4/14 North Coast

[mweitz]

A few of us are heading up to the North Coast tomorrow for some ab diving followed by a single tank dive.

Basic plan is to arrive around 9:30 - 10:30, do some freediving (probably at S. Gerstle) then move over to Stillwater for a SCUBA dive for fun. I'll have a dolly to move tanks to the water for the lazy .

If you want to join us, come on out. Check for a white Pathfinder at Stillwater and if it isn't there, head on North to Salt Point State Park. As you are going down towards Gerstle Cove, take a L and follow the little road all the way to the end, which is S. Gerstle.

Mark

 

[abman]

happy hunting, i'm jealous! have a fun time, dive safe! ken

 

[renpirate]

Have fun Mark! I hope you have better luck than we had on Sunday.

 

[Ben_ca]

Thanks to Mark for taking me out on my first Ab Dive.

I got there late so Mark had already been in for a while and was taking a break. What a trooper he jumps right back in with me and coaches me thru it.

Mark: "How's your weight? are you neutral at 15?"

Ben: "Let me check-dives down, back up- yeah"

Mark: "Dives down- Dude that's only 8 feet!"

Anyway great time... breathtaking views on the drive over and back. I hit the dive shop in Bodega Bay on the way back and almost scouted out Doran jetty for a future dive spot but didn't feel like paying 5 bucks just for a look-see.

Here's some pictures
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South Gerstle

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Mark's super slick hunting boards

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an 8 and a 9

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Detour

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Run off from the rain, the mouth of the Russian river

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The winding road

 

[Ben_ca]

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This is what happens when you leave those suckers on there for too long... :11doh:

 

[mweitz]

It was a great day! I pulled my biggest ab yet, 9 3/8". I only grabbed one, and got some Urchin for my wife and her family. My wife also got her first ab that she found herself. A nice 8 1/2" fattie.

Mark

 

[TSandM]

Oh, these pictures make me SO homesick. I grew up spending time on the north coast -- my family had a house at the Sea Ranch. And I grew up on abalone stew, too. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

[D_O_H]

Thanks for the photos - looks like it was a great day.

You'll have to show me how to get the tasty bits out of the urchins at one of our dives. I like uni at the sushi bar and have heard the fresh stuff is even better, but I haven't had the courage to try cracking one open and figuring out what to eat on my own.

 

[scubajunkee]

TSandM,

You got a recipe for abalone stew? I'm looking for other ways to cook up the ol' ab other than battering it and frying it up.

Ericson

 

[mweitz]

Heh, I'm working on an article with that as the subject. We always get questions on it when we get out of the water. Not too much to it really.

Yeah, I think the fresh is a lot better.

Mark

Thanks for the photos - looks like it was a great day.

You'll have to show me how to get the tasty bits out of the urchins at one of our dives. I like uni at the sushi bar and have heard the fresh stuff is even better, but I haven't had the courage to try cracking one open and figuring out what to eat on my own.