Upcoming urchin dives

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Hi Eric,
Thanks for looking into this! So are you thinking of restarting dives sometime in say April or so? I am subscribed to Seals Watersports's email updates but haven't heard if Jennifer is doing any more dives yet.

Look forward to some urchin crushing!!
We’re keeping an eye on it. I just talked to Jennifer yesterday and we both agreed all this rain and storms is going to continually move things forward until we get a break. As soon as we get a dive planned I will post it and you will also get an email alert from Seal’s.
Thank you so much for your inquiry.
 
I should also add that Josh Russo of the Waterman’s Alliance is also planning crushing dives up at Caspar cove. Caspar is one of two places in California that allow crushing. Seal’s sent out a bulletin about it, I don’t know if any of you got it.

Keep in mind that all these dives I’m planning at Stillwater Cove are collection dives only. We are not authorized by DFW to do any crushing (culling).
 
Thanks for the update, Eric!

Yep, I got the mail regarding the Waterman's alliance from Seal's.
Good point regarding collecting vs crushing, I hadn't picked up on that nuance. What equipment would be needed for crushing, do you happen to know?
 
Thanks for the update, Eric!

Yep, I got the mail regarding the Waterman's alliance from Seal's.
Good point regarding collecting vs crushing, I hadn't picked up on that nuance. What equipment would be needed for crushing, do you happen to know?
I think the hammer they all decided on was an all-metal welding slag hammer. In my mind I think the handle is too short and a good way to inadvertently get a few urchin spines into the back side of your fingers, but they seem to like it.
I have used a longer handled ball peen hammer that I got at Harbor Freight and it worked pretty good. You can also use it as a butting hammer (tamping) along with swinging it. A variety if different techniques avoids fatigue. A pointy ended hammer does have an advantage though in that you can reach into cracks to smash them.
Jennifer uses a pointy ice hammer.
Another pointy style hammer would be an auto body pick hammer.
 
Just looping back to bump this thread :)

I know that there is a crushing dive happening at Caspar Cove the last weekend of April (29 and 30). How are things looking at Stillwater Cove? Have you been up there yet? @Eric Sedletzky
 
Just looping back to bump this thread :)

I know that there is a crushing dive happening at Caspar Cove the last weekend of April (29 and 30). How are things looking at Stillwater Cove? Have you been up there yet? @Eric Sedletzky
I have not had time to get in then water yet.
Conditions seem to be blown out more than they’re not. I’m going to be working several weekends coming up to try and catch up on work that I couldn’t do when it was storming.
As soon as I take a peek you’ll know.
 
Hi all,
I’m looking at future dates for more purple urchin removal dives at Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Sonoma County.
With this latest series of storms coming through it doesn’t look good for January.
I’ll keep an eye on February and post it up if and when it looks like it will happen.
I’ll use this thread for all future urchin removal dives so I won’t have to start a new thread every time.
Meanwhile, we can have a discussion on anything related to urchin diving.

A few things I want to go over for those that are new and want to take part:

You will need a valid CA fishing license. Don’t forget you will also need an ocean enhancement stamp. I just got mine and the total was $65.32

You will also need at least one large green Trident mesh game bag. I have two green bags and a yellow bag, which is one step smaller than the green bag. I can fill all three bags on one dive and have a limit.

You will also need a 50# lift bag to get the urchin bags to the surface so you can float them in. I have an XS Scuba lift bag that I got at Seal’s Watersports in Santa Rosa. Get the deluxe bag because it has a few options to inflate it plus it has a nice big pull dump and they are rugged.
I clip all three bags onto the lift bag and send them up then float them to the beach.
If anyone is unfamiliar with how to use a lift bag, I can explain it, or we can do a dive together and I’ll show you how I do it.

You will need a few containers to put all the urchins in. The limit is 40 gallons if whole purple urchins. I use two 20 gallon Brute trash cans. It is important to have measurable containers so you know when you have reached your limit, and so you can transport them.
I have another eight spare 5 gallon plastic buckets that can be used to measure and contain a limit.
I can probably get more free buckets if anybody needs them.

I have a hand truck to get the containers if urchins from the beach/staging area to the parking area.
I have to think of everything when it comes to logistics. Containers of urchins are heavy!

I would also like to get a hanging scale to weight the bags of urchins as they come in. The Department if Fish and Wildlife would appreciate a report on the poundage and quantity plus the location where urchins are taken so they can use the data for their own purposes. I will be more than happy to supply this information to them.
A data sheet on a clip board with a volunteer taking notes would also be great! if anybody knows someone that would like to help out as surface support that would be fantastic! It could be a non diver.

Also, we need to think about how the urchins get transported and where do they go?
I have a pick up truck and I haul my own urchins.
I have been working on places and people to give the urchins to. The rest go into the green compost can. Many are inedible because they either have very little roe or they are too small.
I suggest contacting people you know and offering free uni to anybody who wants it.
I’ve offered them to the local asian community in our area (free urchins!!) and they are thrilled. The Asian cultures value uni very much so they are very happy to get it. Others are hit and mis, but I spread the information out there none the less.

The rules:
There are only two locations in California that are open to unlimited take of purple sea urchin and also culling (smashing).
One is Caspar Cove in Mendocino County, and the other is Tankers Reef in Monterey County. No other locations allow culling or unlimited take.

In Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt Counties the limit is 40 gallons per day of whole purple urchins. There is no possession limit.
All other species of urchins the limit is 35.
I will go over the difference if anybody is interested but it’s pretty obvious.

Again, we will be concentrating our efforts at Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Sonoma County.
They have bathrooms, picnic tables, and barbecues.
There is a day use parking lot up across the highway in the northwest corner if the campground. The parking fee for the day is $7 unless you have a park pass, then it’s free.
There is also a turn out along hwy 1 right above the cove that is free, but it fills up quickly. And can hold only about 6-8 cars.

Bring everything you think you will need because the closest dive shop is an hour and a half away in Santa Rosa.

Thank you for reading, I hope everyone is getting excited to do this!
This is really important work and I sincerely appreciate all the help I can get!
Thank you so much!

Cheers!
I would like to join any upcoming urchin dive events.
 
Hi all,
I’m looking at future dates for more purple urchin removal dives at Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Sonoma County.
With this latest series of storms coming through it doesn’t look good for January.
I’ll keep an eye on February and post it up if and when it looks like it will happen.
I’ll use this thread for all future urchin removal dives so I won’t have to start a new thread every time.
Meanwhile, we can have a discussion on anything related to urchin diving.

A few things I want to go over for those that are new and want to take part:

You will need a valid CA fishing license. Don’t forget you will also need an ocean enhancement stamp. I just got mine and the total was $65.32

You will also need at least one large green Trident mesh game bag. I have two green bags and a yellow bag, which is one step smaller than the green bag. I can fill all three bags on one dive and have a limit.

You will also need a 50# lift bag to get the urchin bags to the surface so you can float them in. I have an XS Scuba lift bag that I got at Seal’s Watersports in Santa Rosa. Get the deluxe bag because it has a few options to inflate it plus it has a nice big pull dump and they are rugged.
I clip all three bags onto the lift bag and send them up then float them to the beach.
If anyone is unfamiliar with how to use a lift bag, I can explain it, or we can do a dive together and I’ll show you how I do it.

You will need a few containers to put all the urchins in. The limit is 40 gallons if whole purple urchins. I use two 20 gallon Brute trash cans. It is important to have measurable containers so you know when you have reached your limit, and so you can transport them.
I have another eight spare 5 gallon plastic buckets that can be used to measure and contain a limit.
I can probably get more free buckets if anybody needs them.

I have a hand truck to get the containers if urchins from the beach/staging area to the parking area.
I have to think of everything when it comes to logistics. Containers of urchins are heavy!

I would also like to get a hanging scale to weight the bags of urchins as they come in. The Department if Fish and Wildlife would appreciate a report on the poundage and quantity plus the location where urchins are taken so they can use the data for their own purposes. I will be more than happy to supply this information to them.
A data sheet on a clip board with a volunteer taking notes would also be great! if anybody knows someone that would like to help out as surface support that would be fantastic! It could be a non diver.

Also, we need to think about how the urchins get transported and where do they go?
I have a pick up truck and I haul my own urchins.
I have been working on places and people to give the urchins to. The rest go into the green compost can. Many are inedible because they either have very little roe or they are too small.
I suggest contacting people you know and offering free uni to anybody who wants it.
I’ve offered them to the local asian community in our area (free urchins!!) and they are thrilled. The Asian cultures value uni very much so they are very happy to get it. Others are hit and mis, but I spread the information out there none the less.

The rules:
There are only two locations in California that are open to unlimited take of purple sea urchin and also culling (smashing).
One is Caspar Cove in Mendocino County, and the other is Tankers Reef in Monterey County. No other locations allow culling or unlimited take.

In Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt Counties the limit is 40 gallons per day of whole purple urchins. There is no possession limit.
All other species of urchins the limit is 35.
I will go over the difference if anybody is interested but it’s pretty obvious.

Again, we will be concentrating our efforts at Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Sonoma County.
They have bathrooms, picnic tables, and barbecues.
There is a day use parking lot up across the highway in the northwest corner if the campground. The parking fee for the day is $7 unless you have a park pass, then it’s free.
There is also a turn out along hwy 1 right above the cove that is free, but it fills up quickly. And can hold only about 6-8 cars.

Bring everything you think you will need because the closest dive shop is an hour and a half away in Santa Rosa.

Thank you for reading, I hope everyone is getting excited to do this!
This is really important work and I sincerely appreciate all the help I can get!
Thank you so much!

Cheers!
Eric If you are scheduling any more of these events in 2023 I'd like to join in the festivities
 

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