Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 03:21:34 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[March 28, 2024, 11:47:21 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 11:34:08 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 09:44:18 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 09:12:36 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 07:11:09 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 01:13:46 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:25:42 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:05:39 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 12:35:34 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 11:18:23 AM]

[March 26, 2024, 07:45:07 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 06:19:03 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 05:47:06 PM]

Support NCKA

Support the site by making a donation.

Topic: Stillwater Abs  (Read 2168 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Jeffo

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Dublin
  • Date Registered: Jul 2006
  • Posts: 2383
Good Morning all!  First off I would like to commend everyone on their knowledge and respect for mother nature.  Secondly, I would like to say that this is a top-notch site and I am hoping to join everyone out on the water sometime soon.  Before I get ahead of myself, let me get to my reason for this posting.  A friend and I are planning on going Ab diving on 1Aug in/around stillwater cove.  It is going to be our first time Ab diving and we are planning on renting a tandem kayak and gear.  I was wondering if Stillwater is a suitable place for noobs, and if anyone could give us some pointers before we head out and try our luck in King Neptune's kingdom.  I have been reading up on Ab diving as much as possible for a while now and I guess I am wondering about everyones past experiences with the area.  I would like to thank everyone in advance for thier knowledge.  Good luck out there everyone!!!

Jeff
Oversize Sturgeon Club
Weekday Warrior


Tote

  • One life, right? Don't blow it.
  • Global Moderator
  • View Profile
  • Location: Diamond Springs, CA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2005
  • Posts: 12979
Stillwater Cove is a great place to get comfortable with ab diving, but do not get discouraged if you do not get anything. It is pretty well picked over. There are abs to be had, but they are not the easy ones to find.
From my own personal experience I would strongly advise against renting a tandem your first time out unless you and your partner have practiced paddling one together. I found that without practice or experience your balance is easily thrown off by the other guy. Whether he is shifting in his or her seat, looking over the side, whatever, a slight shift is hard to adapt to without practice. Let's not forget exiting and entering the kayak when you dive. One guy is sitting on top while the other guy is trying to get on. This coupled with the swell would make for good Laurel and Hardy video should anyone have a camera.
I do not want to rain on your parade, but unless you go with someone who has been ab diving before, I would forget about the kayak altogether.
Ab diving is VERY cool. A BLAST! But it is not something where you just rent all the stuff, go out, get your abs and come home your first time out. There is a LOT to it.
Safety is first and foremost. Are you comfortable with your gear? Your ability? Can you handle diving or swimming in kelp? Do you know how to safely anchor or tie off to kelp? Is the anchor rope neatly stowed so you will not get tangled?
I was a decent ab diver, but before  I ever took my kayak ab diving I took it and ALL my gear to a protected lake. I practiced everything right next to shore in 4 feet of water. And when I say I practiced; I mean I REALLY practiced everything. Entering and exiting the kayak. Moving all over the deck. Securing all my gear then flipping the kayak and righting it again. It turned out to be an invaluable lesson and a LOT of self realization. You might think you will know what to do when something happens, but unless you do it, you really do not know.
Something like putting your weight belt on and taking it off seems simple enough. It is hell of weird on a kayak your first time. Where is it stowed? What do I have to do to get to it and get it on? Can I easily get back into the kayak with it on? How do I take it off and stow it without losing it over the side? You can guess how to do these things, but practicing in shallow water until you have it down will save you some serious headache and some serious cash too.
If you just take a float out, kick to a spot and dive you will have a blast. There is a lot to see underwater. Practice looking into crevices. Do not be so intent on getting an ab as enjoying the time underwater. This will lower your anxiety level which will in turn give you more bottom time. You will see an ab if you just take your time and have fun.
Your first time out, KEEP IT SIMPLE! Go diving with a float, not a kayak. Once you get comfortable with it move up to a kayak.
If you do decide to still go with a kayak, rent singles. It will be a lot easier on the both of you.
Good luck.
<=>


Jeffo

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Dublin
  • Date Registered: Jul 2006
  • Posts: 2383
Awesome, thanks for the info.  My buddy and I were already are in the mindframe of not getting anything, were mostly in it for the adventure/experience.  Tote, thanks for the quick lesson i appreciate it! 
Oversize Sturgeon Club
Weekday Warrior


squidly

  • Sand Dab
  • **
  • View Profile
  • Location: SAN JOSE.
  • Date Registered: Jul 2006
  • Posts: 97
If you still are going to stillwater cove. It is a good spot. like he said it is picked over pretty good. But if you look in cracks and creveces they are there.swim out to the nob rocks on the north side of the cove. start there and keep moving to a little deeper water and you will see the abs. another way is to float watching the   bottom for kelp that is coming up from the bottom that is where you will generly find abs. I hope this helps you out a little

                                                                                                                              squidly JIM RICKER


Jeffo

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Dublin
  • Date Registered: Jul 2006
  • Posts: 2383
Thanks Squidly, I sure do appreciate any info I can get.  As a first timer, anything I can pick up from you guys is going to be a huge help.  Thanks fellas!
Oversize Sturgeon Club
Weekday Warrior


divenfish

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: North Coast
  • Date Registered: Jan 2006
  • Posts: 779
My dos centavos: If this is your first time diving or first time kayaking try them one at the time. Once you get the hang of it try the next one, than do ‘em both.
Paddling with a ¼ ‘ wetsuit top it feels like being The Michelin man. Good thing is you don’t need to paddle far. A couple of hundred yards from then access point will put you in productive territory.  Gearing up in the kayak (belt, fins, hood mask, snorkel and gloves) it’s not a trivial task either. Secure your gear,  kayaks do flip. Loose gear means lost gear most of the times. If you plan to dive off a tandem have your buddy balance the yak while you gear of and then return the favor.
Practice getting in and out of the yak in the shallow water to get a hang of it. Wear you full gear ( fins, belt mask). Fins do help.
Dive your comfort zone. You don’t need to dive 30 ft deep, you can find abs in 5ft of water. Look under rocks and ledges. If you are off the beaten path you’ll find them on top of the rocks as well.
A float line tied to your ab iron will help to prevent loosing you iron and to mark your ab once you find it and run out of air. You just drop your iron near the ab ( not on it) and surface. Relax and when ready, follow your floatline to the iron and hopefully to the ab.
Be safe !



promethean_spark

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Sunol
  • Date Registered: Dec 2004
  • Posts: 2422
I've also had trouble diving off a tandem.  Most tandems don't have the weight capacity to carry two male divers with full gear anyway - that's half of why they're tippy with 2 guys.

Call the salt point hotline before you rent gear the day before 707-847-3222 (recorded message), and cancel if the swell is larger than 6-8ft or the visibility is worse than 6-8ft.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.