Woke up this morning to see this, RIP

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4387213-181/pleasanton-abalone-diver-dies-off

Wow thats sad. 7th person to die this year?! Thats a pretty knarly statistic!

Wow thats sad. 7th person to die this year?! Thats a pretty knarly statistic!

In deed!

Very sad news, condolences to his families and friends. Rest In Peace fellow diver.

We don't know what happened but he had years of experience? Sounds like diving is a dangerous activity. I always wanted to get into diving but I think the risk outweighs the reward for me.

RIP

Very sad.

RIP fellow diver.

Sincerely,

Jim

Sad news in deed! RIP fellow diver!

Yes diving is dangerous indeed, not for everyone. A lot can go wrong while in the ocean for any activity and the best we can do is minimize risks, by identifying and learning about them and how do deal with them on and off the water, and training as much as we can. To me, every outing is an opportunity to train and enjoy the rewards from the harvest.

In this particular case, the guy was supposedly "experienced" and conditions on that Friday and Sat were were actually better (I would say much better) than usual for that part of the coast. I dove at Albion Friday evening and most of the day on Saturday so conditions there could not have been that much worse if at all. For someone who knows what he/she is doing, it was THE weekend to be diving! Which was probably the reason why he took his new diving buddy with him?

Without being intrusive and or disrespectful, I wonder how his could have happened and what could have been done to minimize and or even avoid it? What say you spearos?

James

I think if you have a medical emergency (heart attack, stroke etc) while diving your chances of dying are pretty high...

Other possibilities are coming up from underneath an overhang without looking above and hitting your head...I did that earlier this year and saw stars and sliced my head open pretty good...a little harder and I think I could have easily been knocked unconscious. Pic attached.

Diving with a buddy is always a good idea, but even then if you are not constantly watching each other stuff can happen and most likely the buddy will just be able to speed up recovery efforts...

Sad no matter how it happened....

Sincerely,

Jim

I think if you have a medical emergency (heart attack, stroke etc) while diving your chances of dying are pretty high...

Other possibilities are coming up from underneath an overhang without looking above and hitting your head...I did that earlier this year and saw stars and sliced my head open pretty good...a little harder and I think I could have easily been knocked unconscious. Pic attached.

Diving with a buddy is always a good idea, but even then if you are not constantly watching each other stuff can happen and most likely the buddy will just be able to speed up recovery efforts...

Sad no matter how it happened....

Sincerely,

Jim

RIP fellow diver.

Definitely think you should at least get a physical before you start diving. Diving is extremely fun and pleasurable but you can put your body through a lot of additional stress that you wouldn't normally put yourself through doing other activities.

Get your heart checked for you and your loved ones!

I heard that since 2005, there have been 30+ deaths while recreational diving in Sonoma & Mendo counties. But I heard abalone tastes like labia majora. 

RIP indeed.
it is always so sad to see this story repeated throughout a season.

after we hit 40 some baseline medical checkups are a really good idea, and a no-brainer if you are fortunate enough to have insurance to cover it.  Activities that seemed like " no big deal" when we were 20 are pushing into "extreme" territory as we approach 50. Can't fight time (as much as we will all try).




they say laughter is good medicine so to lighten this up a bit I have to say that when I read this:

Definitely think you should at least get a physical before you start diving. It's extremely fun and pleasurable

...it took me a second to realize you were talking about diving and not the physical exam.

RIP indeed.
it is always so sad to see this story repeated throughout a season.

after we hit 40 some baseline medical checkups are a really good idea, and a no-brainer if you are fortunate enough to have insurance to cover it.  Activities that seemed like " no big deal" when we were 20 are pushing into "extreme" territory as we approach 50. Can't fight time (as much as we will all try).




they say laughter is good medicine so to lighten this up a bit I have to say that when I read this:

Definitely think you should at least get a physical before you start diving. It's extremely fun and pleasurable

...it took me a second to realize you were talking about diving and not the physical exam.

I wrote up something about my recent appt making for a doctor's visit, but thought it inappropriate for this thread.

Hope it was painless and peaceful for him, and his family finds comfort soon.

Nate

YES to physical check! And some level of exercise.

Jim, that must have been a pretty hard impact to sustain a cut through your hood (at least 3mm I assume)? Glad it wasn't worse!!!

I've been going out solo because going with someone isn't an option most of the time. I guess I'm breaking the number one golden rule, so I try to make it up by being extra cautious before and during the trip. A tragic event like this gives me a pause and makes me reevaluate the experience.

One thing I think does play a major role in how well a day's dive will turn out and that I can definitely relate to is shore diving with a float tube vs with a kayak. I think it's worth sharing my personal opinion based on my own experience.

I used to shore dive with a float tube. Getting to *** DECENT and PRODUCTIVE *** dive spots involved hiking through rugged trails, rocky paths, and sometimes steep climbs up and down cliffs, then entering/exiting via breakers around slippery rocks, then swimming out. All of these definitely cause high physical and mental stress even before the dive begins. Coming back in was always a bitch and in some cases outright dangerous. In the end, the actual dive session was always a small fraction of the day. More time was spent getting to and from spots, being exposed to higher risks of getting into an accident. I always felt that shore diving imposes higher risks. Although I started in this sport shore diving, I never really enjoyed it and I'd prefer to avoid it if I can yak dive instead.

Whereas with a kayak, we almost always launch/land from reasonably safer and convenient entry/exit points. Getting to spots isn't as demanding. It provides a much better and more focused dive experience once at the spots without being spent getting there! Coming back in is a more pleasant and safer experience too, since once one's out of the water and on the yak, it's no different from yak fishing/paddling/getting back.

So considering everything being equal (experience level, physical and mental fitness, similar ocean/wind conditions, etc...) I believe yak diving minimizes risks and provides a much more enjoyable dive experience.

James

Yeah I cut my head like that through a 7mm hood. Good thing I have a hard head I guess...

I agree 100% about yak diving being less stressful and "safer" for several reasons:

1. You can take a break on your kayak and rest and eat/hydrate whenever you want.
2. You can and should bring a VHF to call for assistance for you or your buddy if something happens.
3. Paddling may take longer than jumping off the rocks, but your chances of getting hurt getting in/out on a shore dive (and the hike in/out) are much greater than jumping on and off your kayak.
4. Hiking out with a load of abalone and/or fish sucks. Paddling back with the same is no big deal.

Anyway, no clue what happened to this diver but it is always sad and tragic no matter the cause...

Sincerely,

Jim