Full moon

[scubajunky17]

I have always rated the diving around new and full moon, the day before NM and FM often being spectacular. Some people where I'm at right now say the diving is bad after full moon.
Divers, what do you say ?

 

[outofofficebrb]

If you're after whale sharks in SE Asia, supposedly, the best time to see them is the week before and after the full moon. The moonlight tends to attract their food to the surface which attracts them to the surface as well!

I've honestly never paid attention to moon phases outside of that. Sorry I'm not much more help!

 

[charlier]

The lunar cycle is has a substantial effect on tides and currents. During a new of full moon phase, tidal current velocities are strongest Weak tidal current velocities are associated with other moon phases. So, the highest tidal range (difference between high and low tide) occurs in and about the new and full moon. Here, we see the highest high tides and the lowest low tides. From my experience in Indonesia, many large open ocean pelagics like to hunt in strong currents and depending on your experience, its best to arrange a dive trip during a full and new moon phase.

 

[billt4sf]

many large open ocean pelagics like to hunt in strong currents and depending on your experience, its best to arrange a dive trip during a full and new moon phase.

That is, *IF* you want (and can handle) strong currents.

 

[charlier]

That is, *IF* you want (and can handle) strong currents.

More like, "when", not "if".

 

[Mike Veitch]

Night dives are typically not that great during full moon... too much light so critter density goes down

 

[Centrals]

Strong current is fine in certain sites but not everywhere.
I am not interested to see big pelagics and stuck in one spot on every dive, I get bored. I would prefer bit of everything and strong current can make the dive very tricky.

 

[Dan]

I have always rated the diving around new and full moon, the day before NM and FM often being spectacular. Some people where I'm at right now say the diving is bad after full moon.
Divers, what do you say ?

Moon faces do strange things to earth residents. I became a believer of the NM / FM diving after experienced it myself back in 2012

Here is my story. I wanted to see Mola Mola so I went to Crystal Bay around July, 2011, with the thought that July being in the right time for Mola Mola migration from Australia to Bali, I'd have a good chance to see at least 1 in 4 dives (2 boat dive / day for 2 days). But we struck out & saw none on 2 days of diving there. So, I made plan to do it again in 2012 and did more inquiries about the right time to do it. My DM guide told me about being there during NM / FM +/- 2 days. I checked the moon face during our last dives there on 26-27 July 2011 and sure they were outside the right period.

So we plan for our next dives on 30 August 2012, which was right smack in the middle of full moon & Mola Mola migration season.

Guess what we saw? 4 Mola Mola on dive 1 & 5 on dive 2. Took this one below at 144 feet (44 M) in Crystal Bay with 100 feet visibility & no current. The deepest & one of the best dive I ever made in my 12 years of diving.