Night dives during a new moon?

[freewillie]

Night dives are my personal favorite and I never pass up an opportunity to dive at night.

If you are diving through a dive operator then tank markers are usually part of the price and definitely a dive light will be part of the price. Usually tank markers are cyalume glow sticks. One dive operator in Cancun had lights for us but no glow sticks. I've been in the habit of packing a few in my dive bag for night dives anyways and had one for myself and my daughter. They are not really necessary but are very helpful for identification at night. My daughter had a blue one and it does make keeping track of her much easier (everyone's lights look just about the same and you can't always see the color accents on wetsuits at night.)

I always like to take my own light with me as well. You don't really need a huge light cannon and sometimes the really bright beams scare of the fish. I have a small hand held dive light with 220 lumens and more than adequate for a night dive. One really neat part of night dives is bioluminescence. At some point during the dive cover the light by putting it to your chest (try not to turn it off, that's when most light failures occur) and wave your hands in the darkness. If you are lucky then the bacteria responsible for bioluminescence will sparkle. It's really cool.

Do be sure to go over signals with the light at night as well. They are a little different but worst case if you don't understand then shine your light on your hand and go through a normal hand signal.

Have fun.

 

[seaducer]

You're better off with a new moon. My first trip to Bonaire was during a full moon period and at 20' I could read a book without lights. Not kidding, it was too bright.

Night diving is a lot of fun...enjoy!

 

[Mike]

Don't forget to look at the water in front of you either for little tiny protoplasm critters, on so many night dives I have more fun checking out all these little translucent critters with little lights racing in their bodies, whips and antennas and all kinds of alien looking shapes, most people don't even realize these things are there, they are looking past them. If you put your light in front of you and point it up toward the surface so it's making a beam about a foot or so in front of your face shining straight up you will illuminate these little invisible critters and you can get some amazing pictures of them, then show them to other people on the dive later and watch their mouths drop.

 

[Lorenzoid]

As others have said, night dives are wonderful, and there are a few things to learn about doing them, but not much. Just make sure your divemaster knows this is your first night dive. You'll need to rent lights from the dive op unless you buy them before your trip. The DM should explain signaling and etiquette with regard to light use. Marker lights, backup lights, etc.--these are things you might want to know about. I did my first night dive as part of the AOW course. On the other hand, my wife and I found ourselves night diving with another couple who had never done a night dive before and managed to pick up what they needed to know on the spot.

 

[LindaSSF]

I appreciate all the insights. Sounds like we shouldn't discount a night dive without the light of the moon like I thought. we will be diving with a Dive Instructor in groups of no more than 4 divers, so we should have all the help we need. Mike (hubby) is completing his OW when we get there, but I think he'll be fine if I'm close by. Sounds fantastic - will definitely bring the camera!


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