They'll probably put a strobe on the ladder or hang one on the anchor line. With tropic vis, don't sweat it.
Phil
First boat night dive...
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They'll probably put a strobe on the ladder or hang one on the anchor line. With tropic vis, don't sweat it.
Phil
Don't get too caught up in the PADI baloney. There are no "statutory" types of dives that PADI deals with, nor is anyone "required" to dive with a DM or instructor once they are certified.
Arnaud
Contributor
Correction: With Padi, to get AOW certified, you need to do one night dive as part of 5 required dives. That is statutory within Padi. And again, if you dive with a Padi-approved facility, they may not let you deep dive or night dive or even rent a dry suit without a DM or an instructor, unless you have taken the appropriate specialty course.
Nobody has to follow Padi's rules. It's a free world for most of us and everybody can choose their agency and or their rules.
I just happen to believe that some of these rules make a lot of sense. And I'm pretty sure that most other agencies don't recommend that basic OW divers certified with 3 or 4 OW dives in their log jump in the water, at night, and discover what night diving is about, without any sort of training or supervision.
The thread is about night diving, not about Padi. The question is obviously by a newly certified diver. Any guideline that makes diving safer is a good one wheter it comes from Padi, CMAS or GUE/DIR or any other agency. Seems to me your last comment is a little too casual considering the potential risk...
Nobody has to follow Padi's rules. It's a free world for most of us and everybody can choose their agency and or their rules.
I just happen to believe that some of these rules make a lot of sense. And I'm pretty sure that most other agencies don't recommend that basic OW divers certified with 3 or 4 OW dives in their log jump in the water, at night, and discover what night diving is about, without any sort of training or supervision.
The thread is about night diving, not about Padi. The question is obviously by a newly certified diver. Any guideline that makes diving safer is a good one wheter it comes from Padi, CMAS or GUE/DIR or any other agency. Seems to me your last comment is a little too casual considering the potential risk...
You obviously missed everything I said. That's fine.
Arnaud
Contributor
You can't get the AOW certification without one deep dive, one night dive and one "navigation" dive. That seems statutory to me.
For any specialty dive, with an AOW, it will depend on the LDS. With just an OW, unless you own your equipment and dive from the beach, the LDS will most likely refuse you dive unless you are with a DM or instructor (once again, that's for specialty dives).
What have I missed?
I have never known of any dive shop, dive operation, etc. to refuse your business for a night dive because you 1) don't hold a AOW card or 2) don't have a DM or instructor with you.
But I've never been to California and it may be different there.
Arnaud
Contributor
Well, I've seen several operations that won't let you on the boat if you don't have an AOW, not only in California.
It's also been reported on the board: http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17877&highlight=aow
The requirement for a DM or instructor is from PADI. In theory, PADI AOW certifies you only for day diving up to 100 ft. Anything other than that requires a specialty certification or a DM.
Some operations play by the book more than others. I've been to a PADI LDS in Europe where they let a 1st CMAS degree (no BC training, no OW) dive like anyonelse...
At the end of the day, the only point I was trying to make is that night diving should not be taken lightly and you should initially dive at night with an experienced diver. I was just using Padi's guidelines to underscore the point. Once again, I fully appreciate and agree that not everything is or has to be according to Padi.
It's also been reported on the board: http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17877&highlight=aow
The requirement for a DM or instructor is from PADI. In theory, PADI AOW certifies you only for day diving up to 100 ft. Anything other than that requires a specialty certification or a DM.
Some operations play by the book more than others. I've been to a PADI LDS in Europe where they let a 1st CMAS degree (no BC training, no OW) dive like anyonelse...
At the end of the day, the only point I was trying to make is that night diving should not be taken lightly and you should initially dive at night with an experienced diver. I was just using Padi's guidelines to underscore the point. Once again, I fully appreciate and agree that not everything is or has to be according to Padi.
Not anymore. The only mandatory dives are deep and underwater navigation. The night dive is now an elective.
Arnaud
Contributor
Well, then clearly, I have to take that part back and present my humble apologies to Mechdiver for wrongly debating the mandatory nature of the night dive with the AOW.
Nevertheless, the more important point is to dive safely. For all of you experienced divers, would you have done your first night dive ever with a buddy who had a similar lack of experience?
Nevertheless, the more important point is to dive safely. For all of you experienced divers, would you have done your first night dive ever with a buddy who had a similar lack of experience?
Night dives are spectacular. A little stress, a little surge, a five foot tarpon hunting from your shadow and the inevitable disorientation and a new diver may just be overwhelmed.
I had to do a night dive as part of my PADI AOW, but that requirement was dropped sometime ago.
That said, your first night dive should be:
It's all about safety, caution and respecting reasonable limits. Most divers going on the first night dive don't have many dives in their logs and have to be considered vulnerable to a whole host of potential problems that more soggy divers have long since learned to deal with. Inexperience is cool, just don't be a diving fool.
Steven
I had to do a night dive as part of my PADI AOW, but that requirement was dropped sometime ago.
That said, your first night dive should be:
- At a site that you have a good working knowledge of.
- With someone who is extremely familiar with the site - both day and night.
- With someone that you trust to be able to rescue you should you panic in the unfamiliar environment.
It's all about safety, caution and respecting reasonable limits. Most divers going on the first night dive don't have many dives in their logs and have to be considered vulnerable to a whole host of potential problems that more soggy divers have long since learned to deal with. Inexperience is cool, just don't be a diving fool.
Steven
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