Salt Point Horseshoe Cove

Bloodbath here! Hey Abman, good job on keeping this post going strong. This will be my last weekend diving for abs this season. I hope the conditions are like the ones in your pictures.

I'm interested in diving with a kayaker group at Horseshoe Cove the 15th.  I've dove that cove a few times but only in rough weather.  Between H.S. cove and Fiske Mill point is where I've gotten a few nice pearls to adorn the wife.  Where would you launch from?  I've mostly used a boogie board there.  Anyway I'm going to try and be there w/kayak and 10" gauge.  Some friends report getting some nice Reds there.  Dave Batt

I would dive the north end of horseshoe and kick up off of richardsons out to about 20 to 30. .......If its real flat just before you get to horseshoe there is a wooden gate where you can park and walk down to the left or the right. The road to the right takes you to horseshoe point and the left takes you down to a spot a1/2 mile north of the north point of Fisk Mill. We got a ten there last year..........

I think we are leaning toward a shore dive.  Right?  We want to hit this MPA before it closes forever and it's a long paddle to the nearest launch.

I know if there is a 10" to be found, Batt will find it. 

Well don't have a Kayak but after talking with Mooch over the weekend I see one in my future. I would really love to try Ab diving on the 15th so if folks do a shore dive and wouldn't mind me tagging along I would really appreciate it. Got my boogie board all outfitted sunday and my fish license and ab card!  Have my virgin Riffe Euro 75 but would be content to just put an Ab or two in my bag!

thanks,

Sean Browne
La Honda, Ca

By all means yes! I will diving from the shore. Even if you launched from say Stump Beach its still about a 4-5 mile paddle. Hiking down the cliff is the way to go. Even if its rough I know a little cove that I dove before when there was a 8ft swell15knot winds and rain

Ravensblack, thanks so much for the reply! Really just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be sitting on shore watching a fleet of departing kayaks. I've never gone Ab diving but have a lot of cold water diving experience, some in thick kelp. Was a PADI DM for a while. I think I would be a good Ab diving partner for someone after my initial experience!

-Sean Browne
La Honda, Ca

A shore dive sounds the best.  I wasn't sure how big a group it would take to get ABMAN's ocean liner to the beach.  Ravensblack's offer to show the secret rough water cove is very generous.  I'm looking forward to it.   Looks like a swell coming in tonight.   

It does look like it might be building starting Sunday and getting huge by mid week. But one never knows and although the swell forcast model has been pretty accurate we will just have to wait and see. I think that we all know that one days difference can be a lot. I am going up anyway no matter what. Well, if it its raining cats and dogs maybe not. Its hard for me still to believe that this might be off limits forever starting next year. This place has so many memories and emotions around it that it feels like an old friend  possibly movimg away. When and if horseshoe goes I will cry like a baby.

Hey Guys,
I'd like to go too, weather permitting. Where is everyone meeting and when? I might not camp, but diving with everyone sounds fun. Oh, and I have my underwater camera to get some good shots of the snail-paved bottom to show the F&G how healthy that place is. So be on your best behavior for the camera

This weekend 11/15-16 is looking good wind wise. Swell will be decreasing from it's peak on thursday 11/13
night. My preliminary plan is to go up and camp friday night at Stillwater if there is room and Ocean Cove if not. Also going to camp on saturday night. Fish saturday am and either dive late saturday or early sunday am. If you see a red Cobra navigator kayak with ncka stickers, thats me. Anybody else for sure going? Weather report looks decent.

My Mom has an emergency this weekend and guess who gets to help? Thats right, Craig does. You win! Drat I have been so excited and looking forward to this but when your Mom calls I guess you gotta go. I will try again next weekend but I really wanted to meet all of you I haven't met yet. Jim, go get em'.  I hope that your ear is feeling better dont take chances with those ears and remember to equalize. If anyone need any info about spots pm me. I will be glad to share any way I can.

Sorry you can't make it Craig. I would still really like to meet up with someone Saturday to do some ab diving. I can't get up their until Saturday morning. Anyone still going and planning a shore dive? I would really like to tag along with someone if possible. Later Saturday might work well for me, is the tide better later? Or do you just dive all day regardless of tide?

thanks!

Sean Browne
La Honda, Ca
650/747-1514 day
650/799-7260 cel

Had a fantastic time for my first abalone dive Saturday with folks from NCKA!

Some pics on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mseanbrowne/sets/72157609184404438/

Left work mid day friday and headed up to Stillwater and camped out by Ab Man. We met up the next morning at the Ocean Cove store and drove up to 'Horseshoe'? to see how it looked. Passed a couple surfers on the way. The swell looked considerable to me there and the consensus was mixed however I have to say I was greatly relieved when it was decided we'd dive Fort Ross since it was my first time out there.

Back to Fort Ross, we went down the trail to the south part of the cove and had it to ourselves apart from some seals. It was pretty calm there but vis wasn't that great. I initially swam out with Ab man however it was a little too deep for me and didn't have much left in me after finding a couple abs, not enough to grab one. In a little shallower water I followed kelp stalks down to purple coral covered rocks with white anenome and orange stars, and hey my first abalone. Ok that one just slides through my gauge so he goes back.

I soon had a couple legal Abs in my bag and eventually found my third. I definitely saw some bigger ones out there, two in tandem in a crevice looked huge to me but could not for the life of me get one out of there even the couple times I found them again. I saw exactly one rockfish I thought was a calico but apparently it's properly a 'Black-and-Yellow" he was pretty small. At one point I very excitedly pried a 10 inch rock out of a dark crevice.

After the dive I checked out the Fort as I hadn't been there before and then joined Joe (Bloodbath), Michael and Lorenzo at Reef Campground. They had the fire going and Michael was nice enough to walk me through the shucking procedure. Joe came by to see how we were doing and explained to feel through the gut sack for pearls, as I'm doing it he says there's one right there! Sure enough there is a little dot just beneath the skin of the gut sack. I cut out the little green pearl, about the size of #9 shot.  Very cool Thank You Joe! I made the mistake of showing my wife the pic of Ravensblack's pearl so there are high expectations back home, this is a good start though for my collection.

We then proceeded to cut them up for frying while Joe and Lorenzo put the finishing touches on Ceviche with some of the infamous Lincod double effort. Lorenzo showed me just how much to pound the ab steaks to get a nice soft texture. The fried abalone and Ceviche were simply amazing. Lorenzo's seasoned breadcrumb batter along with the thai chili sauce, mmmm   I have to say, these guys know how to live!

I want to thank everyone that went on the dive Saturday, especially Ab Man, Jim, and Joe, Michael, and Lorenzo for letting me join their cookout. I had such a great time and really appreciate everyone's willingness to let me tag along and teach me. Everyone I have met here have been just awesome. Thanks for a fantastic day diving Saturday! And thanks Mooch for pointing this forum out to me when I stumbled into Aquan, I will definitely buy a kayak from you... eventually.

Now I need to find enough vis to see the end of my speargun and shoot something.

-Sean Browne
La Honda, Ca

Thanks go out to the ABMAN for the hospitality.  Dinner was ready for me when I got to Stillwater Friday nite and a nice easy access dive spot at Fort Ross on Saturday.  Too bad the swell was up at Horseshoe cove, alias "Secrets", alias "Beginners Cove".  I missed the potluck but got in some good mountain biking Sat. PM.    Sunday I came back with a friend and made it to Horseshoe Cove for some 20' to 30' foot vis.  I swam all the way out to the south point for some average AB's.  Shot a couple of fish in the middle of the cove.  Spotted a couple of goats graising the cliffs.