Yesterday’s Urchin Dive

[rob.mwpropane]

ok. officially jealous, now. as much as I love nyc, you live in a magical place.

I think every place I've ever visited is more magical than NYC.. it's just me though, I know people love it.

Well, the part you eat is the roe which is broght yellow. It is in 5 packets along the inside of the shell. Essentially it’s the caviar of the urchin. It’s sweet and fresh tastes like the ocean with a sea flavor combined with avocado, that’s about as close as I can describe it. A lot of people eat it with a little wasabi and maybe soy sauce mixed on a rice ball. That would be the sushi way. I just crack open a few on the beach with my BFK and rinse off the roe in the sea and go for it.
It’s a power food with a lot of anti oxidants and cancer fighting compounds. It’s considered one of the healthiest things you can eat. It is an acquired taste which I acquired a long time ago.

Sounds amazing.. looks weird, but no weirder than oysters or crabs..

Had a girl move here from Kentucky a fee years ago.. she still can't get over we eat "sea spiders"

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I think every place I've ever visited is more magical than NYC.. it's just me though, I know people love it.



Sounds amazing.. looks weird, but no weirder than oysters or crabs..

Had a girl move here from Kentucky a fee years ago.. she still can't get over we eat "sea spiders"

I know you’re a harvester so I think you’d love it here. We have urchins (of course), but also a whole variety if rock fish, lingcod, rock scallops, crabs of the genus cancer variety, puget sound king crabs, Halibut, CA spiny lobsters down south (not here), and abalone if they ever open it up again. That’s part of the reason we’re clearing urchins is so the abs come back. We had world wide abalone diving tourism at one point. The area is world famous for giant red abalone.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Oh yeah vis, about 15’. Not bad - enough for what I needed to do.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I know you’re a harvester so I think you’d love it here. We have urchins (of course), but also a whole variety if rock fish, lingcod, rock scallops, crabs of the genus cancer variety, puget sound king crabs, Halibut, CA spiny lobsters down south (not here), and abalone if they ever open it up again. That’s part of the reason we’re clearing urchins is so the abs come back. We had world wide abalone diving tourism at one point. The area is world famous for giant red abalone.

Sounds like heaven.. I really hope I get out that way in the next couple years so I can see it for myself.

Oh yeah vis, about 15’. Not bad - enough for what I needed to do.

15' is great, probably the best I've ever seen it in the Bay actually.. it was really wild being able to see other people underwater!

 

[lattehiatus]

Thanks for scoping out Stillwater Cove and the report/photos!

I've used the Divevolk SeaTouch 4 as an underwater iPhone case for ~30 dives. No leaks down to 120 ft so far. I still use an old iPhone 11 in it, so that I don't lose my primary phone in case it does flood, but the outlook is good so far.

Inquiring minds want to know when we might expect urchin culling events? No pressure...

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Thanks for scoping out Stillwater Cove and the report/photos!

I've used the Divevolk SeaTouch 4 as an underwater iPhone case for ~30 dives. No leaks down to 120 ft so far. I still use an old iPhone 11 in it, so that I don't lose my primary phone in case it does flood, but the outlook is good so far.

Inquiring minds want to know when we might expect urchin culling events? No pressure...

I wanted to do this dive to see where we’re at with the urchins population and there are millions, so I’m looking at dates.
I talked to the dive shop (Seal’s Water Sports) and they are looking at dates too since we are teaming up on this. As soon as there is a hard date I will post it up in the Purple Urchin Clearing dive thread.
I will also go over the gear again and protocols.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Sounds like heaven.. I really hope I get out that way in the next couple years so I can see it for myself.



15' is great, probably the best I've ever seen it in the Bay actually.. it was really wild being able to see other people underwater!

12’ to 15’ is about low average for around here.
In winter time the vis can soar since the sun is lower in the sky and not as much photosynthesis to bloom out micro organisms.
The vis can easily be 30’ the next day from a day it was 10’. I’ve seen 50’ to 60’ on rare occasion during fall and winter. Ocean temps do not change in winter, they are about the same high 40’s low 50’s. The further north you go up to Mendocino County the vis generally improves. One day no kidding we had about 80’ sideways and I could clearly see my boat above from 100’. The water was 46. We caught it right as an Alaskan current brought up ice cold super clear water. Within a few hours the sun bloomed it out and vis went back to about 30.

 

[The Ruttmeister]

Hopefully the results from Tankers Reef will lead to a general permission to smash as many urchins as you can. From a bio-mass perspective it makes a lot more sense than trying to remove them.

I'm up in Sonoma fairly regularly, maybe I'll have to drive over to the coast one weekend. The family can go hang out in the sun somewhere, I can dive.

 

[lexvil]

I’m sure with enough interest Eric can set up a bit of a mini invasion for these urchin hunters. Probably need a Calif. fishing license.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’m sure with enough interest Eric can set up a bit of a mini invasion for these urchin hunters. Probably need a Calif. fishing license.

If scubaboard doesn’t mind being a sponsor in name, I’m all for it. Put up a banner and everyone can stand in for the photo op.
It would be great publicity for sure.
And yes, you need a CA fishing lic. which can be purchased by the day or week by anybody, you don’t have to be a resident. I’ll look into that more.
If people are serious and want to do a NorCal invasion, I will post a lot more pertinent info on surrounding lodgings, sight to see, places to go, etc.
This area is considered a destination for tourism, the wine country, and the beautiful scenery. It certainly would be different from anything ever done so far.
But just so people know, you ain’t in Cozumel anymore Dorothy! This is cold water shore diving, you need more gear, thick suits, self sufficiency, and it’s work, and it’s cold.