California's 2007 Abalone Season Claims it's 8th Victim

[Hukk]

On Monday May 21 the Pacic Ocean recorded it's 8th drowning of the 2007 Abalone Season. About 2 weeks ago, I posted this, the 5th drowning:

http://allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_f ... php?t=3954

Here is the video feed from drowning #8 taken from Sonoma County's helecopter, Henry 1. These are filmed by a camera aboard the helecopter for training purposes. Sonoma Couny pioneered helicopter rescue in the ocean as well as the prosecution of poachers (felony and PRISON), making many go up to Mendocino County (misdomeaner and fine) to go abalone diving. OK, so far the fatalities have been mostly Asian, all but 2. IMO, the Aisians were targeted in Sonoma County for poaching, wardens did find a lot of Vietnamese poachers. In the last 2 years, I can't recall seeing another Asian diver in Sonoma County. Many "rings" were broken up when the South African officials were here getting trained by Sonoma County staff.

The Video of the " helecopter rescue" #8:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... =909933391 Play the search and rescue video, seems they have put a commerial in there.

Please note that they are ONLY 25 FT from shore. HALF of the drownings have been within 1/4 mile of here, I know it quite well, having dove there many times.
I have not been in the water yet, no reasan to. I can tell by the winds here that the ocean is "normal". The last few years we have had little wind and mild oceans. People have become over confident in their abilites.

Sonoma County will bill you rescue costs, I don't know about Mendocino County. It was $17,000.00+ 10 years ago.

Yep, just 25 ft from shore. There are lifegurads, warnings in several languages including Vietnamese In Sonoma County. Mendocino County can't afford to do that. This is the same County that listed Marijuana as it's #1 agricultural crop for 2 or 3 years, that ag official is now gone. He was probably right, just don't publish that when tourism is a big deal.

[marcinek]

Wow...that was interesting Hukk.

Now please, DO NOT GET ME WRONG, no offense intended, etc, etc, but am I to draw a conclusion? This a relatively new guy asking who is considering a Queen Abalone as my next knife.

Is abalone bad? By getting it am I, in effect, encouraging good people to put their lives at risk? Is it like "blood diamonds"?

Or, are these people who drowned just not too bright?

Again, please, no offense intended...just a lack of the whole picture on my part.

Set me straight here Hukk!

Thanks! jm

[Hukk]

Wow...that was interesting Hukk.

Now please, DO NOT GET ME WRONG, no offense intended, etc, etc, but am I to draw a conclusion? This a relatively new guy asking who is considering a Queen Abalone as my next knife.

Is abalone bad? By getting it am I, in effect, encouraging good people to put their lives at risk? Is it like "blood diamonds"?

Or, are these people who drowned just not too bright?

Again, please, no offense intended...just a lack of the whole picture on my part.

Set me straight here Hukk!

Thanks! jm

No, no offense taken at all and in fact it is a great question!

I think abalone knives are a great investment since the world wide population of over 130 species is being threatened. In California there is no commercial season since 1997, driving abalone shell prices WAY UP.
The Paua abalone came into use when the Red and Green abalone shell were no longer available. The Paua abalone population is also in danger with an estimated 85 to as much as 95% of the Paua abalone harvest being poached or undersized.

Sport caught abalone is illegal to sell, NO PART OF A SPORT CAUGHT ABALONE is legal to sell. In California, a 3 year PRISON sentence and loss of vehicle and home if poached abalone (illegally harvested) is found there. A fine may be up to $40,000.00 and sea urchin divers have also lost their boats. The attraction, the money! In 2001 I asked the manager of the Tides (Alfred Hitchock & The Birds) how much he paid for abalone. $135.00 wholesale! from farm raised sources

The video's I have posted is of sport abalone divers which is one of my hobbies. Some people take chances and go in the ocean just because they drove 3 or 4 hours, or took a day off work.
This may sound awful since a man died, but they were fools to go into the ocean that day. They were sport divers that went over the least capable man's head. They also have 7 months of the year to harvest the legal maximum of 24 abalone in a year, 3 IN A DAY.

I no longer do this, but I have been diving in 14 foot swells, 6 to 8 ft seas every 6 seconds, with 35 knot winds. BUT, I stayed away from rock outcroppings and dove to a relatiely flat rocky bottom. Some people can do this, at this time I need shoulder surgery and will wait until the calm months of late September and October to dive for abalone.

Green and Red abalone species are legally caught in Mexico and they are overfished. The Paua, is being over fished at this time and it is my opinion that a commercial season may close in New Zealand as well.

With abalone populations falling and restrictions of commercial fishing, abalone knive are a very good investment IMO, even though it took me a long time to buy one becuase I've seen thousands of shells in my lifetime.

They are farm raising abalone to about 4.5 inches, sexually mature to spawn, but to small of a shell to have heart abalone, which only comes from the center of large shells. So, you end up with lip or eye abalone, not heart.

So, to wrap it up abalone knives are a great investment, IMO. With the populations dwindling, abalone may be like the tortoise shell, no longer able to be harvested or used sometime in the future unless some changes are made. The only viable change would be to ban all sport and commercial harvesting of abalone, which should drive prices up.

The men in the videos, merely over estimated their abilities and paid the ultimate price. Why go in the ocean on rough days when here is 7 months o get 24 abalone in a year, only 3 in possesion at ANY time. Abalone sport diving is highly restricted, but some make foolish and unwise decisions. That is what these video's show. KNOW AND STAY WTHIN THE CAPABLITIES OF THE LEAST CAPABLE DIVER.

I post these in the General Off Topic Forum because this is my favorite hobby outside of knives. I like to believe I make better decisions than these video's show, I must since I've never been rescued and I am still here. I have rescued 3 divers while free diving for abalone. 1 was scuba diving and had possesion of abalone, he went to jail. It is against the law to dive for abalone in Northern California with scuba gear, free dive only.

It is pronounced ab-baloney (like the lunch meat) or abba lonee.

[marcinek]

Thanks Hukk! Very interesting! I have been eyeing the knife below, a Queen Senator, just because I liked it. Looked like an excellent knife to have as my "EDC at the office knife."

The only downside is that my wife is a big abalone fan and would probably take it. She's not a knife fan...but somehow some of my knives become "hers."

Again, thanks, that was fascinating! Maybe I'll be able to "take you to school" on some topic someday! jm

[Hukk]

You're welcome. I gotta admit that being in 14 ft swells, 6-8 ft seas and gale force winds is not a wise thing to do even for the best of divers. I also remember when one huge wave went under me "what the **ll am I doing here". The figures I gave are what was on the marine radio, as best can remember, I used to be bulletproof, so I was told. Well, that is not the case. I got my limit that day (4 then) and came into the shallows. I saw a 8 inch octopus in only 3 ft of water, the waves only moving me about 6 inces up and down behind a protective rocky outcropping.
WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT!
As I was playing with the octopus, barely going up and down, my chest landed on a round cylinder type rock and I broke 2 ribs, each in 3 places.
Everyone kept asking, "what happened, did you get bashed against the rocks". No, "I was playing with an octopus in a pond and landed on some rock". I should have just said yes. Goes to show you, anything can happen. I do remember thinking,"I better climb that hill before the numbness wears off". Even with a proper wetsuit your body's muscles will get a little numb and chilled. Getting up the hill was fine, getting the tight fitting wetsuit off, that's another story, not pleasent.

Go for the knife, I would. Green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) used to be called the jewelry abalone, until Paua came along. Almost all knives are Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) or Paua (Haliotis Iris). Now the green abalone is more available than Red, through Mexico, used in laminated sheets and go by a trade name of Mosaic. Red abalone is almost impossible to find and NEVER at a good price.

[marcinek]

Everyone kept asking, "what happened, did you get bashed against the rocks". No, "I was playing with an octopus in a pond and landed on some rock". I should have just said yes

You should have said you were battling a giant killer sea octopus!

You gotta embellish a little when you are injured!

That Senator was next on my "to buy" list even before your abalone education...it may be a little while, just sunk some money on another knife (the second slipjoint I've ever bought for myself!).

Needless to say, pictures of slippie #2 coming when it comes in the mail.

I ordered slippie #2 yesterday and I'm far too excited/impatient. You knife folk have messed up my head...I think I'm one of you now....

[Hukk]

Yeah, it would have been much wiser. I should have said I was bashed against the rocks by a rogue wave that came out of nowhere and welled up as a mini Tsunami. You should have seen the dumb looks I got by telling the truth. Never missed a day of work, though I could feel clicking of the ribs in my chest. Truth be known, it was the only "safe place" to dive that day. It was the only place where I could get in and out where there was protection against the wind and waves. Time it just right and next thing you know I'm out in big rollers in 40 ft of water. Shallow would not be safe that day. In those waves, rocky shallows, like those in the videos are the ABSOLUTE WORST place to be, basically a be killed zone. Just 25 feet fom shore, that's where the last guy died.
Out in the open, middle of a cove with a rocky bottom. Any other place was WAY to dangerous.
I considered myself safe bcause of where I was. Not for anyone that gets seasick. My only bad habit, I will dive alone 95% of the time. There seems to be an ego thing amongst divers. A guy that thinks he's good and can dive 30 ft will not dive with a guy that has a reputation of going 90 ft. At the present time, considering the shape I'm in, I will wait until after surgery is done on my shoulder and get my limits in October, calmer waters but far more kelp. Keep it to 25 or 30 ft, get some abs (our slang for abalone) and have a nice day. Also take some time to look for quality shell. Only 1.5 to 2% of all shell is good enough to put on a knife. (heart abalone, lip is much higher). To many borer organisms mak hles and ruin the shell for knives.

Here is a rare site, a 4 abalone limit taken 10 years ago. All are 10 inch plus and makes a 42 inch limit. These were taken from a reef, 3/8 of a mile off a beach in 30 to 65 feet of water. The limit was 4 at the time. Largest was 10 3/4, I think and had 5 LBS of meat when trimmed.

I used to say, "I'll never collect knives with abalone handles". I just couldn't fathom buying something I see all the time. Now, quite aware of California's policies, and aware of abalone stocks worldwide, I collect knives with abalone handles. It is my feeling that there is no place for abalone shell to go but up. It is becoming more scarce than mammoth ivory. Just try to find a set of scales on ebay, mammoth ivory is abudant, I've never seen abalone scales on ebay.

[sunburst]

Hukk as usual I find your exploits and experience as interesting as the history channel, thank you very much for taking the time to share with us..

I hope my cable bill doesn't go up in price now..

Sunburst

[justold52]

..... ... ... ...

I think back in time about what we all thought (I used to be bulletproof, so I was told).
That old man called TIME changes many things. Mother Nature has her ways too.

I started out in life as a hard rock. Under lots of pressure, rubbed and rubbed until I shined. Like a rough cut diamond. Then the Dr.s started cutting. The more they cut the less I shined.
Now we sit by our computers and take the time to injoy the beauty of it all.
Soon Hukk you will have to insure those shells....

[Hukk]

Hukk as usual I find your exploits and experience as interesting as the history channel, thank you very much for taking the time to share with us..

I hope my cable bill doesn't go up in price now..

Sunburst

Now matter how I feel physically, I can look back with great fondness about my ocean and land experiences that always makes me smile, even now as I write this. They incude:

Swimming with a pod of grey whales, TWICE. Makes one feel very insignificant, when you are eye to eye with a 35ft whale. They came to me each time, once through a heavy bed of bull kelp. They swim at 9 knots without effort, needless to say, I can't keep up.

Being in a thick mass of krill (like brine shrimp), so thick you can't tell which way is up, many times. (exhale a bit and follow the bubbles, they always go up)

Many times, being in mases of baitfish, millions thick. Slim silvery bodies wiggling and all moving in unison always in the same direction, like an underwater ballet.

Swimming with California Sea Lions, a harem of females. Very curious in nature, nudging me in my sides, pulling on my fins, surfacing with me as I came up for air and going to the bottom with me as I dove back down. Later I was rammed by a big Bull Sea Lion. I could see his wrinkled skin just before he rammed me in the head, so hard I saw stars and my Mares mask, the glass shattered, fortunately, none in my eyes. Sore neck for 3 weeks. This was at Bodega Rock, a hangout for great white sharks, northern tip of the red triangle (greatest consentration of geat Whites in the world). I no longer go there after the local paper had a picture of a Sea Lion being swallowed whole by a great white shark. Picture was taken by a passenger aboard a party boat going fishing.

Dozens of times, playing with Harbor Seals, very timid and curious, many times being startled by them coming up in my face. 2 I remember fondly, one a 30 LB baby climbed in my ab float, I pushed it around for an hour before I had to get out. I remember it watching me, with it's huge black eyes.

Another played tag with me for nearly an hour, me climbing out of the water and having both legs cramp, a diver is not used to a lot of twisting and turning, changes of direction. I would follow him through underwater caves and slots, then he would do the same and follow me. I had so much fun, I forgot to get a limit of abalone, oh well, another day.

I swam out last year and took my father in laws ashes out to sea for burial. As I finished, a young harbor seal popped out of nowhere. He would be a young teen, a trickster he was, in my face 30 feet down as I popped an ab from a rock. He even followed me into shore. I had to reach out with my hand to get him to go where I was going, I was heading for shore, tired after my double duty. Yep, a trickster, oddly reminded me of my father in laws personality. Eeery in fact, that this animal reminded me so much of him.

Then there are experiences with Orcas, Great white sharks, blue sharks, a huge scool in fact, and the list goes on and on. For 30 years I dove nearly 3 times a week and saw such amazing things, an area about 60 ft deep with a floral forest of huge 18 inch, white sea annomes, with a slight blue tint, a forest like no other, another of an area of solid red, red with small strawberry sea annomes. Another world, out there, under the sea. I'll be back!

This is but a mere inkling, off the head so to speak. I have been blessed with so many fabulous expeiences.

Ah, the adventures I can share with my grandchildren.

[sunburst]

Hukk,

Once again life is more interesting than fiction.. Cool experiences, thanks..

I was just watching the water temps on the Weather Channel and it got me wondering, what are the temps you are normally diving in?? I've got a feeling that this Florida boy would turn into a popsicle in water you would call warm.. If it aint in the 80's it's too cold...

Sunburst

[Hukk]

I just checked the bouy off Point Arena and at 2350 GMT on 05/23/2007, it was 49.1 degrees. Don't worry, closer to shore it may be a whopping 52 degrees. A little colder than normal by a couple degrees.

That's why I wear a 7mm wetsuit and a 7mm hood with a 5mm titanium vest, reflets body heat well and sticks to my body lke a glove, the first 5 minutes are a bit chilly, but fine after that. I have been in 42 degree, time to get out after about 40 minutes.

You stay warm by your body heat warming the water retained in the cells of the neoprene. Sometimes divers delight is a good thing.

I always tell folks that the lump that they sometimes get in their throat is a lower part of the anatomy trying desperately to stay warm.

[sunburst]

I always tell folks that the lump that they sometimes get in their throat is a lower part of the anatomy trying desperately to stay warm.

I would be worried that some lumps I am accustomed to may never come back...

Sunburst

[Hukk]

I always tell folks that the lump that they sometimes get in their throat is a lower part of the anatomy trying desperately to stay warm.

I would be worried that some lumps I am accustomed to may never come back...

Sunburst

When it's that cold, usually about 57 the last few years anyway, not much to find.

Diver's delight advice, don't eat asparagus the night before....stinks.
OK in a wetsuit!
NOT OK in a drysuit. Took an old girlfriend windsurfing 20 years ago at Bodega Bay. I had to hang her upside down to drain. I laugh everytime I think about it. She forgot she was not in a wetsuit, BLONDES!

[singin46]

Priceless!

Singin46