Happy Birthday! – Abalone Diving Near-Death Experience –

April 30th, 2009

Abalone Dive Site - Northern California Coast

 

It turns out that the last day of my 36th year was nearly my last.  Below is the account of my Abalone Diving experience from last weekend (April25-26).  I have been diving for 13 years now, and never have I had such a frightening, life-changing experience. Enjoy the read and the insights that may come of it.

 

 

Thursday April 23rd   

On Thursday I called Robert at Diver’s Cove to check on gear availability and to see if he would still help me 5 minutes after he was supposed to be closed at 6.  The vibe was right on – “I’ll hook you up bro.” Sweet. I arrived with a 6 pack and checked the gear. Full 2 piece wetsuit, booties, “special ab-catcher” fins, gloves, hoodie, mask, snorkel and 24 lb weight belt – CHECK.  It goes along with the rest of the gear I own – Abalone Sizer, Ab-Bar, Waterproof tag case, Floatie, rope and tubes. CHECK.

Friday April 24th

 Friday turned out to be a very productive work day and the launch from Sacramento to the North Coast was delayed.  Holly and I got in to the packed Tahoe to finally drive away. Click. Click. click click click click click. No start! Dead Battery?  Well we decided not to trouble shoot the problem and transferred all the gear into Holly’s wagon-rig. Repacked. “Is this some sort of a weird sign telling us we weren’t supposed to go? Or just a challenge to be overcome to reach our objective?” I would ask myself this question several times on various occasions over the next 14 hours leading up to the dive.

Holly and I acquired a few last minute supplies – groceries, fishing license, Ab License and tags – CHECK – and headed out on the 3 hour drive, finishing up Highway 1 on the California coast. We arrived at the camp site just after dark and were greeted by Fessler, Danielle and a warm fire.   Paul and Cathy arrived a short while later and after some late night catch up – we realized that Paul had forgotten one critical piece of gear – his mask!  This was quite odd as Paul is very particular about ALL his gear. In our 13 years of diving together, I’ve never seen him forget a thing. Another sign? The auditor in him came out, “Even if you have done something 1000 times that physical checklist can make all the difference.” UNCHECK.

Saturday, April 25th

Morning came quickly and after a “cross-your fingers and hope the guy in the trailer park is open at 7:30 AM” stop, we got Paul’s mask and headed to the ocean. Lucky-CHECK.

On the walk down to the ocean my mind began to rise with a mixture of fear and anticipation.  Why had I not made it to the pool last week to practice my diving!?  There’s one thing I can say about abalone diving – it’s scary as hell. I’m not a natural water person – I prefer the mountains.  This is one of my personal “stretch-challenges.”  It puts me well into the growth zone every time. In fact, every time I dive I get nervous – and for good reason.  Abalone diving is a VERY dangerous sport. Try combining a rocky shoreline, massive kelp fields, powerful waves, rip tides and one of the largest Great White Shark breeding grounds in the world which is 20 miles off the coast. Just like anything, there are lots of factors and techniques when ab diving that will increase the odds of your safety.  And when I dive with Paul, we stack as many of those odds in our favor. And like much of life, you can’t always control ALL the variables. I ALWAYS have gone with Paul, and it’s a good thing I did again this year.

Missing License – ANOTHER SIGN?

We made it to the overlook and the tide was actually looking quite good when we arrived. Even though it was getting on the late side, I felt good when I looked at the tide level.  I got all suited up, which is a task all in itself, and went through my final check.  “Where’s my Tag Case with the license?” I must have left it in the car!  … a quarter mile back up the rock trail… You might think that not having a license is no big deal, but would you want to risk a $10,000 fine for pulling an ab without a license?

 After 15 minutes I began to realize that Holly hadn’t found the case, so I sprinted up to the car (in my full wet-suit).  NO-CHECK.  It must have been back at the camp site (10 minute drive).  ANOTHER SIGN?  Holly drove like a champion speed racer and we got the case and were back down to the water 30 minutes later.  By this time the tide had come in some and the water was starting to get a bit rougher – it was about 10 AM, which is the time historically we are finished. WHY? Because after about 10 AM the ocean typically gets rougher, the waves get bigger and the visibility gets worse.

I was finally almost ready until the strap on my fin kept malfunctioning… What next?!  

Paul “Magivered” the fin and we finished our final pre-dive review. I told Paul I was feeling tired from the lack of sleep, the sprinting back and forth to get my license and messing with my fins.  We both recognized that the water was getting rougher. Paul:  “Let’s just get the limit and get out.  And remember, if you have any trouble, pop the weight belt!”    Tim: “Let’s do it!”

I have been diving about once a year for the past 13 years.  This year just seemed different. Was I not as prepared? Were there too many signs not to listen to? Was it just fear rearing its ugly head? Out of the comfort zone? CHECK!

The Dive - Paul Dickey and Tim Walther

The Dive - Paul Dickey and Tim Walther

 

THE DIVE

We picked our way through the mine-field of rocks and the crashing set of waves, which seemed much bigger than they looked from the shore. I pumped the fins and cut through the kelp.  The ocean pushed back. It seemed as if the ocean flipped the switch just as we entered and the volume and intensity was dialed up about 11 notches.  Bigger, stronger waves. Stay Calm. Breathe.  Swing strong! Stay Calm. Breathe. Just getting past the breakers was exhausting.  Paul set the anchor near the rock-breaker with powerful, surging, pounding waves.  The visibility was poor and all that could be seen from the surface was a swirling foam of white. I balanced on the top of the floatie trying to catch my breath. Paul shouted out to me, “You have to dive down! You can’t see anything from the surface!”  I nodded in agreement and went down for my first dive. About 15 down the pressure came surging in my head.  I took a quick glance around at the swirling underwater world and went back up immediately.  Back on the floatie to catch my breath… again. Thank goodness for the floatie!  After a minute I mustered up the strength for my next dive and went all in.  I cranked my fins so hard that this time, on my way down, I felt my hamstring pop.  OW! Damn.  I shook off the new injury and went down again, this time I saw one. I immediately swam to it and in my rush, all my ab-bar popping technique went out the window. The wrong angle and the ab locked onto the rock. I gunned it back to the surface and big breaths to regain my wind. I began to wonder whether I would be able to do it. I was tired and getting more tired with each dive. Down again – this dime for a longer dive. I swam along the ocean floor past huge rocks toward a kelp field and when the waves surged, a huge ab revealed itself. Diving through or under kelp is a dangerous proposition 20 feet under for obvious reasons.  I figured I had about 15 seconds left in my lungs, calculated the strategy, planned the angle and went for it. I angled the ab bar and got the pop – off came the abalone. I grabbed it like a greased watermelon and bolted toward the top. Gasping for air, I felt a surge of relief as I held up my first catch.  It wasn’t exactly enormous, but did meet the legal limit. One in the bag. 

ab diving

ab diving

 

As I rested another minute the waves continued to increase in size and intensity. The size of the big-wave sets grew larger and the time between sets was decreasing.   The sound of the waves crashing on the nearby rocks was deafening.  I dove again. And again. And again. On my fifth or so dive I got another ab. However, this one was a hair too small. No dice.  I dove again and this time held my breath so long that I came up gasping for air and to get on the floatie, which Paul was resting on. As I thrashed to get on the floatie, I mistakenly hit Paul in the head with my Ab bar! “AHHHH!!!! Am I bleeding?!” Paul’s voice was in panic as he felt his head for blood.  I yelled out to him over the pounding waves, “No Blood Man – I’m sorry man – I’m getting tired!” Paul: “Get the limit and let’s get out of here!”   I released the floatie and swam away to another spot about 20 feeet or so away. 20 feet led to 30 feet, which led to 40 and 50 feet.  I was burning energy and oxygen RAMPIDLY.  But I wanted my limit – 3 abalone.   In one massive diving effort I scored two abalone at once! I came up breathing hard and my lungs felt like they were on fire. 

STRUGGLE for LIFE

I kept kicking and headed back toward the floatie, which was now some 50 feet away, AGAINST the tide current.  As I held the abs I tried to keep my eyes on the floatie and kicked hard.  My snorkel-breathing was extremely heavy. I was exhausted.  BIG TIME.  I was trying to hold onto my abs and had to get to the floatie and rest!  20 leg strokes later I looked up to check my progress and I was in nearly the same place that I was in when I began.  The current was too strong to make it back to the floatie. As I came to this realization I dropped the two abalone and began to swim with everything I had for the floatie.  The waves had picked up and were surging and crashing and it felt like I was getting pulled out into the sea.  As my predicament became vividly apparent, a sense of panic began to take over me. Like I have never felt before, I had a flash of total helplessness.  My head had an eerie hot-flash feeling from the lack of oxygen and I began to gasp for air. The floatie looked like it was a mile away. Would I be able to make it?  I repeated my words to myself “Stay Calm. Breathe.”

I spotted Paul, spit out my snorkel and, while using more energy, waved my florescent ab bar back and forth frantically, yelling out to him. “Paul! Help! Get the float!” Could he see the panic in my eyes some 40 feet away?  Did he even know how much I was struggling? I couldn’t tell. Paul dove down again. He came up closer to the float this time and looked over to me. I screamed and waved again, and this time as I did a wave surged and I inhaled a gulp of salt ocean water and began to cough violently. I struggled to put the snorkel back in while kicking to maintain buoyancy. And for whatever reason, the simple act of popping my weight belt did not enter my mind. I had never been in this situation before, and it wasn’t an immediate second nature emergency response. And because it didn’t pop the weight belt, I continued to struggle, and to sink back down into the ocean. I thought I was done.

I mustered every ounce of strength to re-gain my breathing and paddle to stay afloat. I am NOT going to die!  The battle continued and finally Paul had made it to the floats!   How had he done it? Later I would find out that he had dove down to the bottom of the ocean some 30 feet down, enough to avert the powerful top current, and travelled along the ocean floor under pulling on rocks and kelp to get back to the float.

Even though he had made it, the struggle continued. It turns out that the anchor was stuck – and after more ocean bottom diving to try and release it, he managed to unattach the anchor and finally swim toward me. I was on my last breaths when we re-connected.  I grabbed the float and a feeling of gratitude like I have never felt before flowed over me. Behind my mask tears rolled out of my eyes. When I could finally speak, the only words I could muster were, “You saved my life.”

Exhausted - and ALIVE

Exhausted - and ALIVE

 

PROCESSING LESSONS LEARNED

I am still reflecting and processing this experience.  I have had many “on the edge” experiences in my adventurous life and this was, without a doubt at the top of the scariest, most life-threatening moments I have ever had. I had nearly drowned abalone diving. I was nearly another statistic.

So what do you do with an experience like this?  My initial comment to Paul as I sat on the shore pondering was that this experience had set me back 5 years in my abalone diving. I said this because it had instilled a fear in me that I wasn’t sure if I could get over – and I couldn’t tell how it would impact my desire to dive in the future. Paul’s comment was that it had actually ADVANCED my ab diving by 2 years.  Not sure how he picked that number really, but what’s the point? When you live through an experience then you actually GAIN years of experience when it is processed effectively. In that moment, Paul had helped me to REFRAME THE EXPERIENCE.  That’s what good friends do for each other.  

The question then becomes, how can I use my experience to my advantage? The simple process begins by asking, “What did I learn, and how can I apply that learning?” Well there are several technical diving details, but what I will say is that the PRACTICE of popping the weight belt in an emergency is something that you can’t do often enough.  It just needs to be ingrained that it becomes UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENT and an immediate reaction in an emergency. Any struggle = POP THE WEIGHT BELT!  Period. No questions. Had I done that immediately I would have been telling a different story right now.

THE SIGNS?  Hind sight is 20-20.  But what about all the signs? My car not starting, Paul forgetting his mask, me forgetting my license, and all of that leading to a delayed start.  At what point do you read the “signs” of life or just consider events obstacles to be overcome?   If you are reading this you probably know that I am a highly DOMINANT DiSC style and that I indeed see most things as challenges to be overcome, and I find great enjoyment in overcoming them. However, there is a fine line in the analysis of the universal energy flow and “indicators” as I call them.  What is the universe trying to tell you? These are the mysteries of life – and answers to which I will continue to SEEK.

LIFE’s GREAT QUESTIONS as you APPROACH DEATH

The bigger picture of things for me is really just sinking in.  What if I had died?  Who are the people who love me? Have I lived full out? What would people say about me at my funeral? Was I a positive impact in this world? Am I dying with honor and respect of those around me?  What legacy am I leaving? These are questions I have only began to process.

THANK YOU – I LOVE YOU ALL –   Paulo- I love you man, thanks for saving my life – again!  Holly, you’re beautiful and I love you too.  Thanks for for everything you do, and for drumming me while I dove, that might have just saved my life too. To all of you who sent me birthday wishes – THANKYOU!  To anyone I have met, I pray you have been influenced positively by me. And for those I have yet to meet, i love you too!

I could continue on, but for now, I will let this lie for a little while.  Please let me know any thoughts you might have. Thanks for reading and I encourage you to consider how my experience may relate to YOUR LIFE.  What are some lessons you might be able to take from this?  I wonder…

If you want more info about what Abalone is, go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abalone If you want some info about recent deaths, go here:  http://sonic.net/~rocky/deathidx.htm\

  

32 Responses to “Happy Birthday! – Abalone Diving Near-Death Experience –”

  1. Kristin Wood Says:

    WOW, now that is experiential learning at it’s finest! It all is!!!

    I experienced both sides of the coin while abalone diving. I was rescued and I did a little saving as well.

    The great questions are what it is all about. Although, I believe it should be phrased…”APPROACH your life with GREAT QUESTIONS.” My touches with DEATH in LIFE deepen my appreciation for my life’s experiences and re-calibrate my path quickly when off course.

    Recently, I took a big 180 in my car on a busy HWY here in Sacramento across a couple of lanes on a rainy day. I knew by the peace I had inside that I have been approaching my life with great questions. I did my best to keep the car under control but as I hydroplaned I knew in fact I was not. I knew any minute a semi could be striking my car. I relaxed and I said with a smile “okay God, it’s your game now.” I never thought once…did I tell my daughter she was loved? I knew she knew. I felt no regrets boil up. With a smile I went about my day! I do have to admit the trees seems a bit greener and the sky a bit more radiant. :)

    Know what is really beautiful? The person (spirit) behind the analysis. Wow-Wee.

    Namaste Tim! Glad we still have you here to share your spirit.

    Holly & Tim sounds like two precious jewels in your crown!

  2. Tim Walther Says:

    Wow Kristin – thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate your perspective on the spirit behind the analysis and your thoughts help me to consider the positives – knowing that I am on the right track!

  3. Paul Dickey Says:

    Tim, great job on capturing the events last weekend. Really inspiring and thrilling story – Gave me flashback images of the waves crashing around us! Truly we’ll remember this life experience for future dives, and look forward to our next Grand Adventure hopefully in the Tetons. Though I’m not keeping score, you’ve saved my life a few times over, so I still owe you my brutha – Love You Always, paul.

  4. Cody McKibben Says:

    I’m just thankful you guys got out safe and came back to us! It’s exciting/scary to read about, Tim, but I know that you’ll only grow from the experience. I’m glad Paul was there to help and that it has added even more to your friendship :)

  5. Craig Imler Says:

    Tim-

    Grateful you made it!
    So your brother once had me way exposed up on a new route on the Grand
    and I felt the same way! I’m a water person and I knew I didn’t have the skills or experience for what we were doing. Fortunatley, we cut the climb short rather than force it.

    Back in the day when I was teaching diving and marine science… and I could free-dive 100′ down (diving in warm clear tropical waters) it was exhilarating and great training to stay calm no matter what. Later, I would be tasked as the diving officer on a month-long Smithsonian expedition to the blue-holes of Belize to keep gung-ho scuba diving scientists within their safe limits and safely exploring deep caves.

    But when you enter cold, murky, rough water with currents and potential predators (that prey on your subconscious!), and w/o scuba gear, you are entering a world that makes it challenging to relax and training is key.

    My take is that your Dominant kicked in, to fight your way back, instead of Stopping and Assessing (“this sucks!”). That would have let you know to give up your destination, (the float), and let yourself go with the current and angle your way to shore downcurrent somewhere and humbly walk or climb (your element) back.

    How often in business is “taking that hill!” not necessarily the best long term strategy as opposed to building support structures, sustainability and avoiding burn-out?

    I appreciated your reflections on your legacy and the gratitude to others your expressed, we can all be more conscious of that!

    Craig Imler

    Some safety observations for any other diving readers if I may:

    If you’re only Ab diving once a year some serious pool/lake training is in order
    prior to taking on the Pacific! Push yourself in a controlled setting with a safety buddy to get the breath-holding skills back. Practice equalizing and ditching the weight belt and clearing the mask over and over agin.

    Good on you and Paul to have a float, but never, ever dive downstream from the float, boat, or any point you want to return to. Always stay upcurrent! And keep your buddy within 10 feet or less in low visibility. This also reduces shark interest, while increasing your personal odds in the event of an aggressive shark (just kidding Paul).

    Remember even in very rough water if you have a snorkel and keep your head in the water and you stop and relax you can float effortlessly. Then you can make a rational choice about losing the weight belt.

    And I agree with Paul, you gained at least 2 years of diving experience!

  6. Scotty Says:

    Thanks for coming back and sharing an amazing piece of writing with us. You’ve got a knack! Super glad you got to exercise it. I hope you can exercise it without such a great stimulus next time…
    Best,
    Scotty

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    Thanks for coming back and sharing an amazing piece of writing with us. You’ve got a knack! Super glad you got to exercise it. I hope you can exercise it without such a great stimulus next time…
    Best,

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  12. Robby Says:

    What I read about your story, tell me, that in the past. I had two near death experience in 1 month.

    The first one, was in waters, that I should have been in the first place. It was in area, that I should have left & went somewhere else, that had better conditions. Instead, I doved in it & got hammered. Took my mask, snokel, & tube on the first big wave, then the next one got me closer to the cliff. I decided, if I didn’t drop the weight belt, that I was going to get slam on to the cliff. I said to myself, “F*&% the weight belt & drop it. My life is worth more than a 100.00+ weight belt. Swam to the nears cove, which was private property. I didn’t care, I climbed up & didn’t care, if they would have called the sheriff on me for trepassing. Is long as I’m safe, I’m cool with it.

    I was divng w/ my old buddy, with some so-so condition. He was inexperienced in this. I told him, you have to keep your eyes on the wave, while diving. Next thing, I knew, he shouted, “Watch out, here comes a big wave!” I went under the wave, but losted my tube. When I surfaced, I saw my buddy w/o his mask, snokel, weight belt, & tube w/ rollers of waves coming in. I swamed to him & started pulling him. Told him to relax & swim on his back, while I pull him & told him to keep going & don’t give up! We made it to the nears rocks, but could get out, b/c of the big waves. So, we climbed up this cliff. At first, we didn’t think about it. As we climbed, the rocks started crumbling, which made it, very very scary. Finally, we made it! Next day, we talked about it & realized, that we could had slipped & fell to our deaths. We were luck to be alive!

    After all this, I will forever appreciate my life & never complain about life. Life is beautiful & wonderful! I appreciate everything about it!

    What’s a bad day? These divers help me yanked my friend’s kayak back to shore @ Saltpoint state park, told me, That’s not a bad day. A bad day is when you end up in a hospital, or dead! That’s a bad day! I’ll never forgotten that advice!

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  14. Al Says:

    A few lessons learned in 25 years of ab diving:

    Streamline, streamline, streamline! This means only full-foot fins and absolutely no knife on your leg, nothing hanging off of your weight belt except for weights. If you must dive with a knife or scissors, sew them into your wetsuit or mount on your forearm.

    Weight yourself buoyant at 15 feet. If you blackout, you have a good chance of floating up.

    Ditch your weight belt at the first sign of panic.

    Observe the ocean conditions and always have a north & south exit plan.

    Understand how rip & side shore currents work.

    Don’t dive too close to sunset.

    If there’s a strong current, don’t leave your float. Tether your abalone iron to your float via a float line.

    Skip the float tube. A boogie board with bungie cargo nets on top is a much better option. You can ride a wave in if need be, it will never spring a leak & abs glide over the water rather than slog through it.

    Use a dive flag. Lets boaters see you and allows you to instantly locate your float.

    If you’re leaving your float, secure it to the kelp with a kelp clip, rather than an anchor at the bottom. Be certain the kelp is secured and not loose.

    If the visibility is such that you can’t see your fin tips, you should consider aborting the dive.

    Dive with a buddy when possible. If not, let someone on shore know of your plans.

    Always bring a flashlight.

    Always have a whistle on your person.

    Dive safe!

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  17. Scott Brearton Says:

    Hello Tim,

    I wanted to share this story I wrote following a similar experience at Gerstle Cove last summer…I never want to be that close to drowning again:

    I wanted to scream but couldn’t. No one could hear my cries for help even if I wasn’t four feet underwater, for there wasn’t a soul around. Nobody in the water near me, no one up on the bluffs nearby…I was very alone.

    How did I wind up here, in this 50-degree water on a cold, overcast August morning in Sonoma County? How did I wind up lassoed by a piece of feather boa kelp, which formed a slip knot around my fin strap, holding me fast by the ankle, and preventing me from reaching the surface?

    The story began 24 hours earlier, when my family and I embarked on our annual abalone camping trip to Gerstle Cove at Salt Point State Park. Normally we invited longtime friends Marcus Leo and John Bixler to join us, but neither could come this year because of prior obligations. No big deal…we would go it alone. I had been free diving for abalone for more than 15 years and knew this area like the back of my hand. I knew where legal abs were everywhere in less than 10 feet of water. I knew I could have my limit of three in about 20 minutes.

    On our way up Highway One, I asked Haven to stop at the Fort Ross Ranger Station to inquire about the rules governing the gifting of abalone. I was pleasantly surprised that I could gift 2 limits two my family members and keep one for myself. I could come home with nine abs!

    With that in mind, we arrived at the campsite in the early afternoon and set up our tent. Since we had plenty of time before dark, I suggested we go to South Gerstle Cove to try to pop one for dinner. The visibility was terrible and the kelp was thick. I couldn’t see a thing and wound up getting my snorkel ripped off my face while ascending from a dive. I was done before I got started…As I was wading out of the water, I tossed my fins onto a rock after removing them. The fin buckle broke! Due to my haste and carelessness, I lost my snorkel and broke my fin strap and our three-day camping trip had only just begun.

    That night, I secured my broken fin buckle with a zip tie. I planned to drive to Fort Ross General Store early in the morning and buy a replacement snorkel. I was determined to salvage this trip and get some abs, even though I was off to a bad start.

    As planned, I bought a snorkel in the morning and packed my diving gear for the short trip from the campsite to North Gerstle Cove. North Gerstle is more exposed to swell, but has more abalone as a result. I know a honey hole that requires a one-mile hike from the parking lot to the remote cove.

    I left my family at the campsite and set out for North Gerstle. I felt confident about my gear and my abilities. The seas were light to moderate, with a 4 to 5-foot windswell running. Tide was high. I suited up at the car and hiked to the spot. The parking lot was empty and there were no other divers around.

    I hiked down the steep trail from the top of the cove to the water’s edge. I was at the spot. I knew it was loaded with abs. I had picked many limits here over the years. I put on my fins, mask, and snorkel, and weight belt.
    Everything was in order. I had my goodie bag with ab bar and gauge. I had stashed my fishing license and report card on the rocks before entering the water. I felt good.

    Swimming out to the spot, I stopped in about 10 feet of water. I knew from experience that you don’t need to go deep to get big abs…most of the big ones are hidden in plain sight, camouflaged with pink coralline algae and kelp stuck to their backs. I was in the zone and I knew it.

    I descended once to take a look around and scout out possibilities. I only needed three. I found the wall I was looking for. On it were at least 30 legal abs, with plenty of eights and nines mixed in. I wasn’t hunting for trophies – just nice eating abs. I scoped my quarry from the surface and took my bar out of my bag. The surge was significant but not scary. I was an experienced waterman with 30 years of surfing experience and another 20 free diving and scuba diving.

    I took a good, deep breath and swam down, sliding the bar quickly and easily under my first abalone and popped him off without a struggle. “Yes,” I thought. “This is why we we’re here. We’re gonna be eating good at the campsite tonight.” With a nice ab stuck to my chest and bar and bag in hand, I made for the surface, looking up first to be sure I had a clear path to daylight. I had read horror stories about free divers coming up under a canopy of kelp and drowning…I was too smart for that.

    What I didn’t anticipate was something out of my control…Something so insidious I was helpless to stop it. A strong, 44-year-old man rendered helpless by a strand of kelp an inch and a half wide? I never expected a tendril of feather boa kelp to encircle my ankle as a made my way up, cinching tight just four feet below the surface. I was caught! Usually a sharp tug and the kelp will break free, but this stuff was green, fresh, and strong. I wasn’t going anywhere…

    I could see the surface above and its precious, life-giving oxygen, just out of my reach. I could almost touch it. But I couldn’t. I was hog-tied, trapped by this piece of kelp determined to kill me, drown me right here and now. I had to do something, but what?

    I had no knife, as I believed in minimal accessories. With less to worry about, there we fewer problems, I theorized. Besides, I would probably wind up cutting myself with a damned knife. Sure wish I had one now…

    I knew I had only seconds to free myself before having to inhale sea water, which would fill my lungs with water and render me unconscious within minutes. I dropped my weight belt, ab, bag, and bar. I reached for the strap buckle on my left fin, which was snared (This was the fin strap I had rigged with the zip tie, which was now not capable of releasing). All I had to do was release the buckle, pull my bootie out of my fin, and I could swim to the surface. Why wouldn’t the fucking thing release?!

    These were my terrifying final moments of life. I began to panic as my heart pounded in my chest and my lungs ached. Time slowed to a crawl. In the span of five seconds, I saw my entire life flash before my eyes – my wife and children, the great waves and trips I had taken, the friends I would leave behind. I was attending my own funeral. What would people say about me? Had I lived a moral life? How would I be remembered?

    Then something happened in my final seconds before death. I had a moment of clarity. I suddenly knew what I had to do to free myself. The fin buckle on the instep, of course! I pushed the button and slid my bootie out as I swam to the surface gasping for air. My caught fin sank to the bottom with the rest of my lost gear. I could care less…I was alive!

    I swam to the rocks with one fin, crawling onto the rocks like Robinson Crusoe. I was completely spent, drained of all physical and mental energy. I lay on my back looking up at the overcast sky. I breathed deeply, still not believing I had cheated death.

    I made a half-hearted attempt at retrieving my gear, but my heart just wasn’t in it. I was scared shitless. In all of my years surfing big waves and scuba diving, not to mention all the other stupid things I had done, I had never been so close to drowning…or death.

    As I sadly hiked back to the car with one fin, I ran into a Fish and Game Warden who stopped me and asked, “What the hell happened to you.” He could see I had no gear and no abs – he knew something was up.

    “I got wrapped in the kelp,” I replied. “I had to drop all my gear. I almost died out there.”

    “Congratulations,” he said. “You saved your own life. We pull bodies out of here every year. You can replace that stuff but you can’t replace your life.”

    I got out of my wetsuit and drove back to camp, where I had to explain to my wife and children what I had happened. Words could not express how profoundly life-altering my experience was. It was hard to put into words.

    I was disappointed to be coming home empty-handed, but I was alive, and nothing is more important than life. Everything else can be replaced.

    As I fished off the rocks with my son later that afternoon, it occurred to me that spending time with my family was far more important than bagging my limit of abalone.

    We caught two rock cod that day, just enough to feed our family. And it never tasted better.

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  23. Joe D. Says:

    Welcome Tim, Paul, Robbie, and Scott to the I almost died abalone divers club. While I am 20 year vetran of Norht Coast Abalone diving I too am a new member of the club.
    Last week I went diving with a good friend and dive partner of mine. Along for the trip were two other divers in a seperate vehicle. One I had dove with a few times previously, the other I had no experience with. We chose a spot that I hd been in probably 10~15 times, several with my partner. The other two were noobs to this spot. As we were gearing up, the newest noob practicaly jumped in his gear and headed down to the access.
    I usually like to set up my gear for a final check while I watch the sets and count for my access egress plan. My partner who I have been bringing along for a couple years in my school of though (preparation) was equally surprised by the newcommers enthusiasm. As the remaining three we grabbed up our gear and headed down as well. Once on the “beach” we spoted Mr. Gogetter already suited up and attempting to make entry.
    Now mind you the swell is running 5-7′ and this cove faces N/W. I’ve had a previous experience in this cove with undertow so I shout a warning to MR. Gogetter to stay clear of the channel in the center. While he is floundering in the surf attempting to put on fins, he looses his tube which also contains his mask and snorkle. I tell him to hold tight and I’ll help, but he goes for it. Mr. G.G. actually dog paddels out to his float tube. I look at his partner and he informs me that he’s not sure he’s comfortable going in.
    I look to my partner and tell him let’s go but we’ll get in and get out fast as it’s incoming tide so it’ll be getiting bigger. we catch sequencial waves out one, two like clock work. As I kick to get out of the breakers I’m already grabbing my bar and situating my mask. By the time I’m set I spin to take a look at the shore for refrence and I can not believe how far out we are. I pass the warning to my partner and tell him to grab Mr. Gogetter who has, since reaquisitioning his float not let it go.
    I attempt one dive and cannot even see the bottom until I literally run into it. I spot an ab and am attempting to get on it when I am just ripped off the area. Once the white out dies down, I aquire my float and call the dive. I tell my partner I’m going in the rip’s killing us.
    As I start my kick in I have a sinking feeling… I’m putting out some seroious efforts and loosing ground!
    Now as I said I’ve been diving these spots for 20 yrs, and I’ve only really been scared once before..well before now. I make a final declaration to myself and the others..I’m heading in, look how far out we’re getting dragged. All three in the water (to my knowledge) begin to kick in. I can hear my partner talking Mr. G.G down “just relax dude, breath, and kick slow and steady”. “Don’t fight the waves man, relax and rest when they pull, then Kick with the next push”. I can also hear Mr. G.G. puffing like a locomotive through the snorkle.
    I realized that I was starting to panic as well. By this time I’ve been kicking a good 10 minutes and I’m only holding ground. I tell myself the same things in my head. “Joe, you know what to do..get your mask down, put the snorkle in your mouth, get off your tube and kick from the hip. Slow and steady, breath, and mostly…calm the fuck down!
    20 minutes of hardcore effort it took me to make the beach. I was tired, but I still had three people in the water. Yea three! while we were out, Mr. G.G.’s partner had decided he didn’t want to be left out and had entered the water on his own.
    The conversations, or at least the pieces I could hear went like this.
    “C’mon I can’t pull you in, you have to do it…don’t you quit on me!” this from my partner to Mr. G.G. G.G’s partner say’s “If I don’t get in soon I’m going to be in trouble too.” Then there’s me on the shore screaming instructions… “head left or right! Don’t fight it head on!”
    Eventually my partner and G.G’s partner make it in barely. I help get their fins off and get them out of the surf zone. we watch as Mr. G.G. finally heads left and clears some nasty surf busting on washrocks. He get’s rolled a couple times, but comes up and regains the float. He finally makes landfall 150 yards south of us, and we haul him out. The first thing we all ask is “why the hell do you still have your weight belt on?” On further discussion we all had the same thoughts running, if we had been unable to get in, what would we have done?
    1) ditch the weights
    2) keep the tube, but drag it
    3) angle, or ride the rip out, then head in Norht or preferably South (samller rocks)
    Three out of the four of use all knew these things, but man when the panic sets in all you can think about is the shore. Blind focus can exhaust and kill you in a bad situation. Relax, think, and most of all Calm the fuck down!
    Needless to say the conversation in our car on the way home (me and my buddies) was no more diving with unknowns. Wether it’s the weather, currents or people. Discuss the dive before you get in, plan it and dive the plan.
    Mr. Go getter has since approache dme about going diving again. “I figured you were done diving” I told him. His reply..”I thought I was done period”!
    I’ll see if he’s serious, and begin the process of bringing him into the preparation school of thought. If not, he’ll be diving with someone else, although probably not for long..

    Joe D.

  24. Tim Says:

    Hi Joe – Thanks for your story. My post seems to come up for folks and I am glad as it offers a place for more people to share their story. And what a story you have now! Yes incredible what panic will do for you. And as a rule of thumb, not getting into your wetsuit for the walk down to the water before evaluating the conditions. NOT diving with anyone you don’t know. Reinforcing the mantra, “DROP THE WEIGHT BELT, DROP THE WEIGHT BELT” about 20 times before you enter into the dive is a great idea.

    I went last weekend and got reports from 3 parties that viz was zero. The dive looked reasonable but, after 13 years of experience, we still decided to call it off and NOT go. It’s always the harder choice to say no, but in the end we live to dive another day.

    Thanks for your story Rob and best of luck in the future! Cheers,

    Tim

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