Ab Diving?

[sb_diver]

Hey Everyone, A few friends of mine and I were tossing the idea around of doing a trip up North for some Ab diving, We're thinking labor day weekend, since it will give us an extra day to be up there. In previous years they've been up to Fort Bragg and Elk. This will be my first time, would any of you have any suggestions of camp sites/cheap hotels that would be close to a decent ab spot? Oh ya and the location of a decent ab spot would be great too, as long as you don't have to kill me if you tell me I also would appreciate any advice on the subject as I'm a newbie to Ab diving.

Thomas

 

[Drewpy]

I have only been a few times myself. A far as cheap places to stay your best bet would probably be a motel in or near Guerneville which is on the Russian River a little inland from Jenner( where the river meets the sea). Anywhere along the coast is going to be $$.(this is about 2 hrs south of fort Bragg and will save you a little drive time?)Sorry, am not familiar with fort Bragg spots.Just north of there before you get to Fort Ross is a cove which has been productive for my group.There is parking off the Rt 1 but it is bit of a hike down to a rocky beach below.Try to time it for low tide-it makes it easier and you dont have to dive as deep! If you have or can borrow a boogie board it really helps-you can rest between dives on it!Proper weighting is key! You dont want to struggle to stay on the surface-but you also dont want to fight to stay down!

Good luck and have fun!
Let us know how you did..?

 

[Alfredo]

We are heading up to Sea Ranch Monday morning to ab dive.
Last time I ab dived was at Salt Point 20 years ago. The limits were different back then. Salt Point has a state camp ground and a hotel is close. The cove at the park has easy water entry. You would have to dive outside the cove.

Van Damne (spelling?) state part has a very nice camp ground south of Fort Bragg.
The park also has an easy water entry. I'm not sure how far out you have to go to find the ab areas.

I'll post an update when we get back.

 

[BrianM]

Hi Thomas,

I just started ab diving this year but I've eaten 12 so far!
We go about 10 miles north of Jenner to a campground called Stillwater Cove campground. You can find more info at:
http://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/camping/index.htm
There are about 22 sites, most are reservable, a few are first-come first-served so if you get there on a thursday of a busy weekend you still might get a spot. There are clean bathrooms with hot showers(take some quarters), fire pits, the hosts sell wood for $6 bux a bundle.
There is a cove directly across the highway from the campground that some people refer to as "Ocean Cove" but I can't say for sure if that is correct. I dove there last weekend and there are some huge abs out there, we also did a 1-tank scuba dive on saturday and it was a nice leisurely place to dive, max depth was 52 FSW but that was WAY out there...most in the cove is 15 to 25 FSW.

We also drive about 3 miles north to a state park called Salt Point and dive out of Gerstle Cove. I see tons of ab divers in the parking lot but I have only done scuba in that cove as most of it is a preserve where no game is taken. The ab divers go outside of the cove for the abs.

Good luck and dont tell anyone about this since it is my secret spot....lol

Hey Everyone, A few friends of mine and I were tossing the idea around of doing a trip up North for some Ab diving, We're thinking labor day weekend, since it will give us an extra day to be up there. In previous years they've been up to Fort Bragg and Elk. This will be my first time, would any of you have any suggestions of camp sites/cheap hotels that would be close to a decent ab spot? Oh ya and the location of a decent ab spot would be great too, as long as you don't have to kill me if you tell me I also would appreciate any advice on the subject as I'm a newbie to Ab diving.

Thomas

 

[JustinW]

I pulled 3 9 inch abs earlier this year within 30 minutes, in less than 15 feet of water. The place was somewhere in elk, behind a white building, i think the building was some sort of museum or tourist thing, I had to climb down the big rope to get down the cliff, a but unsettling, but the abs settled quite well in the tummy

 

[northcoast_diver]

Some of the suggestions that you have just been given can easily get you hurt.

Anchor Bay is a safe place to ab dive, and it is a campground as well. So bring your tents and air mattresses and make a reservation there. You can find it with a google search with "anchor bay" and "california."

There is really no place along the north coast that is "cheap."

 

[northcoast_diver]

I pulled 3 9 inch abs earlier this year within 30 minutes, in less than 15 feet of water. The place was somewhere in elk, behind a white building, i think the building was some sort of museum or tourist thing, I had to climb down the big rope to get down the cliff, a but unsettling, but the abs settled quite well in the tummy

Rapelling for abs, although common along the north coast, is definitely not recommended for out of towners.

 

[northcoast_diver]

Hi Thomas,

I just started ab diving this year but I've eaten 12 so far!
We go about 10 miles north of Jenner to a campground called Stillwater Cove campground. You can find more info at:
http://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/camping/index.htm
There are about 22 sites, most are reservable, a few are first-come first-served so if you get there on a thursday of a busy weekend you still might get a spot. There are clean bathrooms with hot showers(take some quarters), fire pits, the hosts sell wood for $6 bux a bundle.
There is a cove directly across the highway from the campground that some people refer to as "Ocean Cove" but I can't say for sure if that is correct. I dove there last weekend and there are some huge abs out there, we also did a 1-tank scuba dive on saturday and it was a nice leisurely place to dive, max depth was 52 FSW but that was WAY out there...most in the cove is 15 to 25 FSW.

We also drive about 3 miles north to a state park called Salt Point and dive out of Gerstle Cove. I see tons of ab divers in the parking lot but I have only done scuba in that cove as most of it is a preserve where no game is taken. The ab divers go outside of the cove for the abs.

Good luck and dont tell anyone about this since it is my secret spot....lol

Stillwater Cove is a good choice, yes.

Salt Point state park is tricky however because you must make sure you are out of the Gerstle Cove are and away from it. Or else you do not pass go, but cough up all your illegal abs and possibly go to jail.

 

[northcoast_diver]

We are heading up to Sea Ranch Monday morning to ab dive.
Last time I ab dived was at Salt Point 20 years ago. The limits were different back then. Salt Point has a state camp ground and a hotel is close. The cove at the park has easy water entry. You would have to dive outside the cove.

Van Damne (spelling?) state part has a very nice camp ground south of Fort Bragg.
The park also has an easy water entry. I'm not sure how far out you have to go to find the ab areas.

I'll post an update when we get back.

The Sea Ranch is about as expensive as it gets.

Further north, at VanDamme state part, there is camping and ab diving. VanDamme is quite far north. You will pass Anchor Bay on your way to it. Therefore I recommend that you stop there and go to Anchor Bay instead.

 

[fdog]

1) Get an inflatable boat w/ motor.
2) Launch at Salt point.
3) Head south. About a third of a mile, you will see a small cove, about 200' across. This has a narrow entrance (!narrow!) to seaward and exit facing south. Locals call this the "Washing Machine".
4) Timing your entry with the boat, zorch between the set of rocks that guard the entry.
5) Once inside in the relative tranquility, hop into the water and collect hubcaps. BTW...leave someone at the helm while you're in the water.
6) Return and tell lies about how you had to freedive to 80' for these monsters.

All the best, James