underwater viewing camera for abs?

OK this is totally random....
But I'm wondering if it w/b legal to utilize one of those underwater viewing cameras to locate abs while sitting on your boat/yak. Google underwater viewing camera to see what type of unit I'm talking about. Like this one: http://www.cabelas.com/underwater-cameras-cabelas-advanced-anglers-underwater-camera-150-5-5-monitor.shtml?type=product&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleBaseUSA&WT.z_mc_id1=735115&rid=40&mr:trackingCode=7DEACECA-958E-DF11-A0C8-002219318F67&mr:referralID=NA
Of course, this is all theoretical. And you'd need a combination of factors to work like water vis etc.
But it seems like you could simply paddle to a promising reef and deploy it from the yak to get an idea of where they m/b located. This would potentially save you from repeated dives to your max depth just to search. Instead you wouldn't have to spend as much time searching, and just dive straight to the ledge/crack/rock that looks like it holds abs.
Anyways, just thinking/typing out loud. Has anybody ever tried this or heard of someone who tried it? Thanks!

The search is 90% of the fun.

I've often wondered how the image on one of those things REALLY appears.
I think a regular FF showing bottom structure would be enough. The decent abs are usually well hidden anyways. Not always but usually.
On the other hand it would be cool to see giant boulders and the amount of kelp on the very bottom from the kayak.
I have zero experience with one of these but I am rather certain you will not be getting Cousteau quality images. 

I have one of those (have not used it to look for abs, but just generally see the bottom of the water).  It is virtually impossible to control the direction of the camera.  And visibility is an issue -- even though this unit has LED lights, the effective range is about 2'.  Plus, it's just bulky to carry and use on ocean water.  I stopped using it.

Pat,
While the underwater viewing camera would work, abalone are so prevalent along our coasts that any dive you make over a reef almost guarantees that you will see many many abalone. The difficult part is determining amongst the piles of 8"s which one is the 9", or amongst the pile of 9"s, which is the 10" ab.

Even when I'm looking at an ab from a foot away sizing it up with my hand with fingers spread doing the "shaka" sign, the hardest part is determining the true size of the abalone. So while the camera would work, unless it also had a robotic arm from which it gripped an ab gauge you could control from the surface, the camera wouldn't really show you information you don't already know.