diving reserves

Has anyone on here dove any of the reserves like Point Arena? I think it would be nice to dive the reserves and see how big the abs are and look for big resident lings.

The reserves are only about a year old, so you're not going to see much difference yet.  I bet the ones off the light house reserve are big..........just because the area is so remote, nothing to do with reserves.

The reserve here near Caspar (Cabrillo Point Reserve) is nearly 30 years old and has turned into urchin barrens - which is what happens on these reefs without urchin management or sea otters.  Urchins out-compete everything.  I'm afraid that's the future of the reserves off Point Arena - and other places.

During the MLPA thing, an urchin diver took us out to dive the Cabrillo Point Reserve by hooka diving (hoses and compressed air).  We were in 35 FOW and I could not find a single abalone.  There were urchins as far as the eye could see.

Hey DaveW I have heard the same thing from a couple of the urchin diver I know as well.

Arena Rock was awesome before the reserve...It will still be awesome today.  Sad we can only look at the massive scallops now.