Question Night Diving - requirements, insurance coverage, WRSTC

[vatty]

Apologies if this question has already been asked before, but I am unable to find a clear answer on a few things.

My understanding and findings are as followed:

• An OW certified diver is allowed to take a night dive without additional certifications.
• Night Dive certifications provide in-depth information on necessary equipment, skills, knowledge and experience required to safely dive at night.

So, a Night Dive course is there to provide a divers first night dive experience with a dive professional. I understand that for e.g. PADI/SSI requires an Instructor or higher to provide this specific course. But what I am curious about is, can a DiveMaster guide a night dive for OW certified divers that have not done the night dive course?

I searched the DAN insurance coverage, but it is not really clear for me if it is covered or not. Same for the WRSTC standards.

Hopefully somebody out here can point me to some sources that give a clear answer.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Apologies if this question has already been asked before, but I am unable to find a clear answer on a few things.

My understanding and findings are as followed:

• An OW certified diver is allowed to take a night dive without additional certifications.
• Night Dive certifications provide in-depth information on necessary equipment, skills, knowledge and experience required to safely dive at night.

So, a Night Dive course is there to provide a divers first night dive experience with a dive professional. I understand that for e.g. PADI/SSI requires an Instructor or higher to provide this specific course. But what I am curious about is, can a DiveMaster guide a night dive for OW certified divers that have not done the night dive course?

I searched the DAN insurance coverage, but it is not really clear for me if it is covered or not. Same for the WRSTC standards.

Hopefully somebody out here can point me to some sources that give a clear answer.

I dont think anyone would ever ask you for a “night dive” cert. If you’re doing your 1st night dive, I’d go with someone who has experience with diving at night. I had a combo navigation and night course. That was pretty cool and the instructor was great.

 

[rick00001967]

these questions get asked alot. do i need a deep cert to dive below 60 feet? or night dive or whatever else.
when i first got sidemount certified, the shop i went out with would not take me unless i showed them my sm cert.
but in my experience the decision is up to the people taking you diving. if you are diving with buddies then do what you like. there are no scuba police. but if you are diving with a shop, it is up to them who they take.
usually i see shops that want to see you dive before taking you to an advanced location for example. or to see your buoyancy skills before taking you in a cenote or on a shark feed.
they want to make sure you can handle the dive.
the truth is that no matter what your cert cards say, you may not be skilled enough for certain dives.
so why take specialties? for some people they are more comfortable learning a new skill in a new environment from an instructor they trust.
the only common cert you need at any shop would be nitrox. if you want mixed gas you wont get it without that card. at least that is the way it is supossed to work.

 

[NorCalDM]

To answers your question yes a DM can lead the dive it happens everyday all over the world. The only card you will get asked for is your credit card. There are several specialties that to me are just to make some money and the knowledge can be gained with a simple conversation with a diver that has the experience. Night diving and boat diving are two that come to mind, night diving is about light etiquette/handling and boat diving you can get most of the information by listening to the briefing or ask a couple questions of the boat ahead of time. Ok where do I send my invoice?

 

[TMHeimer]

These experienced folks have answered all the questions. I will add that I took the night course back in 2007. From what I recall, you learn about lights--their maintenance and proper use. Signaling, when to turn them on, how to avoid blinding a buddy. It was an enjoyable course with a good instructor. I have only done one night dive other than the course in my 16 years. Just doesn't fit my routine. I agree that the main point of the course really is to do your first night dives with an instructor. One thing we did was turn off all the lights and sat on the bottom for like 3 minutes holding hands. Not really sure what that was all about-- it was just real dark. I know I know, we should have done that NEUTRALLY. I don't feel guilty- sandy bottom.

 

[tursiops]

To answers your question yes a DM can lead the dive it happens everyday all over the world. The only card you will get asked for is your credit card. There are several specialties that to me are just to make some money and the knowledge can be gained with a simple conversation with a diver that has the experience. Night diving and boat diving are two that come to mind, night diving is about light etiquette/handling and boat diving you can get most of the information by listening to the briefing or ask a couple questions of the boat ahead of time. Ok where do I send my invoice?

Perhaps you've never tried to teach Night to relatively new divers. It is a LOT more that light handling! For example, buoyancy control is much harder when you have fewer visual clues as to your position in the water.

Your denigration of Boat has some truth -- for the old Boat diver course. The new one has a lot more material in it, and is especially valuable to people with no experience on boats. Not everyone will learn a lot in the Boat specialty, especially of they have been around boats a lot, but there are a lot of land-locked divers who've never been on a boat, and they have a lot to learn and experience. Also, watching some "experienced" boat divers take up a lot of space with their gear lying all over the deck and benches makes me think they could benefit from a good class -- or whack on the head -- too.

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Perhaps you've never tried to teach Night to relatively new divers. It is a LOT more that light handling! For example, buoyancy control is much harder when you have fewer visual clues as to your position in the water.

Your denigration of Boat has some truth -- for the old Boat diver course. The new one has a lot more material in it, and is especially valuable to people with no experience on boats. Not everyone will learn a lot in the Boat specialty, especially of they have been around boats a lot, but there are a lot of land-locked divers who've never been on a boat, and they have a lot to learn and experience. Also, watching some "experienced" boat divers take up a lot of space with their gear lying all over the deck and benches makes me think they could benefit from a good class -- or whack on the head -- too.

As with so many courses, instructor matters. For navigation, my instructor watched floating on the surface because her drysuit leaked. The only takeaway from night was signalling. When first starting out, it can be difficult to tell what makes a good instructor from bad. In this case, lack of organization should have been my first clue.

Agree with the space hogs/general lack of courtesy. I've also seen a couple tanks with full gear crash onto the deck. One time on someone's foot. There are always things to learn, I supposed, but for some no amount of instruction seems to matter regardless of course.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Practice your light holding skills in daylight first. It wouldn't hurt to have a lanyard attached.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Apologies if this question has already been asked before, but I am unable to find a clear answer on a few things.

My understanding and findings are as followed:

• An OW certified diver is allowed to take a night dive without additional certifications.
• Night Dive certifications provide in-depth information on necessary equipment, skills, knowledge and experience required to safely dive at night.

So, a Night Dive course is there to provide a divers first night dive experience with a dive professional. I understand that for e.g. PADI/SSI requires an Instructor or higher to provide this specific course. But what I am curious about is, can a DiveMaster guide a night dive for OW certified divers that have not done the night dive course?

I searched the DAN insurance coverage, but it is not really clear for me if it is covered or not. Same for the WRSTC standards.

Hopefully somebody out here can point me to some sources that give a clear answer.

No requirement for any type of certificate to undertake night dives. I did my first night dive a few days after I got my OW back in 1986.
My dive buddy was an instructor who also advised about what was required regarding having two torches, how to shine the torch into my SPG so that I could see it glow and become readable, not to shine the torch at peoples faces and also not into the eyes of marine life.
Another important thing was how to use the torch for your signaling.

We also kept the depth to max of 15m on my first night dive. You do need to pay attention to your depth gauge more often.

You do not need to be with a DM or instructor on a night dive you can do so with any certified diver but of course better to have one who has a lot of night dives. When I do my vacations and do 40 dives in 2 weeks around 7 - 10 of those dives will be night dives where possible. Sometimes less I try to get in at least 3 night dives a week.

 

[Centrals]

Night dive USED to be one of the three core dives in PADI AOW course. So you really need a AOW card to do a night dive(my experience) but that is history.
Would the operator insist on night dive speciality card? No idea but many of them do request the DEEP speciality card to go beyond 30m.
Many dive guides do not have DM qualification.
As for the insurance coverage? Interesting question because you were not trained to do night dive!