Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
….for urchin removal dives anyway off the beach.
Yesterday (Sunday 10/15/2023) we did another purple urchin removal dive at Stillwater Cove in Sonoma County. Forget about the location though, it’s not about the location but more about large seas, breaking waves, shore surge and my gear choices to be able to best handle that.
Yesterday the cove did not live up to it’s name “Stillwater” It was anything but… it was sporty. There was a long interval south swell coming in plus a west swell forecasted at 4’-6’.
Combine that with an incoming tide and it was pretty healthy.
I looked at it for a while to see a pattern and finally decided to give it shot.
I didn’t bring my wing because I get sick if cleaning something that I don’t use anyway for these shallow dives. It’s just more wear and tear, possible urchin spine holes to fix, and I have to clean it.
I had to gear up fully on the beach with fins on and then side step into the water. As the sets came in I’d get low and brace myself, then as the water rushed out to sea again I’d walk more. As soon as I was about waist high I flopped in and went straight down to the bottom so the waves would go over me. I used my compass to make sure I was headed in the right direction. The surge pulled me out and I would haul ass like a drift dive, then when the surge would reverse direction I would grab a boulder and hang on so I wouldn’t lose ground. So basically I left all the drama on the surface and just went out underneath it all.
I went out, filled up my urchin bags, took a compass reading for shore and did the same thing back in. I went all the way in on the bottom and crawled out on hands and knees with reg in mouth Monastery style. I did raise the bags with a lift bag and float them in and was able to hang onto the bottom corner of one bag by a stainless carabeaner I had on it so I could stay under. As I approached the beach the surge and beach break took the bags away from me and shore support got them out.
I came to realize that a wing would have been counter productive for such a dive. Air in BC’s are a major factor in divers getting slammed on beaches. Now I know some if you lake and quarry divers are reading this and your eyes are glazing over, and some if you are shaking your heads thinking this guy is nuts! But it’s true.
So no more wings or bc for me on these dives. Don’t need it.
Yesterday (Sunday 10/15/2023) we did another purple urchin removal dive at Stillwater Cove in Sonoma County. Forget about the location though, it’s not about the location but more about large seas, breaking waves, shore surge and my gear choices to be able to best handle that.
Yesterday the cove did not live up to it’s name “Stillwater” It was anything but… it was sporty. There was a long interval south swell coming in plus a west swell forecasted at 4’-6’.
Combine that with an incoming tide and it was pretty healthy.
I looked at it for a while to see a pattern and finally decided to give it shot.
I didn’t bring my wing because I get sick if cleaning something that I don’t use anyway for these shallow dives. It’s just more wear and tear, possible urchin spine holes to fix, and I have to clean it.
I had to gear up fully on the beach with fins on and then side step into the water. As the sets came in I’d get low and brace myself, then as the water rushed out to sea again I’d walk more. As soon as I was about waist high I flopped in and went straight down to the bottom so the waves would go over me. I used my compass to make sure I was headed in the right direction. The surge pulled me out and I would haul ass like a drift dive, then when the surge would reverse direction I would grab a boulder and hang on so I wouldn’t lose ground. So basically I left all the drama on the surface and just went out underneath it all.
I went out, filled up my urchin bags, took a compass reading for shore and did the same thing back in. I went all the way in on the bottom and crawled out on hands and knees with reg in mouth Monastery style. I did raise the bags with a lift bag and float them in and was able to hang onto the bottom corner of one bag by a stainless carabeaner I had on it so I could stay under. As I approached the beach the surge and beach break took the bags away from me and shore support got them out.
I came to realize that a wing would have been counter productive for such a dive. Air in BC’s are a major factor in divers getting slammed on beaches. Now I know some if you lake and quarry divers are reading this and your eyes are glazing over, and some if you are shaking your heads thinking this guy is nuts! But it’s true.
So no more wings or bc for me on these dives. Don’t need it.
) favorite dive shop gave me. I sand blasted it and painted it and sent it to hydro. It passed with flying colors. 
