, and hops.
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