Upcoming urchin dives

[Eric Sedletzky]

Eric please let me know when you have more trips scheduled.

Will do.
The weather is starting to get better so We’re keeping an eye out.
They will be posted here too so watch this thread.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

OK folks,
I have an urchin dive coming up on Sunday, July 30th at Stillwater Cove in Sonoma County.
Meet between 8:00 and 9:00 at the cove picnic tables.
There is free parking along the highway above the cove, and there is a day use parking lot up in the campground across the highway. The day use parking fee is $7 unless you have a parking pass.
There are restrooms at the cove.
Bring your lunch.

Things you will need if you want to take urchins:
Valid California fishing license.
A large green or yellow (or multiple) Trident game bag(s) with double ender bolt snaps.
A lift bag or ungraded surface marker buoy that has a lift strap and a dump valve.
Kevlar dive gloves.
*Small gardening rake
Enough containers to hold 40 gallons of purple urchins. This could be eight 5 gallon buckets, or two 20 gallon brute trash cans, or one big 45 gallon brute trash can.
I have a wheel dolly to move full cans of urchins around.
Bring a couple tanks.

*About loosening urchins from the rocks:
I used a small gardening hand rake the last time I went out. It worked the best so far for collecting urchins. I strongly recommend getting one since it will save your gloves and your fingers from urchin spines. I drilled a hole in the handle and put a lanyard in mine so I could clip it off plus if I want I can put the lanyard around my wrist so I don’t lose the rake. The technique I used was to hold the bag open with one hand and rake them in with the other. I had three bags full within minutes and only used less than 1000 PSI on a steel 120. It was very efficient. Another technique that would work very well would be to work in teams. One diver goes along and rakes urchins loose from the rocks and the second diver follows and stuffs the urchins into the bag wearing a thin leather glove over their dive glove.

Also, each diver is responsible to transport and deal with their own urchins.

Thank you,
Cheers!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Next Purple Urchin Removal Dive:
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Location: Stillwater Cove in Sonoma County.
Time: 8:00 - 9:00 am for unloading, set up, gearing up and briefing. Diving after that at your own pace.
Meet at the picnic tables on site. There are restrooms and picnic tables/barbecues at the site.
Parking is available for free up at the turnout on the highway, or you can use the day use parking up in the campground lot. Fee is $7 day or parking pass.
You will also need:
At least one large green Trident game bag, I use three.
A lift bag to raise the full bag(s) of urchins and float them to the beach.
Enough containers to hold one limit of urchins (40 gallons of whole urchins). I have two 20 gallon brute trash cans I use to measure a limit. I also have many 5 gallon buckets for those that need containers.
You will also need a valid California fishing license with an ocean stamp.
Kevlar gloves help. You can also use a thin leather glove pulled over your dive glove. I use a small hand held gardening rake and it works awesome. No more holes in my gloves and urchin spines in my fingers, plus it’s lightning fast to fill a bag. I can fill a limit (three bags) on one tank.
I also have a place now to dump the urchins now!, about 5 miles away up on top of Seaview Ridge on my brothers property, he has a backhoe, for those that do not want to deal with hauling them back home. So this is a huge bonus.
If anybody has questions please ask.