Posted by JRM on April 23, 2001 at 12:55:30:
In Reply to: OK Curt quid pro quo! posted by RaiderKar on April 23, 2001 at 11:48:29:
Shh, I'll tell you all my secret ab spots. OK, you have to torch your computer after reading this though
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EVERYWHERE!!!!
The real trick is to go where no-one else goes. This generally involves someplace difficult to get to. Generally when I ab, we have a few spots that require rapelling and ascending the rope afterwards. And we get *big* abs. Last trip of the season last year I bagged a limit that were legal sideways. The biggest one was less than 25 ft off the rocks, and less than 15 ft deep. Just look for a good spot, then tie off to the drainage culverts (all over the north coast, due to slope mobilization problems). Of course, rapping down in a wetsuit does pose problems (be *very* carefull to avoid friction, neoprene melts *easy*). Of course, ascending with a weight belt and abs isn't terribly great either, but still weighs less than the average backpack.
So, go where the people don't. If it looks easy, it is, and is most likely picked over. I limited out at Jughandle once last year, only by pure luck. Due to time constraints, we had a whole 20 minutes in the water (this is what happens when you bum ab diving trips off a charter pilot). Everything was pretty picked clean (there were some legals, but all small), and I got lucky in some deeper water. But Jughandle is one of those "easy access" places, and sometimes you have to get in line to swim out.
BTW, if any of you SoCal people are on your way up north, come by and pick me up, and I'll bring all the gear to get us some "big" abs. Fresno isn't that far out of the way :-) We do several "ab raid" one day dive trips (leave at 3:am, back by 10:pm) each year.
JRM
-- There's been much argument about reducing the ab take. I fully support reducing yearly limits. What on earth does anyone need 100 abs per year for? If I pick 25 per year I'm stoked. Write letters to the RAC and DFG, 4 per day / 25 per year. Don't let them lower the daily limit, cause I get enough grief going that far for four!