Substitute for glowsticks

[Rev. Blade]

I hang a glow stick from my tank (and my dive buddy's tank) as a marker. I've had more than one electric light fail on a dive, and glow stick still allows a dive buddy to locate you. Also I've noticed a lot of divers (intentionally) turn off their lights during a dive. The glow stick can not be turned off during the dive, so I can find my buddy... and yet it's light is suficiently subdued, that it would be a rare diver who was bothered by the light (on or near their tank).

Absolute worst case of light failure, you could even read your gauges by a light stick... but I'd certainly rather have some other light as a backup for navigating or watching where I was going.

 

[Soggy]

Why not just bring a backup light or two?

 

[ScubaCatgirl]

Why not just bring a backup light or two?

You need to have a tank marker for night diving so you can find your buddy. Some people don't use their lights when night diving, but w/a tank marker you'll always see your dive bud.

 

[Soggy]

Someone should tell cave and deep divers about this technique.

In all seriousness, if you aren't going to have your light on, I can understand having some sort of marker, but staying in touch contact under those circumstances is a better idea. If you have a couple lights with you and plan on using them, the tank marker is an awful and pointless technique.

I'm just trying to get you all to actually think about this. For the majority of circumstances, it is unneeded.

 

[MikeFerrara]

You need to have a tank marker for night diving so you can find your buddy. Some people don't use their lights when night diving, but w/a tank marker you'll always see your dive bud.

I'm with Soggy. Use a good dive light, learn to use it right, have a backup and the glow sticks serve no purpose other than to blind other divers.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I'm also in agreement. The tank light is a requirement for training night dives by some agencies, but it's not required for non training dives. In fact, the only time I use a tank light is during training dives...and I usually have to have someone turn it on for me after I've kitted up because I forget to. In low viz water, the tank light really doesn't help much either...especially with my can light drowning out the glow.

As far as turning off lights under water - that shouldn't be done. What if the light doesn't come back on? If you want to experience the darkness, then shield the light. Even my can light doesn't give off any light when shielded properly. It's bad practice to turn lights off and on under water.

 

[Tamas]

Another alternative to Glow-toobs is this little beast by Aquatec USA

 

[cinder4320]

I use a glo-toob too. Besides just being required for training dives they are often required for boat night dives and liveaboards.

Miranda

 

[Tamas]

Light-sticks or other smaller light sources can also be useful when boat diving at night to mark the line, the ladder, the bottle if hung from the line, marking the exit at night if shore diving...etc.

Electronic light sticks are a smarter alternative to the chemical sticks since they do no create garbage and are not filled with potentially harmful chemicals.

 

[fire_diver]

I like to put em on a long tether then swim around so it stays about 2-3 foot deep. Then swim around the pier to freak out the drunks. Nothing like a wierd green glow moving around the water at night.

FD