Winter storms hit the coast, hitting the catch rate hard. The entire fleet must either risk it on the perilous conditions or stay back and lose thousands of dollars.

Rookie divers are chomping at the bit to prove themselves - but the veterans are not happy to hand over their pay packet to any young kid hungry to leave his mark.

Wild abalone stocks are extinct in some parts of the world. Protecting this delicacy and the livelihoods of future generations of abalone crews is paramount.