Careers in Diving - Sea Urchin Diving - Interview with diver Chris Nelson

This video is one in 17 video interviews from our Careers in Diving DVD. Chris Nelson is a sea urchin diver who works out of Santa Barbara, California along the coast and at the Channel Islands. A preview for the complete video is available here on You Tube. The DVD is available on the Hammerhead Press website.

[@moogybannahilstopaflingon6803]

Cool video...I was a pearl diver...it's a thrill to be inside the Ocean and to hunt for your living.

[@davecolker]

Very good video, informative and a good introduction to what a sea urchin diver/ boat owner does. I recommend this video to anyone interested in getting in the business.

[@hjtatum]

Whats up guys

[@mikeashmon]

cool video, good depiction. I have been an urchin diver for 11 years now, Oregon and Alaska, still to this day, the hardest motivation is jumping in the water first thing in the morning. after your first jump, it is all mechanical. cool video

[@MrAquaImage]

Thank you!

[@harmon12fxr]

That’s awesome Mr. W. Is your tender. I had him as a substitute teacher at Ventura high school pretty rad dude.

[@projectpeace]

Really fun to watch! Thanks for posting. Reminds me of my days as a Mendocino Urchin Fisheries (M.U.F.) diver. It's different to see guys diving for urchins using tanks, rather than on hookah. I was a diver from 1986-88, Sonoma County to Mendocino. Best job I ever had working for someone else. 1000s of hours underwater, lots of great stories to tell. We'd dive 5-10 hours a day, conditions permitting. North coast diving was a lot different. I worked on a 32’ Radon with two other divers & a tender. On a good day, we’d pick 3,000-4,000 pounds each. When I was doing it, the price fluctuated from 24 to 75 cents per pound offloaded & weighed at the dock.

[@garypugsley5565]

Totally Awesome video I dove urchins on boats out of LA Terminal Island Santa Barbara and San Diego from 1979 through 1983 Fishing Days At their Best!! Pugs

[@kimsiewers]

I enjoyed this video. I found some huge red urchins in Sonoma and got a pound of roe from 4 or 5 urchins. Urchins are destructive to the kelp forests, so harvesting them is a good idea.

[@michaeltower6229]

Loved the video. I have been an urchin diver for 20 years on the east coast of Canada. So many differences but so many similarities. 50 bucks for a licence ? Wow , I would want 300k if I were to sell mine. No wet suits here , all dry , water temp in February gets to be just 2 degrees Celsius or 35 Fahrenheit . It's true it's hard to climb into your suit but trust me it's easier there , I have had to climb into one when it was minus 30 windchill and the suit was frozen stiff ! Lol. Thanks again for the video , very interesting.

[@piposanchez]

Great video! Might be the push I need...Marine biologist here. It's tough finding a job in the firld; so much competition and not much funding. I took up commercial diving in the hopes of securing a job at a local business that creates pharmaceuticals out of marine organisms. That didn't pan out, but now I'm looking to start my own thing with the commercial diving license. I guess now It would just be a matter of getting my own permit, gear, and try selling directly to restaurants. Fingers crossed!

[@piposanchez]

Any tips are more than welcome!

[@oa8885]

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a interesting video! It was actually very massive to watch! Im from New Zealand an we call sea urchins..Kina.....Kina, Crayfish, Abalone (which we call Paua) are our main seafood ask any Maori in our country how to eat Kina and the answer will all b the same..Kina tongue with bread an butter ..only way to really eat it but now they have all these fancy things they do with it..watching u get Kina with so much around is like living in Kina world lol..your so lucky mate! Give us a call if u ever need a helping hand lol professional divers and Kina eaters right here lol.. love your vid👍👍👍👍👍

[@MrAquaImage]

Thank you.

[@user-ww3qm5bf3p]

Well done Chris N.

[@wickedassassin]

Awesome video...feel like trying uni for the first time.

[@MrAquaImage]

It's tasty!

[@therollingcaveman4427]

How does one look for a boat to get on? I'm a divemaster here in Washington and would love to get the chance to work on one.

[@tomdruhan5218]

How do I get started in this field?

[@artdecco8617]

Do you know Kenny? A sea urchin diver in San Diego?

[@virginiahaynes7542]

Would you be interested in working with a student that when he graduates from high school in Kansas would like to be in this industry. He is very motivated to learn and make a career out of all of this someday.

[@MrAquaImage]

Hi Virginia - This video is about Chris Nelson, the diver. He did NOT make the video. The video was shot about 9 years ago. I don't know if Chris is still diving as I have retired and moved out of state. For your young man to get into the industry, I would suggest he contact the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and speak to the marine biologist who is in charge of the sea urchin diving industry to determine the likelihood of him being able to obtain a sea urchin diving permit. The permits are extremely difficult to obtain as they are done by a lottery.

[@hobo748]

I’m 13 and tbh I would love to do this

[@RayWilliamJohansen]

So how do I become a tender ? I honestly know no one who does this and don't live near the ocean. I also have no experience. Either way, it seems like a cool job.

[@MrAquaImage]

if you wanted to do it in California, you would need to move here, buy a commercial fishing license and get a sea urchin crew member permit. This would NOT allow you to dive. You would have to find someone who needed a tender who was willing to hire you. Sea urchin divers work all along the coast, from San Diego to the Oregon border.

[@RayWilliamJohansen]

MrAquaImage Interesting, it sounds expensive and highly unlikely I will get the job but I'll give it a try, thank you.

[@DarthKraytofKansas]

48-MrAquaImage I'm not looking to get rich, but does it pay a good wage? Coming from a background of retail, I'm looking for a job out of a box store....

[@MrAquaImage]

Darth Krayt Being a tender on an urchin boat does not pay especially well. Again, you're better off becoming a commercial diver.

[@binzsta86]

Ever encounter sharks out there?

[@MrAquaImage]

Yes, it does happen. An urchin diver was attacked and killed by a white shark at the islands a number of years back.

[@gunchief0811]

What's the annual Take?$$$ What's the reproductive rate of the game???? What's the cost of Salaries of ur tender? Boat maintenance? Fuel? And dive gear?

[@reggieangus5325]

Yes. Yes and Yes.

[@aryanap3555]

Decompression sickness is problem in this job

[@MrAquaImage]

Decompression sickness can happen with any type of diving. It's a risk.

[@aryanap3555]

@@MrAquaImage sir i want to join under water welding course in our country india its a good choice or not and there is so much risks on this job i m confused about it. Its good option or bad..

[@MrAquaImage]

@@aryanap3555 There are risks in ALL diving. If you are not prepared to accept the risks then this job is not for you. But seafood divers don't do any underwater welding. And, you had better be an excellent welder topside before you even think about welding underwater.

[@kev4374]

Oh, I am aware that it's legal. I worked as an urchin boat tender for 3 years from 91'-94' out of Hueneme. I know people have done it, and do it. I re watched the video and see that they were filling their tanks at the stern. It still seems way more problematic than a hookah setup. To each their own I guess.

[@DarthKraytofKansas]

How was that by the way? I am seriously interested in diving, and I'm willing to work as a tender if I have to, I've heard tender service can be a few years before they let you dive but if they pay a decent wage while tending, I'm totally willing to try that. Would you recommend it. Any advice?

[@MrAquaImage]

Darth Krayt Tender service in California can be many years because you have to get drawn in a lottery to become a diver. If you want to make a living diving, you would do better to become a commercial diver. We have another video on that topic. Watch it at kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4TPY3agl7WIfdU

[@DarthKraytofKansas]

MrAquaImage Watched the video you linked. And I appreciate the info, thanks. I guess I'm wondering who gets to decide when someone is "ready" to be a diver? I mean, what stops a guy from getting a ton of experience as an urchin harvester, then applying to a company like Global as a "Diver" (not a tender). Surely you don't have to work as a tender for several years every time you switch companies once you've got experience?

[@MrAquaImage]

The operations manager at the commercial diving company decides who to hire as a commercial diver. In the US, no reputable commercial diving firm will hire anyone who has not attended a recognized commercial diving school today.

[@DarthKraytofKansas]

MrAquaImage Makes sense. I am looking at DIT in Seattle. Considering taking the course and doing some inland work to get some basic experience first and go into diving after that but I'm still looking at options. I've heard the market is flooded with new diving students and it is hard to land a job. I just finished Firefighter training to find out the same thing applies to the fire department and I was excited about diving because It seemed like there were lots of jobs if you're willing to work harvesting sponges and stuff. But maybe I am mistaken. I shall continue to research before making my decision.

[@donaldbrough936]

no hookah?

[@MrAquaImage]

Urchin divers here in California can use hookah or scuba. Most do use hookah, but Chris prefers to use scuba.

[@donaldbrough936]

thanks, i know that east coast urchin guys also use tanks.

[@kev4374]

Donald Brough It looked as though he was using tanks to survey an area. A lot of guys will drop a diver off in an area with a tank to survey, or prospect, before throwing the hook. Then they will use a hookah set-up. He could be using tanks, but its extremely costly, and takes up a ton of space when you have more than 1 diver on board.

[@steveb9496]

kev4374 No, he was using tanks to harvest. It's legal in California, although not too many guys do it this way.

[@kev4374]

I know its legal. I was a tender for several years in Southern California. We worked the Channel Islands quite extensively. While its legal, it was highly unusual.

[@myname2263]

Tom Trumper is the best urchin diver in California .