Purple Urchin removal dive at Stillwater Cove, Sonoma County. Dec. 3, 2023
Come on out and Help the Kelp.
Stillwater Cove, Sonoma Coast, Sunday, December 3, 2023 , 9:00am
Come join Eric at Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Sonoma County. We will be removing purple urchins from the cove in an effort to give the kelp a chance at recovery. This is a removal dive as culling is not allowed at this location.
Location: Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Sonoma County.
Time: 9:00 AM.
Meet at the picnic tables on site.
Parking is free at the turnout on the highway above the cove, or there is day use parking across the highway in the campground which is $7 day, unless you have a park pass.
Some things you will need:
Valid California fishing license.
At least two tanks.
A green Trident Game bag with a stainless double ender bolt snap. More bags is better if you can do it. Make sure you have double ender bolt snaps for each bag. It’s possible to fill a limit in one dive. I use two large green bags and one medium yellow bag. All filled and packed full is a limit of 40 gallons.
You will need a lift bag, I use a 50# lift bag with it’s own double ender bolt snap to suspend the full urchin bags and float them to the beach.
A small hand rake is extremely useful to gather urchins into the bags. We have concluded that a hand rake is the best overall tool to collect urchins. I have posted pics in the past but I will post another so you can see what we are using. If you do not have a rake and don’t want to get one, you can load them into the bags by hand but your gloves will suffer and you might get urchin spines in your fingers. A leather glove pulled over your dive glove would work, but you will also lose dexterity to do things like work bolt snaps, handle bags, etc.
Some things have changed since last time. We now have enough containers to put the urchins in, so you don’t have worry about coming up with 40 Gallons of container space. We will also handle the transport and disposal of the urchins. If you want to take your own urchins that’s fine, but you don’t have to now, we will handle all of it.
All you have to do is show up with your harvesting tools and put your diving skills to work.
There will be a Liability Waiver for you to fill out and sign if you want to participate, unless you already have one on file with us.
We will also be weighing the urchins and recording the data which will be submitted to the Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary (Kelp Restoration Project) for their research and records.
We also need shore support!
Anybody that want’s to help that doesn’t want to dive or doesn’t dive, we could sure use the help!
We need people to run clip boards and record weights and volumes. We need people to lift the bags and weigh them on the hanging scale. Divers will need help getting geared up and un-geared on the beach. Full urchin bags need to be dragged from the water up the beach to be weighed, then dumped into the containers, etc.
Shore support is just as important as the diving, it would be very hard to do this without good shore support.
Write down the date or log in in your phone, the kelp and fish need you! this is important work!
Thank you!
All dives are weather dependent so check in closer to the date to see if there are any changes or cancellations.
Don’t forget your lunch!
If you have any further questions or for more information you can call or text me direct at (707) 318-2577, or contact Seal’s Watersports at (707) 542-3100.
Thank you!
Stillwater Cove Map
Possible change: Due to weather and conditions, it is sometimes necessary to make last minute changes. Please be sure to confirm times and/or locations the day before.
Release of Liability: Please print and fill out
| Skill Level: | Intermediate |
| Skill Details: | I want to make it clear that this is not a lead or guided dive, there is no lifeguard, divemaster, or safety personnel at the dive site, either on shore or in the water. Make sure your shore diving skills are up to par and adequate enough to be able handle some possible light surf, currents, and surge. You agree that you are volunteering to participate in this urchin removal dive under your own accord and you are diving independently based on your own decision. You will be responsible for yourself to make sure you have a dive buddy/diving partner if you need one. You can partner up with someone willing at the site, but you will not be officially assigned a buddy. You also understand that you are fully responsible for yourself, your actions, your gear, your own safety, and your own well being. |
| Requirements: | Release of liability. All divers are responsible for providing and transporting their own equipment. We do have rentals available at the shop if needed. |
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