I am no longer involved, but there is no "they" that hires. If you would like to dive you need a state permit; permits can be found from a broker such as www.alaskaboat.com/permits (search on page for "sea cucumber"). There's always divers looking for a partner or topside tenders, but that's something you find by being in AK in person and poking around the docks / knowing folks.

@@Hdox Thank you for the info. Much appreciated.

Hi Heather. Unfortunately it doesn't work the same as typical commercial diving - there are no companies hiring folks. Only permit owners are allowed to dive, and a company cannot hold a permit for you. Buying a permit, securing a boat to dive from (with a dive partner and a topside person), getting outfitted with all of the gear, learning how to find the biomass and generally figuring out the steep learning curve without any assistance are the hard parts. Once you've got cucumbers on board, selling them takes care of itself. If you buy a permit, then there's a low to semi-reasonable chance you can walk the docks before the season and find a boat that needs a 2nd diver. But the odds are likely that they wouldn't want a greenhorn stranger. The fishery is extremely fast paced and time-limited - if you goof up you can lose a lot of potential income very quickly. And everybody goofs up in the beginning. If you do surmount those odds and find a boat to dive from, its not guaranteed to be profitable or *safe*. The best advice I could give would be to move to one of the diving towns 3-6 months before the season and make friends with as many people as possible. Being present tends to the be the biggest factor for any endeavors in AK.

Hdox thanks for the advice i figured it was something you probably have to do yourself vs under a company ive been trying to do some online research but it doesnt seem to be a common thing. but thanks so much for the advice

+WhiteRa19 Yes, a permit is required and no, you do not need to be a resident. Permits are purchased from other fishermen, either directly or (more often) via a broker. There are multiple brokers with an online presence that list available permits and their asking prices. Here is one that I have personally used and had very positive experiences with: www.alaskabroker.com/listings/permits.html#dive

+Hdox 27.5k is kind of excessive. I thought I could get license just like for fishing 50 to 70 usd. So how long do these permits last for? for one harvesting season like from Oct till dec? and what's the quote in lbs.

+WhiteRa19 quota

+WhiteRa19 27.5k is amongt the lowest of the commercial fishing permit prices in Alaska. The permit is good for life (or until you sell it), with a required renewal fee each year that ranges in the low hundreds depending on your residence (AK or not). There are often EMTs (emergency medical transfers) available, which are essentially a single season permit lease at a sharply reduced price (though they are still several thousand dollars in most any fishery I can think of). Permit prices are not dictated by the state - they are a free market and will regularly go up and/or down based on happenings in the fishery (with the obvious, dominant factors being the market price and projected biomass of whatever you are fishing). The area quota is up to fish and game and changes from year to year and area to area. All fish and game announcements (RE quota, areas, etc) can be found by applying the proper search filters at www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=cfnews.main The current season's areas are available here (as of 09/18/15): www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/618977330.pdf A diver is limited to 2000 lbs per week, with approximately 1.5 days of effort allowed each week.

Hill Bar, Ruth Anne's, Hydaburg, Trocadero Bay, San Fernando Island... I cut my teeth diving Craig, and did it 2 different rotations there (and geoduck tendering). Still miss the hot tub at the pool. Best in Alaska that I've found. This video was made at the end of the season in Clarence Strait. It was one of those days when you start out unsure if you'll limit... and then you swim into a ridiculously loaded area and know everything's going to be ok. ;) Semi retired after 5 years of being under the ocean. Still pretty hard to watch the video and not want to fly north.

Hdox Cool! That pool is great - was there most days after it was built. I lived in Craig about 12 years. I'm probably pretty much retired from the commercial diving too and glad I survived. Wouldn't mind doing it some more now and then though. Looks like you got around a lot by the looks of your other videos. I was pretty much just around Prince of Wales.

Hi John Hannon and Hdox. Cool video. My name is Aurora Schein, I worked on a salmon seiner this summer and spent most of my time in Craig. I ended up meeting quite a few sea cucumber divers there and I became very interested in learning more about it and possibly buying a permit for next fall. Would either of you be willing to answer a few of my questions about how to make this happen? I’ve found it challenging to find the information in looking for on the internet elsewhere and i think I really need to talk to some experienced divers. If you’d be willing to help me, reply back and we can figure out the best way, either through email, Facebook, or phone call. Thank you, Aurora

@@Hdox i noticed you are using the OTS full face, do you have a technique for anti fogging? thank you

@@timjohnson8882 my ots mask NEVER fogs up. Maybe at the surface, but never under the water.