Scallop Freediving

[Magpie]

Me and Ed and talking about going scalloping next set of springs.

I've found a few before, had some off the bathing pools the time I got twatted round the bonce by an oar, but never really gone looking.

So, anyone who's gone after them with tanks (Dave), do they bury or mostly obvious on the surface?

Are they around all year? Or is it pointless going now?

Anyone else want to come? Its going to be some deepish work, but not stupidly so. I reckon they'll be some in 8-10m, though we may go further if needed.

Thats all on the proviso of half decent viz, I don't like depth in the murk.

[foxfish]

Not difficult to spot or catch just deep. you could try the gilt head fishing spot opposite the car park at the end of Bulwer Avenue, I have found them there while looking for plaice in about 30'. The guy who has netted the giltys there for years & years has been very ill so you should be safe.

[Magpie]

Interesting cheers mate.

I know a bloke who has had quite a few out of Fermain and he's no great freediver so may give that a go, but weather looks pretty windy for the next few weeks so it may be next spring sometime!

[Magpie]

Decided at short notice to use some time I had at work and go after some safty as forecast is for some big winds on the way.

So went down fermain, rigged up in the cold and got in. Wasn't too cold at all once in, 14degs on the d3.

Went straight out to the deeper water and started working at 7m. Nothing at first just lots of sand, so headed further out and eventually saw a strange depression in the sand with something in the middle...bingo! And look, there's another one! Sweet. This was in 9m so mooched around there for a while and got a few more to a max depth of 10.7m. They definately seemed to be in patches, where there was one I'd generally find another one or two.

By now I'd drifted quite a way off shore and knowing the tides can be pretty hefty down that I decided to head in, and bloney good thing too as it was hard work dragging my float ladden with torch, gun and bag with 8 scallops in against the tide in the chop.

Got my head down and eventually made it back into the shelter of the bay and hauled out at the moorings for a bit of a rest and to let the light fade a bit more. After 10mins the legs were good to go again so I retrieved the torch and gun from me float and mooched about for 45 minutes seeing precisely nothing of note.

Toes numb I got out and stumbled up the pebbles happy with me scollies.

[Morg]

Wow awesome stuff!!! How hard were they to grab? Did any of them try to scoot off? Also how did you cook em? Sorry for the 21 questions :P, I'm excited haha.

Nice fins by the way! .

[foxfish]

Morg, magpies catch is quite impressive for the area we live, unlike some places our scallop's are found in deeper water.

[Morg]

Good! I like a challenge . How deep are you talking?

[foxfish]

Well 10mtrs + but there are other factors like strong tide & distance from shore.
The main beds lie in 20mtrs +

[Magpie]

Nope, they just sat there in their hole waiting to be picked up Morg. Was a bit unnerving where I was diving for the tide and boats, there was some minesweeper thing charging up and down not that far away!

Cooked them wrapped in bacon in noisette sort of thing with rice, precooked the bacon so it was well done but the scallops were browned but still fairly raw in the middle

[Morg]

Ah thats not to bad of depth. Still in range of my PB but definately need more work to be able to search at those depths.

Thats good to hear! I bet they can really move in the water with those shells. Yeah that would be a bit wary. They look awesome! Do they boil them to cook so they remain white and cooked in the middle? I've never had scallops raw.

[Old Man Dave]

Good catch Tom. Anything over half a dozen scallops caught freediving around Guernsey is good. They used to be caught in the shallows but the commercial pressure on them keeps most of them out deep. They can be very hard to spot. If you were on cleanish sand that's the easiest. Mixed gravel bottoms are the hardest. East , south and just about the north tip[ of the island hold the scallop patches but the east coast is the main area. They don't like swell so avoid the atlantic surf down west in the shallows. 10.7 is a deep dive in my book, so well done again.

Dave

[Spaniard]

Nice catch mate! Had some Tescos ones for dinner the other night, nothing to write home about....Wish I lived in Guernsey

[podge]

Nice catch Magpie and I know what you mean about the swim back in towing a bag of Scallops as I’ve had a few from Portland.
I reckon the only thing to beat a few Scallops is a good Lobster and well done with the cooking of them as the best scallop is a raw one straight out of the shell.

[ADM]

Nice work Tom, I guess the fresh frills are reserved... that navy sommat or other boat has been about all week, navigation exercise I assume. He's been right in close in front of Quaine reef (Belgrave by Salarie) at high water and along the east arm area a fair bit.

[Pastor]

Have to disagree with you podge I just love scallops I find lobster a bit rich but perhaps that's an old memory of eating too much of it along with too much wine on a diving trip to the Isle of Man Either way excellent catch Magpie, they take some effort to bag