The dangers of abalone diving run the gamut from being eaten alive to losing your significant other over your "unacceptable" obsession. This discussion will be limited to the physical dangers of abalone diving, real or imagined. We'll leave the dangers of mixing abalone diving with significant relationships, work demands, or family time to other venues.
Are there any real physical dangers? Absolutely. Each season an average of two abalone divers lose their lives in the waters off northern California. Considering the number of participants involved in the sport, this is not an inordinate number. But, because most abalone divers are young and in relatively good physical condition, it's worth noting the whys and hows some of them get into trouble. Reviewing the physical dangers of abalone diving is not done in an attempt to scare potential participants away from the sport. Rather, it's an opportunity to distinguish between the real dangers and the largely imaginary dangers of the sport. This is an important distinction simply because most novice divers tend to focus on imaginary dangers while the real dangers go unnoticed or ignored.
Last Modified: February 2, 2003
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