Abalone....

Okay guys and ladies I could use a little help here. Probably 98% of all my abs ever come from up around Ft. Bragg. Once a year some of my family tries to get together up there for a week or two. Well being in Brentwood (east bay) that is a hell of a long drive for a day of ab diving. So I am wondering if anyone has some closer spots. Of course I am not looking for GPS numbers or your secret hole just some of the other areas available to launch a kayak out of to ab dive.

Closer to us I have dove out of Ft. Ross but that is usually dirty and picked over pretty good. Also I heard you can't drive down to the water anymore and until my tax returns come back I am on hold for the rollez. So I am looking for fairly easy kayak access to some decent ab holding waters.

One other thing, anyone dive with ankle weights? I think I like the idea of getting some of the weight off the belt, also I think it would help drive you down better with less effort. Comments?

Thanks,

Jeff

The is a heck of a lot of shoreline south of Ft. Bragg that carries abs. You can start at Jenner and work your way all the way up to Ft. Bragg. Salt Point is a popular spot. Stewarts Point, Gualala, around Sea Ranch. That whole area has abs.

What does picked over mean to you?  a.) sparse abs that are difficult to find or b.) sparse 9-10" abs that are difficult to find.   There are some locations in Sonoma county that offer decent pickings of abs in the 8" range but finding one over 9" is a bit rare. 

Here's my theory as to what's going on in Sonoma County.   There seems to be three types of ab divers in the county. First of all there are the "sport ab divers" who only go for the big abs and go out to remote inaccessable spots, hike down a 800 ft cliff and find 9-10" abs.  Then there are the recreational divers who go to places like Fort Ross and really pick it over leaving only a few legal abs to be found.  I really struggle at Fort Ross.  Finally, there are the shore pickers who gather en masse to areas like Pidotti Reef just south of Fort Ross.   Most of the time the shore pickers gather in such high numbers on every low tide that they scare away most of the recreational ab divers (the sport ab divers would never be seem in such places).  And those rec guys that do go there always go to the same area becuase it looks "abby".  I started out there basically as a shore picker with a mask and did okay)  Once I started diving the area however, I found that there are spots at these places where all the shore pickers can't reach (i.e. in 10-15 ft of water) and the rec guys don't bother with that are still pretty decent and that I can easily get limits of 8" abs and I don't even need a kayak to get to them. 

Apart from that.. Ocean Cove is a private campground, but you can pay a fee and drive your kayak right to the water.  In fact many even launch a zodiac out of there.  The Randy Fry tournament was held there in October and I saw some decent Abs pulled out of there by some of the better sportos in the area.

Every other place I've gone for abs doesn't really have good kayak access.  In fact they don't really have decent people access.

Oh and to elaborate on BigDog's post.   You can actually find abs further south then Jenner off Tomales Point and Bodega Head but those are very sharky areas.

Brian



 

Brian,

Well years ago we quit going to Ft. Ross proper because it got to be we would not even see abs when spearfishing or just sightseeing on scuba gear. Eventually we started parking up Highway 1 about 1mile and walking in and climbing down the cliffs into the bay north of Ft. Ross. I think it is one bay north but maybe two, real exposed to the ocean. So by picked over I guess I mean a lack thereof in general. The first couple of abs a season we will keep pretty much anything legal just to have a fresh ab dinner but after that I at least do like to hunt a bit for better size once we've had a good meal.

It is kind of sad but I am sure I know the coast from Mendocino to Westport way better than from Jenner to Salt Point. And yes I was looking for something with some ease to get the kayaks out. I was afraid there was a lack of access on this stretch of coast but I figured it didn't hurt to ask. I was hoping for a spot divers could walk into pretty easy, then the kayaks should get us past what most people will swim for. There is one place I've had my eye on. The reef campground anyone been there? I think that might be an option if you can get in for day use. Otherwise I think it is either Ocean Cove or Salt Point at least via the kayak.

Thanks,

Jeff

Pidotti Reef is the large reef that extends out into the water just south of Reef Campground.  So yes, I've taken plenty of abs there.  However, I usually walk down the cliff just south of the actual campground so I don't whether you could launch a kayak from there. I'll probably check that out once the season opens as I wouldn't mind diving form my kayak a bit more this year.

Brian

I have been meaning to ask this question for a while and just keep forgetting to, how do you manage to get in and out of the yak wearing weights? I have a couple primo spots where I go ab'ing and they are on private property. So, I just walk in. Maybe it is just because I am a lard a$$ and need a ton of weight to get down. But, I can't see myself crawling back onto the yak with all of that weight.

I take my weights off first, place them in the kayak and then I enter the kayak.  I also don't wear that much weight (maybe 10 lbs).

Ha, well you are surely carrying less of a spare tire than I am.

That and I actually like to dive in a 5 mm surfing suit which is less bouyant.

freediverca,

If you'd like to find a couple of good spots in Fort Bragg, go down to your local police department (Brentwood PD) and ask for Sgt Silva. He's an old Fort Bragg local and an avid diver (and a great guy). I'll +1 for Ocean Cove. I went there once, but not for abs, just rock fish.

Give us a heads up before you venture up this way and maybe you'll have some company (if you want some).

CHEERS!

A rubber weight belt is much better than a nylon one for staying on when you get in and out of the kayak.  I can cinch mine up tight in the yak and not have to adjust it again until I'm done diving.  It's around 25lbs when I'm wearing a full 7mm suit.  12lbs with my 5mm suit.  I also wear 1lb ankle weights to keep my feet down and distribute the weight a bit.

As far as finding abs at fort ross goes, where the heck are you diving?  Everywhere around there except for the very inside of the cove is practically paved with legal abs.  All you have to do is kayak past the point where people will swim from the shore and you're in ab central.  I had a much harder time of it at Mackerricker and Van Damme than at Fort Ross or Stillwater.

If you're still having trouble, get real freediving fins.  They make diving to 20-30ft pretty easy and give you much more bottom-time in shallow. 

Promethean_spark,

Well honestly I haven't dove in or around Ft. Ross for a couple of years, definitely not since I got the kayak. So I guess I was one of those swimming out as far I thought reasonable and never finding many legal ab in there. In the end when we quit going to Ft. Ross we would park up highway 1 and hike in and climb down the cliffs north of Ft. Ross. But last time we were there the entire cliff face we used had fallen apart. Can you still drive down to the water at Ft. Ross proper? Used to be able to drive down and unload then drive up and park and walk back down, do the reverse to leave but I heard you can't drive down anymore. Anyone know for sure? Until I've got the WAF approval for a pair of rollez or something similarly suitable to long hauls on rough ground I'm stuck packing the kayak to the waters edge.

Mahi Mahi,

Thanks for the invite, as summer gets closer I might take you up on that. I am not officially going to sign up for Elk but I might be up there around then and if I am I still might try to make it and meet everyone and of course do a little fishing. Too many maybes for me so I wouldn't want to take a spot from someone and then not be able to make it. I am hoping to actually get some summer fun time this year. Sarah (my fiance) is a third grade teacher and this year she finishes her masters and then no more school.

YES!

We do just about everything together so the last few years when she has had classes during the summer most of our free time has gone away and we end up trying to do some of the things we want to do in the few days we suddenly find available to us. But with five weeks vacation time of my own and her with summers off I am just dying for a real free summer. I think it's been 6-7 years since we were able to plan for much of anything more than one week in advance.

Jeff

You can't drive all the way to the water, but if you tag along with someone who has a cart, which is most of us, that won't be an issue.  There are few places up there where you can park really close to the beach.

I made my cart with a couple wheelbarrow tires, a 5/8 threaded rod and some 2x4 for about $50.  It won't go in a hatch but it can carry a lot of weight over bigger obstacles than other carts.