Easy Pickin's
My first abalone was near a place called "little hubcap." I'm not sure exactly why it was called "little hubcap," what I have heard is that the name came about because someone, probably after drinking a few beers, once thought a round abalone shell looked like a hub cap. Anyways, I was only nine at the time... My father and all of his buddies were out rock picking and diving. It's funny to think how much work is put into rock picking when diving is so much easier. Since I was only a kid I didn't get near the water much though I did love climbing around the rocks in my shoes and jeans. Well low and behold I looked under a rock and found a seven and half inch abalone moving along a flat surface. So, I picked it up with ease, no iron. I then waved it in the air yelling to my dad, who was working hard on a rock, "I found an ab!" He just look over with a puzzle on his face.
~David
rock pickers
ya know, whenever i see a rock picker i wanna just yell out to "man up" and get wet.. it IS way easier.. not easy, but definitely easier to dive than rock pick.. when ya rock pick, its usually during a low(er) tide so ya gotta scramble for hours over ankle-spraining wet rocks covered in moss, feeling under rocks for abs....
and, when you hear about people dying abalone diving, most the time its some rock picker who is out there in a 4/3 wetsuit, no mask, no snorkel or fins who gets swept up in a wave and pulled out to sea.
its safer, easier and way more fun to grab your iron and get wet!
Diving verses Rock picking.
In my mind it takes a totally diferent kind of ab hunter to enjoy rock picking. You are limited to when the tides are low and like bigfoot said you have to go walk and slither around on all that anckle breaking rocks and kelp. Plus I feel it is a whole lot more work, But to each their own, everybody has deffernt level of enjoyment and what they are looking to achive, all that maters is that you are enjoying the sport at what ever level like. JUST HAVE FUN! MOTO "My worst day diving is still better than my best day at work"