Strategies, tips and training to make night diving less terrifying?

[AlexL]

... because I'm very vocal about not going on dives where I feel unsafe. I'm a bit high-strung like that.

that’s not high strung, that's being a good diver that understands and respects their limits. Rule 0, anyone can thumb a dive at any time (even 1 step before splashing) for any reason (including 'it doesn’t feel right') without repercussion.

+1 on the dusk / dawn dives. its really interesting doing laps around a coral head, and watching things change as the light slowly fades out / in. obviously, the site should be familiar and dove recently in full light, as its pretty easy to get spun around at night.

the glow sticks work, but don't throw light very far. we use some older triple button battery flashing sticks, but ive seen the newer XS scuba led sticks a lot lately, and they both work quite well. bonus points for getting red and blue sticks so you can make scuba police jokes after the dive! even then, its nice to keep very close buddy contact during low viz / night dives. it might make everyone else want to puke, but my wife and i tend to hold hands while diving... even when viz is great.

 

[Saniflush]

The wife and I have been using "Glo-Toobs" on our tanks and have been really happy with them.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

Maybe you should consider starting a dive just as its getting dark, like a twilight dive, you start when there is still some light, and it slowly gets darker. Maybe even staying in one spot to see how the critters change up, some going to sleep, some just starting their active period. Then the next time a little later, and later and before you know it you are doing a night dive. Or, like me you like the twilight to almost night dive.

 

[Kharon]

When I was just a kid (14-16) some one (a lifeguard at a pool I was working at) tried to drown me (no shite). It took two other life guards to pull him off. Since then I am a bit gun shy of - others in the water near me, enclosed spaces underwater, and water I can't see through.

I've gotten over it all (except people touching me underwater and enclosed spaces) - though I don't freak out anymore. The last thing to go was night diving. I did a bunch of night snorkeling with bright wide angle lights and after a few dives became comfortable with being in the water at night.

 

[TrimixToo]

I did a really fast scan of this thread, so sorry if I missed it. But I did not see anyone talk about making some night/dark dives where you maintain a visual reference with something that goes all the way up and all the way down. It can be a rope, a wall, a sloping beach, but something to orient on, that you can see with the light you carry, before you get more comfortable in the water can be key.

And for lights, brighter is better. The average starter light is a terrible thing to use when you start to dive in the dark. Buy or borrow a *bright* light, 1,000 lumens or more. I'm comfortable on the upline with just the light from my computers today, but it was definitely not always thus. It takes time to learn to be oriented and comfortable in the dark. Start with lots of light and work down.

 

[MelasLithos]

My first night dive started somewhere very shallow (basically, I could get up and have my head out of the water when standing on the bottom), somewhere with very good visibility, on a full moon night. We had a lot of lights with us, but even without the lights, the moon was bright enough that we could see clearly under water (since I had asked about it to the divemaster before the dive, he stayed with me a few minutes underwater at the end of the dive, all lights out, while everyone was getting out, just to admire the moon).

I can't imagine any better conditions to do a first night dive. Maybe you can try the same? Have a professional go with you, and pick a day when visibility is good and natural light is bright enough? Of course, don't forget your dive light and backup, but maybe knowing that you can see even if your light fails can help?

 

[admikar]

My first dive started just at twilight, group of four led by an instructor. I enjoyed it. For some reason my lowest SAC so far is on night dives. One thing you should try is to shift your focus on other lights in your group, not on what they are shining at, but on lights themselves. That way you can judge by yourself how much visibility is there. My favorite thing right now on group dives, planned and discussed in advance, is to let other pairs go forward, then switch my light off and watch bio luminescence started by their fins.

 

[flyboy08]

Best way to break in is to enter the water near dusk and allow darkness to fall while your into the dive....then the comfort level rises and you'll move along to dark entries....

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm not a complete newbie diver, but still sitting at around 100'ish dives total. We've been to Bonaire a few times and also Florida and 5-6 other Caribbean locations.

We took the night-diving "course" offered through SSI back on our first Bonaire trip 4 years ago. That trip was with our dive shop and we were friendly with the dive instructor who informed us we had nothing to worry about because he was going down on the dive with us after the course. Great! So, we show up that evening and we get our final instruction and then find out he is not going. He never really explained why - he just basically said, "Okay, you're ready. Once your dive is over come and find me and I'll sign-off."

Admittedly, we didn't have much of a plan. We'd been diving the spot all week (@ Captain Don's) so we were familiar with the terrain. We decided to take a right off the dock, go out for 15 minutes and then turn around.

However, I was already a bit flustered and not very confident. I hated the vast expanse of blackness all around me. Even with our lights, I could not calm down and I panicked. We ended the dive after 8 glorious minutes!

I feel like I'm missing out by not going on night dives and I know my husband would like to - he doesn't pressure me at all, but I'd like to try it again. I know we need to plan better and maybe even go on a guided dive. I'm more confident now and I'm learning to calm myself, take it easy and enjoy the dives - but honestly, I get a tiny wave of nausea thinking about night dives.

I thought maybe signing up for one of the fluorescent night dives might be a strategy? Any other tips? I've done a few dives where I've really pushed myself and was glad to have done them, whether they were more strenuous & deeper dives, choppier waters or difficult entry/exits - but night diving is still my nemesis...

I would think the reef at Captain Don's is an excellent place to do your first night dive ... but I can understand your apprehension at not having the instructor go with you. Tell me ... did you meet "Charlie"? For those who haven't been there, "Charlie" is the code name for the largest of the tarpon who hang around that reef, and who use diving lights to hunt by at night. There has always been a Charlie ... but I'm convinced it's not always the same fish. But it can be a bit distracting when a five-foot long fish comes streaking out of the darkness into your light beam ... especially one as highly-reflective as a tarpon ...

I did my first night dive at home in Seattle ... as part of my AOW class. I thought the dive went well enough, but upon exiting the water my instructor told me he never wanted to be that close to me again (apparently I was practically riding him). So I guess I must've been a bit apprehensive. Watching a giant Pacific octopus out on walkabout searching for a happy meal made it all worthwhile, though.

I've since come to love night diving ... and I think a lot of people grow to prefer it for its lack of crowds, or maybe the variety of hunters and foragers who come out when it gets dark. One of my all-time favorite times to dive is very early morning ... getting in the water while its still dark and watching as the nocturnals turn in and the reef awakens with the coming of daylight ... it's magical.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)