Spring is the most dangerous season on the north coast. The surf and swell is consistently big, usually equaling all but the most spectacular winter storms, the visibility stays near zero for months at a time, it's often windy, and most people haven't been in the water since the close of abalone season the preceding November. This is the time of year when the number of in-water rescues can sometimes be measured in the dozens per day. Experienced abalone divers usually don't bother even visiting the coast from opening day (April 1st) until well into June. They know that it's not much fun doing Maytag diving with their eyes closed. Others have to learn firsthand.

One danger of spring diving conditions rises out of the memory deficiencies of your typical abalone diver. Not having been in the ocean for some months (if they've seen it at all), it proves difficult to remember the conditions from four months ago. Looking at spring surf, it's easy to convince yourself that it's no worse (or not much bigger) than the stuff you faced last October or November. Never mind that the typical abalone diver spends the winter watching football. Never mind that last fall they were at their peak of physical stamina. Never mind that the difference in power between 4' and 5' surf uses the same sliding scale as earthquakes.

Amazingly, spring is the season when a lot of new divers try their hand at the sport. There's good news and bad news to that situation. On the positive side, the typical spring conditions cure most newcomers of abalone diving thus keeping the pressure down on the resource. And those that aren't cured are usually pretty intrepid individuals strong enough to handle the more typical conditions they're likely to encounter during future outings. On the negative side, there's the survival aspect. As in, will they.

Spring abalone diving is, by and large, stupid abalone diving. It's probably more than poetic coincidence that opening day falls on April 1st.

Closely related to Spring Lunacy is what north coast rescue personnel refer to as the Sacramento Syndrome: divers arrive at the north coast after a long trip (Sacramento, the South Bay, southern California, ...) to find conditions marginal or, sometimes, clearly undivable. But, having traveled so far, they feel pressured to get their abs anyway. Sometimes, they succeed (not necessarily in the sense of getting their abs but, instead, they succeed in the sense that they survive). Other times, they get into deep deep trouble.

Obviously, no abalone is worth risking your life for. On the other hand, getting into the waters off northern California always entails some real risks. The question is where to strike a balance. For me, the criteria on whether or not to dive is based on whether or not it looks like it'll be fun to dive. Diving in the low visibility that accompanies rough ocean conditions is inherently not fun for almost any diver. The only exceptions to that are divers with a lot of experience, who know what they're getting into, are in great physical condition and don't mind pushing the limits. I've only met a small handful who'd meet those qualifications. To everyone else, I would advise staying out.

Alcohol and drugs do not mix with diving. This is an obvious statement that shouldn't require any space here. But autopsies on individuals killed while abalone diving indicate that the majority did some drinking prior to diving. Apparently, when faced with the surf and swell conditions described earlier, a little liquid courage was brought into play.