Jack Likins

2/25/2008

INTRODUCTION

I have learned about abalone diving by spending more than 50 years in and around the ocean.  As with any sport, occupation or avocation, you get better as you gain experience.  Physical abilities may diminish with age, but your knowledge, understanding and ability to relax and hold your breath improves as you gain experience.  Time in the water translates into experience and is just as important as physical conditioning for a free diver to become a successful trophy abalone hunter.  Don’t take this to mean that you do not have to be in good shape to be an abalone diver, because you do.  Good physical conditioning can save your life if you get into a physically demanding or life-threatening situation.  An experienced free diver will usually keep himself out of these situations, but any free-diver can get into trouble in an unpredictable ocean environment.  Abalone diving is a combination of experience and physical conditioning.  You will not be a successful trophy hunter without both attributes.  Anyone attempting the sport of abalone free diving should dive with a buddy and have proper training, experience and physical conditioning.

DEPTH RANGES

I generally divide my diving areas into three depth ranges: deep (greater than 20’), medium (between 10’ and 20’) and shallow (less than 10’).  I have three reasons for doing this.

 First, certain areas sometimes require deeper diving because of the shear number of divers who access the area.  As you dive deeper, the numbers of divers that are willing/capable of diving deeper is decreased exponentially.  Sometimes by diving deeper, one can find larger and denser abalone populations, but this is not always the case. 

Second, I try to make my deeper dives during the first half of the season (April-June) because of the “Sea Lord”.  I consider White Sharks to be the only animal in the ocean that is higher than myself on the food chain.  Studies show that White Sharks typically migrate to and from the California Coast with the greatest likelihood of being on our coast from August through November.  Deeper waters, especially near drop-offs, always make me feel uncomfortable in “Shark Season”. 

Third, I use different techniques when diving deep than when diving shallow.  When diving deep, I dive fewer times per hour and stay down longer, trying to be on the bottom as much time as possible without wasting my energy going up and down.  Diving in deeper water has other drawbacks.  Usually a diver cannot see the bottom from the surface so he dives blind, hoping to land in good terrain.  In contrast, when I am working in shallow water, I dive many more times per hour and stay down for shorter periods of time.  Again, this is an attempt to maximize bottom time, minimize recovery time and cover as much bottom terrain as possible.

After considering the time of the year, I usually make the depth decision based on ocean conditions.  If the surf is larger, I will dive deeper.  If the surf is medium, I will dive medium depths.  If the surf is flat, I will dive in shallower water.  I find the shallower water, usually in the surf zone, to be very productive because it is most often not diveable when waves are breaking over it and oftentimes overlooked by most divers.  Also, most divers don’t like diving this zone because it is very washy and can make them seasick.

HUNT FOR TERRAIN

The most important aspect of trophy hunting is looking for the “right” abalone habitat.  The first thing to look for is a rocky substrate with food (kelp for more mature abalone and algae for newly formed abalone that have just settled to the bottom).  Having said this, sometimes I find areas that look perfect for abalone and I find none.  Other times, I see abalones half buried in the sand or in areas where there does not seem to be much food.  Abalones don’t always live in the seemingly most hospitable habitat.  It is easy to look for kelp beds and rocky reefs from the shore, but unless a diver gets into the water and explores he will miss the less obvious underwater structures that are more likely to hold larger abalones.  To find trophies you need to get into the water, cover a lot of terrain and look for the “right” habitat.  Many times the larger abalones are found in less hospitable terrain and in areas with lower than usual abalone density.  It seems like the big ones are either by themselves or near small groups of a few abalones.  If you find an abalone in an area with very low population density (no matter the size), always search the area thoroughly, within a 10’ radius, until you find the bigger old-timers that are likely nearby.  My experience is that abalones tend to congregate, especially in areas where overall densities are low.  The reason for this might be for breeding, protection or food flow.  I don’t think anyone knows for sure.

LOOK FOR PROTECTED HABITAT

Many trophy hunters that I know spend a lot of time diving to look for habitat that is not visible from the surface.  They dive many hours and cover a lot of ground.  When I look for terrain, I look for protection from waves and predators, places like small caves, narrow slits and undercuts.  In shallow water, abalone need to be wedged into small cracks or in small caves to protect themselves from the wave action which can wash them off of their rocks.  In deeper water, abalones generally seem to be more exposed because they are not as susceptible to waves.  I have seen hundreds of abalone washed up onto the shore and into tide pools during winter storm periods of high surf.  This is because they have migrated too far into the surf zone without enough protection.

Another factor to look for when searching terrain is shifting sand.  An area that fills in with sand during certain times of the year will never support abalone even though it looks good when you are there.  Generally there is more sand in a cove during the late summer and early fall than the winter, spring and early summer.

DIVING EQUIPMENT

I wear a 7 mm Picasso wetsuit.  It consists of two pieces: a farmer John and a top with attached hood.  There are no zippers and it is very flexible so I am able to contort my body as necessary without letting cold water into my suit.  Of course good quality gloves and booties are also a must for warmth.  When selecting a mask, fins and snorkel, my suggestion is to go with what fits and feels best.  Comfort is a key to being able to relax and maximize bottom time while abalone diving.  I also carry a small, sharp dive knife attached to the chest of my wetsuit for easy access in case I get tangled in something (kelp, fishing line, netting, etc.)  I carry a small flashlight so that I can look into caves and under rocks.  Lights are important when diving deeper, under kelp or in murky water.  I almost always dive with a light on my left wrist, a ten-inch gauge on my right wrist and my abalone iron stuck into my weight belt with a 45’ float line attached to it.  At the top of the float line, I attach a small float capable of supporting a limit of abalone in my game bag hung beneath it.  All of my equipment is as streamlined to my body as possible.  I try to make myself seal-like in form so that nothing can get caught on my equipment or body.  Oh, and don’t forget, starting in 2008, you must take your abalone report card, a pen and ties into the water with you while diving.  According to the new laws you must fill out the card and the tag and then attach a tag to each abalone with the tie, as soon as you reach the beach.

DIVING TECHNIQUES

When hunting, if I find good terrain or see an abalone that I want to measure, I pull my abalone iron out of my weight belt and leave it on the bottom.  Then I surface, plan my next dive and get a good breath of air before descending, following the floating line back to my abalone iron.  If I see a trophy abalone that I think may be difficult to extract, I may dive several more times to best plan my approach so that I don’t damage the abalone or allow him to clamp down before I can get my iron under him.  When planning subsequent dives, you must be careful not to let the abalone know you are there.  They have eyes and can detect light, shadows, and water movement.  Not only will abalones clamp to rocks if they sense you, but sometimes they will even “run” to the back of a crevice, making extraction more difficult.

ALWAYS LOOK UP

When looking in crevices and caves, always look under rocks.  Most of the trophy abalones that I have found are attached to the tops of crevices or under rocks and are upside down.  To see these abalones requires that you get flat to the bottom, sometimes on your back, and look up.

ONLY TAKE WHAT YOU CAN EAT

Trophy hunting is much different than meat hunting.  In some of the places that I dive, a person can literally make one descent, pick a limit of abalones and return to the shore within 10 minutes.  This is meat hunting.  When I trophy hunt, I usually stay in the water 1-2 hours and many times never take an abalone.  Sometimes, like a few other trophy hunters that I know, I will find a 10-incher that looks young, healthy and seems to be “streaking” in growth, and I will leave it to grow some more.  He will be there next year and he will be even bigger!

Good luck, have fun and be safe.

Jack Likins

SENIOR TROPHY DIVERS (over 60)

                                         Eric Anderson

 Ten rules on how not to look or act when diving with the young pack.

1. Putting on dive gear….When bending over to put on your wetsuit, booties, fins, etc. Never grunt or groan. Many older divers have this habit. Smile and pretend it doesn’t hurt.

1.  Mouth shut…..Many older divers walk and sit with their mouths open. Do not open your mouth until you are ready to put in your snorkel.

1. Hearing problem….If you can’t make out all of the conversation going on between other divers. Never, never turn an ear towards the speaker and say HUH? A sure sign of age.

1. Gloating….If your abs, fish, scallops are larger than the young divers just make sure they see that they are bigger. A smile will do the trick, words are not necessary.

1. Good old days….Never refer to diving being so much better in the good old days. This is a trick of the non-productive senior divers.

1. Stand erect and straight….Many senior divers slump their shoulders and hang their heads downward. This is a big no no. Walk tall.

1. Be involved with choices….Don’t let young divers take control of everything. You should be heard.

1. Choice of dive gear …. We all have our favorite dive gear. Never tell a young diver which gear is better. It’s okay to explain to them your choice, but only if they ask.

1. CFG abalone tags…. Never ask for help reading or filling out the data on the ab cards.  Have your glasses with you (on your float), or better yet wear contact lens. (the youngsters won’t even know if you have on contacts)

1. Physically fit….Keep in shape. This probably is the most important of the 10 rules. With knowledge, experience, and staying physically fit you’ll have the edge.

…………………………………………………………………      *Exception to the rules….It’s okay to have young divers carry your weight belt to and from the dive site..

Trophy Abalone Hunting