All right! Two weeks to go. Its looking like it is going to be a good crowd.
Somethings to remember. You have to keep your abalone card with you while you dive. You will need some sort of water tight container. I use an old gatorade bottle. You also need a way to attach the tags to the abalone. I use small zip ties, but any strong thread will work. Be sure you understand the regulations because they are very strict.
If you are having trouble swinging the rental gear, let me know. Most of us are bringing a bunch of extra gear and we can probably get you in the water if you aren't too giant or tiny. If you are decisively dedicated to diving then rental gear is the way to go.
I talked to Wallin's dive center in San Carlos for those in the Bay area. They said they will charge $65 for the weekend. That doesn't include a float but I will have a couple extra. If you have a boogie board that will do just fine. Its what I prefer. In Sonoma county the 2 best places to rent from are Bamboo Reef in Rohnert Park and Bodega Bay Pro Dive in Bodega Bay. Both are about $35-40 for the first day with additional days at half price. Be sure to ask what isn't included. Float, ab bar, etc. If you can call ahead and reserve your gear.
If any one is thinking of buying gear feel free to hit me up for info. I have been diving the north coast for 15+years and have gone thru a lot of different gear to find what I like best.
If you don't want to dive or just want to try something else there is great kayak fishing at Ft Ross. There should be numerous kayaks that you can try out. I can show you what tackle to use and what I have had success with.
The weather at the coast can range from hot to cold and change in an instant. So pack accordingly. If you can bring some extra firewood.
We will be having a pot luck on Friday so bring a dish to share if you want. There will lots of seafood to eat as well.
Now for a sneak peak...............
Last Wednesday, when I woke up, I checked the web cam at Agate Cove Inn. http://www.agatecove.com/webcam.html The water was dead flat calm. My employee and I decided to play hooky from work and go diving. This year the ocean has been rough so I just couldn't let a day like this pass. 7.62shooter called me on the drive out. I tried to break it to him gently and told him to enjoy his day at work in the sweltering central valley. :'(
When we got to our spot we walked down to check the conditions before we suited up. It looked like someone had turned off the ocean for maintenance.
Days this calm are rare. My plan was to swim out to the furthest island but I never made it much past the large rock on the left. The kelp was thick but so were the fish. I got held up there laying waste to the rock fish. The abalone were easy with the biggest breaking 9".
What a beautiful day. I hope the conditions are close to the good for the Seamen Slinger Extra.
Matt
Somethings to remember. You have to keep your abalone card with you while you dive. You will need some sort of water tight container. I use an old gatorade bottle. You also need a way to attach the tags to the abalone. I use small zip ties, but any strong thread will work. Be sure you understand the regulations because they are very strict.
If you are having trouble swinging the rental gear, let me know. Most of us are bringing a bunch of extra gear and we can probably get you in the water if you aren't too giant or tiny. If you are decisively dedicated to diving then rental gear is the way to go.
I talked to Wallin's dive center in San Carlos for those in the Bay area. They said they will charge $65 for the weekend. That doesn't include a float but I will have a couple extra. If you have a boogie board that will do just fine. Its what I prefer. In Sonoma county the 2 best places to rent from are Bamboo Reef in Rohnert Park and Bodega Bay Pro Dive in Bodega Bay. Both are about $35-40 for the first day with additional days at half price. Be sure to ask what isn't included. Float, ab bar, etc. If you can call ahead and reserve your gear.
If any one is thinking of buying gear feel free to hit me up for info. I have been diving the north coast for 15+years and have gone thru a lot of different gear to find what I like best.
If you don't want to dive or just want to try something else there is great kayak fishing at Ft Ross. There should be numerous kayaks that you can try out. I can show you what tackle to use and what I have had success with.
The weather at the coast can range from hot to cold and change in an instant. So pack accordingly. If you can bring some extra firewood.
We will be having a pot luck on Friday so bring a dish to share if you want. There will lots of seafood to eat as well.
Now for a sneak peak...............
Last Wednesday, when I woke up, I checked the web cam at Agate Cove Inn. http://www.agatecove.com/webcam.html The water was dead flat calm. My employee and I decided to play hooky from work and go diving. This year the ocean has been rough so I just couldn't let a day like this pass. 7.62shooter called me on the drive out. I tried to break it to him gently and told him to enjoy his day at work in the sweltering central valley. :'(
When we got to our spot we walked down to check the conditions before we suited up. It looked like someone had turned off the ocean for maintenance.
Days this calm are rare. My plan was to swim out to the furthest island but I never made it much past the large rock on the left. The kelp was thick but so were the fish. I got held up there laying waste to the rock fish. The abalone were easy with the biggest breaking 9".
What a beautiful day. I hope the conditions are close to the good for the Seamen Slinger Extra.
Matt
I hope I can make it out to the next one.
i am definitley into the trade blanket too.. i have plenty of gear/blades i can part with..