Posted by Glenn on October 02, 2000 at 21:12:36:
In Reply to: scallop gathering... posted by kelphead on September 27, 2000 at 23:16:20:
I used to just pry them off the rock with my trusty US Divers "broadsword" dive knife or an ab bar. Then I found that was too labor intensive and made for a heavy catch bag.
What I then went to was to bring a small flexible blade boning knife on the dive. I would shove my big dive knife into the scallop before it closed fully, leaving enough space to manipulate the boning knife along the inside edge of the shell to cut the medalion loose.
The only problem I've foung with the latter method is the damn ghirabaldi swarms that will follow you around. If you don't have a good hold of the medalion when you remove it, it can dissapear in a streak of orange.
If you bring scallops back up intact be very careful in handling them. One of the members on a trip I was on got a spectacular blood blister on his palm when one snapped shut on him. And there are also the numerous nicks from knife blades.