Comments on: The Most Dangerous Game: Chasing a Sea Snail?

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:33:21 +0000

Just came back from a memorial day weekend run. I got my legal limit but it was a lot of work. In one dive, I was in rough seas and one of my fins broke. I only started panicking when i realized my float was also leaking air.

Only time i’ve ever thought of dropping my weights

By: G

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:08:29 +0000

Alastair,

Well put. If the waters can be characterized as infested by anything I would say its humans. There are sharks out there though. I have a couple of buddies whose surf boards were bumped and bitten hard by great whites in the abalone fishing grounds. And others who have seen great whites while out diving.

By: Don Walker

Don Walker — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:50:54 +0000

Having experienced seeing what looked like a great white fin off Caspar Beach (was told it was probably a 11′ sunfish with fin sticking out of water) and being in the water the same time that guy had his head bitten off at 10 mile a few years back, it is on my mind when diving at dusk, but not enough to dissuade me. More importantly than having a knife to cut out of kelp (since you will probably be out of breath if caught in kelp while ascending) always keep in mind dropping your weight belt and thrash like a SOB! I’ve had about every thing happen in the last 30 years of diving, including having my bullet weights caught in a fishing line some one tied up from the cliffs. So best advice, be ready to dump that weight belt as it can be replaced.

By: Alastair Bland

Alastair Bland — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:19:01 +0000

G, thanks for the tip on the dive knife. I must say that in my first days of diving, about 13 years ago, I found myself convinced by a local dive shop that I needed to wear a knife for safety. I only discovered through use that it tangled easily in the kelp, which can often be broken by simply snapping it by hand, and was an inconvenience and a hazard. I have since met many divers who believe it’s safer NOT to carry a knife. Strapping the sheath to your arm seems a good compromise.

But G, do you really believe the North Coast’s waters are “infested” by great white sharks? Most divers will never see a great white. Moreover, I think it takes a skewed view of the natural world to accuse any wild creature of “infesting” its own environment. If there is one native sea creature that does infest the North Coast’s waters, it might be the red abalone itself, whose numbers skyrocketed after the sea otter was exterminated.

Thanks for reading,
Alastair

By: G

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:50:19 +0000

Ab diving is risky. The water is shark infested, rocky, dark and very cold and the currents are incredibly strong. And when you swim toward the surface, the kelp wraps around your legs as if its trying to pull you under. If you are inclined to dive, NEVER wear your knife on your leg or ankle. It will snag on the kelp and you may not be able to reach it if you need to cut yourself free. Wear your knife on your forearm.

By: Roger V. Rude

Roger V. Rude — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:41:45 +0000

Very nice article.
For a big part of my 32 year career I rescued Abalone divers in the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Helicopter Unit (henry1.com). Now, after retiring in 2006, I have become a passionate trophy abalone diver. I always wear an HD video camera when I dive and I am part of a production group called Gray Fin Films. We are in the process of shooting a documentary film on abalone diving. If you are interested in further information feel free to contact me at RudeView.com

By: David Martin

David Martin — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:33:19 +0000

Lobster seasons in Florida (with SCUBA gear) invariably bring a fatality or two. I haven’t found a tabulation of fatalities-to-date.