Night dive tips

[ScubaDocER]

Went for the dive and I'm pretty sure its the worst dive I've had. The vis was real bad, we got lost, didnt see the cool stuff my fiencee did (squid). But I'm glad I did go cause I got to see sleeping fish! OMG I didnt even know fish sleep. They were tucked up in sea weed sleeping away. Such a funny site.

Roll on the next one!

Cheers

Mike

While I am sorry that your second night dive did not go as well as the first, I think it does present a teaching moment. Night dives can be fun and exhilarating. There can be so much anticipation and anxiety about what you can see and what you can't during a night dive. Low viz/night diving requires special attention to detail and even more attention to buddysmanship. Getting lost can be an even bigger problem. You must be aware of your surroundings. Using a compass may help. Diving the site during the daytime might help. Carry at least 2 lights in case one of them floods or dies during the dive. Review light signals prior to the dive, especially emergency and attention getting signals. Review lost diver drills, especially as they pertain to night diving. Carry signal devices such as glow sticks, a whistle, or inflatable sausages. As you enjoy the wonderment of night diving, don't forget to practice safe and smart diving. Good luck on your next night dive.

 

[Unibrook]

My first night dive was into nothing but dark water off a boat in Oz. That was a bit freaky and disorienting, since you can't see which way is up etc. Just continue to breathe and learn to feel how you are positioned in the water. Easier night dives are shallower and have obvious structures you can orient yourself to. It's all good.

 

[Rynomar]

My wife gets pretty uncomfortable on night dives. I love night dives so I do everything that I can to make them as fun as possible for her. When possible, I will attach a big strobe to a mooring bouy, or reference point for us to dive around. Initially we would stay within sight of the strobe. As her comfort level increased, we expanded our range. She is now pretty happy as long as she knows the direction to the strobe and has a good light in her hand.

If you ever get the chance, try a night dive on a full moon night. The moon looks amazing when you look up at it from underwater. Also, it makes things so bright that you can do the entire dive without a light if you want. It really makes for a magical dive.

Also, early morning dives are really cool. Plan a dive so that you are finishing the dive as the sun comes up. You get to see all of the critters that are out at night and also get to see the reef come alive with the sun.

 

[fnfalman]

Unless one plans on doing cave or wreck penetration, bright light is a waste for night dive. You need something that is bright enough to see but not so bright that it washes out the cool sceneries. My favorite part is to just shut off the light and enjoy the bioluminescence/phosphorescence stuff that floats in the water.

 

[aascubagirl]

I love night diving for all of the activity that takes place, plus the brilliant colors. However, night diving in less than optimal visibility can present quite a challenge and be very stressful. Proper buddy checks and buddy diving, plus your buoyancy and navigation skills are critical here.

At night, you tend to see a lot more crustaceans - shrimp, crab and lobster all over the place! I love to look at coral heads at night as they appear to be jewel-encrusted from all of the pairs of glowing eyes shining back at you. Blue, green, purple, etc. Love it. Also, the OP mentioned sleeping fish - I remember the first time I saw that, too!

Here on my island, we have a resident Hawaiian monk seal who shows up on 9 out of 10 night dives. We've nicknamed him Sir Snacks-alot as he uses the divers lights to grab an easy meal. One of our instructors watched him eat nearly 20 fish and quickly discovered which fish are his favorite. If you don't want the fish to be eaten, don't shine your light on it!

 

[BDSC]

I'll throw in this. A lot of people will buy one of those battery operated tank markers for their night dive. If you decide to get one, don't buy one that flashes like a strobe. If you go on a night dive off a boat, many dive shops won't let you carry it with you because they hang a blinking strobe off the boat and they say other divers may mistake your strobe for the one on the boat.

 

[Jorgy]

I really enjoy night diving and am a litter navigation challenged, just can't seem to swim straight on a compass bearing, but getting better......

I have a Princeton Tec Aqua Strobe, it is small, relatively inexpensive, and floats, so if we am doing a shore dive, I take a 2 pound weight and tie the strobe to it with about 4 feet of line. We swim out perpendicular to the shore, drop the weight/strobe (turned on, while on shore) at a predetermined easy to remember depth....say 25 feet and head off on the dive; on the return I look for the strobe to locate the entry/exit point.

All the boats I have done night dives with hang a strobe from the boat, so for boat night dives, I strap the strobe (turned off) to my shoulder harness, for emergency use only if needed.

Also, while it may seem counterintuitive less light is often better, so you don't need a "portable sun" underwater (unless cave, wrecks, or other unique dives). Two lights is a great recommendation....also I suggest LED lights, they seem to have the best combination of burn time and durability.

Since I also take pictures I lanyard my dive light to my waist d-ring so I can drop the light and use both hands on the camera, make sure you are far enough above the bottom to drop your light without causing damage. My camera rig strobes (Sea and Sea YS-110's) have built in LED focus lights so that becomes my dive light while shooting pictures. If I am close to the bottom, I tuck the light into my waist belt.

Hope this helps......M