Keith Sanders on the rock; Scott Loopstra, I believe, in the water.Mendocino County coast somewhere. We had camped and driven north, looking for those abalones.
Note the water pouring over to the left there. A wave had hit that big rock, but also note Keith's relaxed posture up there. If a much bigger wave had hit, then Keith might have been washed off his perch, but none of the water in the last wave flowed over that right side.
Experience. We were pretty good back then about what we could and couldn't handle in the water, among the rocks. We took our hits, sure, but we weathered it all pretty well. (Neoprene's a decent cushion anyway. Keeps most of the barnacle scapes and urchin spines off you, if you hit them glancing.) We kept learning, learning by doing, by getting out there.
No surfmats and onion sacks, so maybe we weren't going abalone-diving. But doesn't that look like an ab iron hanging from Keith's right arm there on the rock?
If I had been in the water hunting abalone, I'd have had my surfmat and sack.
Memory fricking Lane. I'm getting excited and annoyed all these years later just looking at the shot and projecting.
I should have been in the water too. Second dive of the day, and I was feeling lazy? Can that memory be accurate? Didn't I regret not suiting up as soon as they headed out? I know I didn't sleep well as my surfmat sprang a slow leak in the middle of the night and eventually left me on the hard ground without any cushion. I remember that, actually, all these years later. I don't recall if this spot had a name or not.
I need to drive north and check all the old spots. I do.
I wouldn't have the picture now, but I should have been in the water too.
1980?
