New York Times on abalone divers

[altaskier]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/s...ers-face-risks-and-poachers-face-the-law.html

Every year, as steady as the tides, lifeless bodies are pulled from the cold, restless water along the rugged coastline north of San Francisco.


Most of the victims are middle-aged men. They wear black wet suits, usually hooded. They are often found in small coves framed by crescents of jagged rocks. An abandoned float tube sometimes bobs about nearby. Almost without exception, the victims are found wearing weighted belts that help them sink.


Sometimes the bodies are discovered by friends nearby. If the fog is not too thick, the victims might be spotted from the towering bluffs above, where lifeguards patrol dozens of miles of desolate coast and armed game wardens spy for poachers. Many of the bodies are plucked from the swells by a search-and-rescue helicopter crew accustomed to making daring rope rescues and recoveries several times a year.


The bodies are those of abalone divers....

 

[Peter_C]

My biggest take away from the article when I read it the other day, was in regards to Nate the lifeguard. We see him all the time, and learning of his story, plus being reminded of what his job really entails, brings a certain respect to the man. I have watched him work many times. Once was a really long swim to recover a victim floating away in the current and surf. He caught up with the victim and brought it back to shore. One ab tube saved from certainly becoming garbage, along our rugged coast.

From the ab divers deaths the term "Sacramento Syndrome" was born. Meaning "I drove all the way here (2-3 hours), and I am getting in the water one way or another". The Pacific is unforgiving...I have been humbled by it many times.

 

[drbill]

Ah, I remember the days when I could pick a nice ab or two off the rocks at low tide... but haven't taken one since 1975 and you wouldn't "catch me dead" free diving for them up north

 

[DiverDante]

It's a great, well-written story. Definitely worth a read!

 

[jkbonner]

I recently took a friend on an ab trip near Ft Bragg, what a wonderful weekend it was! My friend had never participated in an abalone dive before and, of course, couldn't perform the necessary skills required to obtain these beautiful mollusks. Anyone interested in free diving along the northern California coast is well warned to have an experienced buddy willing to take the time and have the patience to teach each step, from planning the trip to exiting the water. Every step in the process of planning thru execution is a key component of success or failure. And, just like buying a car, you have to be willing to walk away if things don't seem quite right.
As for the trip with my friend, I spent 5 hours with him, in and out of the water, explaining each step and he still couldn't get an abalone; the water is cold, it tastes nasty, water gets in the dive mask, it's difficult to breath through the snorkel, kelp wraps around arms and legs, there's swell and current, the wetsuit is cumbersome, you have to hold your breath - for a long time - under water, you can't see but a few feet in any direction - are there sharks, what does an abalone look like, how do I pry it off the rock, is it legal, will I be arrested, did I mention the water is cold, you might even get sea sick, and on and on. I was patient and as the tide began to rise and the swell began to strengthen I sent him ashore and spent some alone time in the water, swimming around and marveling at the beauty beneath the surface. I plucked an ab, just enough for the night's side dish, and finished my day in the incredible Pacific.
To me that's the beauty of abalone diving, being with friends and relatives, in the ocean, appreciating Nature's wonders, thanking God for the bounty He provides, and enjoying a delicious meal as the sun sets upon the shimmering horizon next to a warm fire. Of course, it's nice to have a hot water shower, too!
As for poachers; arrest them, fine them, put them in jail; they've got the wrong attitude and will destroy the habitat. Poaching abalone is like killing sharks for their fins, the only point is profit, perpetrators should be punished.
Enjoy the ocean!

 

[ErikNYC]

Good read. Thank you.