Coasteering!

My least favorite activity of being a kayak instructor and guide is schlepping kayaks.  This time of the year, I am schlepping boats most days.  When I have time to play, the last thing that I want to do is shlepp around a heavy kayak.  Sometimes it is fun to simplify and step away from the boat and just go have fun in the ocean - Coasteering!

Wetsuit, boots, gloves and off we go to play in the ocean.  We hike to a spot on the headlands and jump in.  We swim to off shore rocks or to the next headland, seal land ourselves, and repeat.  It is sh!ts n giggles fun!

Sometimes our route has us swimming through arches and into caves.  

Our last 2 adventures have actually been missions.  One mission was planting a Geochache for the Bay Area Sea Kayaker's 30th Anniversary Challenge.  Yes, Jeff and I coasteered into the location and would challenge other BASK'ers to do it too. 

Our other mission was a trash collection mission.  We are so thankful to be able to fish and gather food from the ocean.  We strive to tread lightly and have minimum impact on the environment but unfortunately have those moments where we snag and lose our line and tackle.  We have added lightweight packs to our coasteering missions for packing out trash - specifically fishing line that is snagged on the rocks that we are traversing.  Bringing a small pack allows me to pack my abalone gear and bring home dinner too.  

Swimming and playing in the ocean's rock gardens feels quite natural to me.I have to admit that jumping is a bit challenging for me.  I am working on my courage and technique.  Yes, I still hold my nose when I jump.

Grocery Shopping in the Sea

Last year, I got my first taste of kayak fishing and have to admit that I am hooked (hopefully not literally).

My first black cod caught on a handline.

Now is the season for almost everything - dungeness crabs, abalone, salmon, rock fish, and sea vegetables.  Slowly but surely, I am acquiring the necessary tackle and skills for getting dinner at sea.  Every day this week, I have caught or gathered food from the ocean.  

My first lingcod - 28 inches.

7 years ago, I got my first abalone.  Jeff came home from work and was treated to pan friend abalone.  Since then, he has become quite the abalone diver, and we have expanded our repertoire of cooking methods and recipes.  I haven't dove the past several years because we both don't need to and Jeff is all about the "hot lap" (timed trip from the house to the ocean and back with abs).  I am all about !@#$'s n giggles diving.  I like to take my time and swim around and sight see.

An advantage of spending so much time kayaking in the rock gardens of the Mendocino Coast is that I have lots of opportunity to scope out my fishing, diving, and harvesting spots.  Over the past month, I have been seeing a ton of abalone and did my first solo abalone hunt this week.  It has been fun to fish and dive with friends, but I enjoyed the independence of my solo mission.  Jeff was pretty stoked when I came home with 3 nice sized abalone and a couple of dungeness crabs.

Kayaking to a favorite abalone spot.

On our plate this week has been fish.  We have caught greenling, black cod, and ling cod.  I understand how people become enthralled with fishing.  Fish are fascinating.  I love how they move in the water and am learning to identify the different types and what each type eats.  Fishing is definitely a challenge - figuring out the right place to be but also what type of bait or lures to use and how to effectively use the lures/bait.  A homemade handline has been my primary fishing tool.  I like the simplicity of it both for use and for transport.

Using a handline to fish for bottom fish.

I get so exited when I feel the tug on my line (have to admit I was a bit nervous when I hooked my first lingcod - it was a large fiesty fish with big teeth).  Reeling it in is like opening a present.  Even though you might have an idea of what is on the line, you don't know until you pull it in.  This week, Jeff caught a black cod and as he pulled it in a ling cod grabbed on to it and he landed both.  Yesterday, I pulled in 2 black cod on the same cast.

Jeff with a fish-on!

Pulling crab pots can be exciting too.  Not just in the excitement of seeing what is in the pot but the excitement of pulling up a heavy pot from a kayak in choppy ocean conditions.  Of course one could go crabbing on calm days or in calm bays or estuaries, but Jeff likes to simulate the television show deadliest catch.  This week we were surprised with an abalone in our crab pot (of course neither one of us had our abalone card and tags with us).

You never know what you might find in your crab pot.

With lots of fish in the fridge and freezer, today's mission was to get some sea vegetables.  One of my favorite gathering spots can also be a good surf spot.  I have been enjoying my Jackson Kayak Karma RG for fishing and rock gardening, but it was really nice to be in my super light, responsive surf kayak.  A session of tasty waves was followed by gathering some salty green goodness.

Gathering kelp in my hp surf kayak.

I also have to admit that we will be having beef for dinner tonight but will have some tasty sea cheetos and abalone ceviche as orderbs.  

Abalone Ceviche!!!