(This is a special blog post from Jim Kakuk, captain of the Tsunami Rangers)
Abalone diving is a sport all to itself. Just ask any ab diver! Diving from a kayak combines the two sports—now you have a whole new ballgame!
Here are a few basics to know before you get started. First, you must be a good swimmer in the ocean, not just in a swimming pool. Ab diving is not for the weak or out of shape; people die from exhaustion and heart attack more often than from drowning. You must have the right equipment: mask, snorkel, fins, and a wet suit (most abs are in cold water). You also need an ab iron, dive knife, dive bag and measuring device. And note that abalone diving requires a fishing license and tags. Know what the regulations are and any restrictions there may be where you are going to dive—such as in Marine Life Protection Areas (MLPA’s). Dive with friends, preferably good divers that you can learn from and count on in case of trouble. Wait for good conditions and start in easy waters with good visibility.
Abalone live in kelp zones, so you will be swimming through curtains of foliage, sometimes blanketing the surface. You should understand rip currents and the tides. It is easier but not necessary to dive at low tide. When diving, take your time, look around and be choosy—don’t pull the first ab that you see, as the bigger ones are just a little deeper and farther out. It will take several years to get good, so know your limits and keep some energy in reserve, as you may need it. Now add a kayak and you get access to the really good dive spots that other divers cannot readily get to.
Again, be familiar with your equipment and paddle a good boat that you can handle well and get in and out of without much trouble. Washdecks (kayaks with a molded impression where you sit instead of inside a skirted cockpit) are more diver friendly than standard kayaks because you can exit and re-enter with less fuss.
Always use the buddy system; two will work but three is better. One can tend the boats while the other two dive. If you are going to land on rocks then know how to seal land. When diving out of the boat you must be able to get to your gear and put it on while seated in the boat or from the water. Store abs in a stink proof, tough storage bag to prevent the smell from permeating the inside of your kayak. Tag your catch immediately after landing on shore, and remember to share the booty with friends.
P.S. If you have a good ab recipe, please send it in.
Jim, excellent job of explaining how to dive for abalone from a sea kayak. I especially like that you stress safety, like having at least one buddy.
This advice should also apply to related activities like spear fishing in the Hawaiian Islands.
Hey Cap’n Jim—
Nice article. Good work. Keep it up (the writing and the diving).
I used to do a little ab-fishing when I lived in HMBay in the ’60s. I just used to wade out at low tide and pry big ones off the rocks. No licenses. No limits. You could do that in those days, and they were easy to find. Sometimes I’d end up swimming, but it was always in shallow water. No wet suit, but I was young and did not notice the cold or the barnacles. My Portuguese friends taught me how to catch, fillet, pound and cook ’em. I’m glad I had the chance to do it when one still could.
The problem with kayak ab-fishing, from my perspective, is you cannot store enough abalones onboard. I spent a day with an ab-diver in Tasmania in 1986. He fished from a 20′ boat; and sent the abs up in bushel-baskets while he kept fishing and watching for great whites. By the end of the day we had barrels full of abalone onboard. (Also, he did not dive with tanks, but with a compressor and hoses. He believed this gave him more freedom.) (Another little trick I learned from him—he wore women’s nylon tights under his wet suit to prevent chafing.) When he came in to dock he unloaded directly to a transport boat that iced the abs and brought them to Japan.
And can I say how cold the water was………it was friggin freezing..I tried to get in the water with my 3/4mm wettie but lasted oh all of 30 secs and settled for the luxury of the scramjet instead
I was so impressed by Jim and Scotts gatherings in the water that make our abs look so so so small!!
As a diver it was a highlight of my year!!
I’d like to comment on the comments above. Yes, one can definitely spearfish from a kayak, especially Tsunami X boats and the like which are easy to remount. We used to spearfish all the time, but switched to ab diving a few years ago, as it is not as hard as chasing down ling cod with a Hawaiian sling in a kelp forest while holding your breath in friggin’ cold water.
Ah, for the good old days when you could get all the abs you wanted–without a license & using compressed air. Everything regarding the ocean is much more regulated today, and for good reason (mostly).
Hey you guys! This whole conversation should have been on the actual blog post, not here. Dang! Just go to the post, go to the bottom where it says “comments”, and comment. Please! Or else I’m going to pick up my toys and go home!!!! —e
Yeah, what he said. For you readers out of the loop, 3 of my friends had this great email conversation about how many abs are legal to take (I believe it’s 3 in one day in California), and yet didn’t post it in the blog. Those no good #%&@!
So, if you have something worthy to say, even if it’s just a line or two, say it here.
Mahalo!
A great piece on kayak based ab diving. I really enjoyed doing that with Jim and Scott near Fort Bragg. The seal landing on a rock and then diving is a wonderful way to go to remote dive spots where most people cannot go, which translates to more and larger abs! It is a special feeling to be in boats, on ocean rocks, pulling abs and then back in the boat! All I can say is October weather can be primo time with a boat or from land. I was in the water yesterday pulling abs from land but it would have been fantastic to be doing it from an X-15 kayak. As Jim has said many times, pulling them is peek experience but eating them is pretty darn tasty as well!
With a decent 3/4 wet suit like an Excel, water temperature in Northern Cal is no problem.
Excellent article Jim. You’re so right…the kayak is the perfect blend of using your own energy and ability to access the diving, which in itself is a whole other way to be part of the ocean scene! It’s such a rewarding combo. And, Jim, your mentoring me whilst we’ve been in the water scouting and “popping abs” will always be appreciated…those are precious times in my memory!
Hello, I am interested in using your picture of abalone diving for an educational program. Can you please contact me? macosta@lbaop.org. Thank you for your time.
This is a great article and to be honest it is the first time i have ever heard of abalone diving.
Ian, glad you liked the essay by Jim Kakuk. We would love to kayak and dive in the Canary Islands, where you get to go.
I read this piece of writing fully on the topic of the comparison of hottest and earlier technologies, it’s awesome article.
Thanks for your vote of confidence rapshizz. We aims to please!