FREEDIVING FOR LOBSTER

Freediving for lobster is one of the most fun and challenging things I have ever picked up. You grab a wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, gloves and waterproof flashlight, climb down a steep cliff to a secluded bay, and dive into frigid pitch black water in the middle of the night. If you're lucky, you even get a tasty dinner out of the deal.

Buying the lobsters from the market would probably be more cost-effective, but there is just something about freediving for lobsters that makes me feel alive. Even if you don't catch anything, you'll see some of the most incredible things in the nighttime sea. I always keep my eyes open for a hidden halibut nestled into the sandy bottom, a horn shark's ghoulish nighttime ritual, or that heart pumping moment when you spot a thick red antennae poking out from a dark, rocky hole.

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when you go diving for lobster:

• Try to forget the feeling that you're being followed in the dark, and above all, stay calm if anything unexpected happens.
• Be decisive. If you decide to make a grab, give it all your strength and speed.
• If the visibility is good and you see a lobster while you're down, don't try to grab it unless you have a good angle. Come back up, position yourself, and make a new dive on a fresh breath. If visibility is bad, grab that sucker as fast as you can.
• Aim behind the lobster's head (they swim backwards) so that they will swim into your grasp
• Pin the lobster to the bottom with a swatting motion, THEN grasp it. This is much more effective than trying to "catch" it in your hand.
• Watch out for sea urchins on entry and exit into the water. Stepping on a sea urchin will cause you agony for over a month (trust me, I know).
• Only go when dive conditions are optimum. Any kind of swell in the Palos Verdes area will cause visibility to drop near zero. Go to http://cdip.ucsd.edu/?nav=recent&sub=nowcast&units=metric&tz=UTC&pub=public&xitem=socal_now to check the swell report.
• Try new areas that aren't overfished to find your own lobster producing spots.
• Don't go to a kelpy area during low tide. The kelp bunches on the surface, and is a huge hassle to swim through.