Take some time to turn off your light. “Are you crazy MikeR DiveR?!?” Well, maybe a little, but have you ever taken the time to see the bioluminescence in the ocean? Think Peter Pan/Tinkerbell pixie dust or Avatar. It’s incredible!! Turn off the lights and move your hands and fins around in the water. You will be mesmerized. Make sure you’re doing this is water that is deep enough so you’re off the reef and not risking kicking over any coral or sponges. Always be safe. Stay near your buddy...hold hands for this if you need to. But take a few minutes to appreciate what’s out there in the pitch dark. Good tips Mark. Safe diving all.
As an MSDT instructor, I love to take AOW and on the night dive portion, I advise fellow instructors, to wear bright fins so just a flash of light makes me instantly recognizable to my students. I have ScubaPro Nova Seawing Gorilla in fluorescent orange and all the students were comforted on their first ever night dive (I have DM at the rear watching for potential problems). I dive slowly so I am always reachable. I use a flashing red LED (from DAN shop) strapped to my cylinder so I look like a F1 car. Maybe overkill but they never lose me!
Great tips. Thanks! I had my first night dive last week. I wasn’t prepared for how disorientated we could get. My buddy was circling pylons and seemed to go back in the wrong direction, and then I would second guess myself, and totally got confused by which way we were going. Also, didn’t think about the fish sleeping. Thanks for the tip, I love animals and would hate to be the cause of fishies being eaten or not having a proper rest!
Take a powerful torch and a low lumen light, so you can alternate between the two when the situation calls for it. Take a backup torch that has a strobe function. For emergency signalling. Also take a whistle or noise maker of some description. Smaller groups for night dives are a little safer, than large numbers of divers. Don’t be afraid to cancel or end the dive if your not comfortable or confident while diving a night dive.
You are 100% correct about how blinding the light can be. I did a dive in the Devil's Den and set up a tripod with camera and light to record myself and my dive buddy. We were both looking at the camera and waving, but it was like looking straight into the sun!
Many predators come out at night to hunt! During the day octopodes are hard to see because they are masters of camouflage. At night they are out in the open, crawling around on the reef. When they get caught in the beam of your light they turn a beautiful aquamarine.
Just like cave divers carry 3 flashlights (or as you brits say 'torches') so should a night diver. Yes you CAN have 2 fail. I did have my buddy's fail and I had to give him one of my backups (as I did have 3). I actually carry more as I do video/camera as well. Ideally try to buy 2 of the same model of flashlight- this makes batteries interchangeable and can use same charger or if a charger fails, you have backup charger.
Tip for night divers that lost there buddy's and both torches burned out ! Or where I dive brail even in the day time ! During every dive become aware how long you hold your bc inflation button down to safely make an asset without going into an embolism ! Cose your eyes give your bc a shot of air then open them and see if you are commong up to fast ? Practice !!!!!! you will be surprised how little air you need Also helps with buoyancy control And after a while with just a quarter second puff or release of air you can assent and decend even in the dark ! A simple poof and you are on your way up (every body is different you have to practice to get your rate) Safety stops ? Practice releasing your smb blind (with your eyes closed) Tie knots in the string 1/ 2 inches apart every 10 ft one knot 10 ft 2 knots 20 ft etc go up the line (with your eyes closed) (Or remain neutral and pull yourself up the line) when you get to your safety stop Release or ( add air if you pulled yourself up) to become neutral buoyant start counting in seconds till your time is up Practice ! practice !practice ! Also makes you a better solo diver Dry suit divers will have to develop their own technique Have a great day !
i always considered night dives risk vs reward. I've never really been on a night dive that i truly enjoyed. I always wondered if the time i went out makes a difference. most of them were at dusk. is there an optimal time you'd recommend to start a night dive when the night crew is more active?
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What are your tips for night diving? Let us know below!
Take some time to turn off your light. “Are you crazy MikeR DiveR?!?” Well, maybe a little, but have you ever taken the time to see the bioluminescence in the ocean? Think Peter Pan/Tinkerbell pixie dust or Avatar. It’s incredible!! Turn off the lights and move your hands and fins around in the water. You will be mesmerized. Make sure you’re doing this is water that is deep enough so you’re off the reef and not risking kicking over any coral or sponges. Always be safe. Stay near your buddy...hold hands for this if you need to. But take a few minutes to appreciate what’s out there in the pitch dark. Good tips Mark. Safe diving all.
As an MSDT instructor, I love to take AOW and on the night dive portion, I advise fellow instructors, to wear bright fins so just a flash of light makes me instantly recognizable to my students. I have ScubaPro Nova Seawing Gorilla in fluorescent orange and all the students were comforted on their first ever night dive (I have DM at the rear watching for potential problems). I dive slowly so I am always reachable. I use a flashing red LED (from DAN shop) strapped to my cylinder so I look like a F1 car. Maybe overkill but they never lose me!
Redundant lighting is a must when it comes to night diving. Murphy's Law of Supply And Demand is not something to be trifled with.
Great tips. Thanks! I had my first night dive last week. I wasn’t prepared for how disorientated we could get. My buddy was circling pylons and seemed to go back in the wrong direction, and then I would second guess myself, and totally got confused by which way we were going.
Also, didn’t think about the fish sleeping. Thanks for the tip, I love animals and would hate to be the cause of fishies being eaten or not having a proper rest!
Had my first night dive last week, so different and one of the better dives!
Perfect timing. Doing my first night dive this Thursday.
Take a powerful torch and a low lumen light, so you can alternate between the two when the situation calls for it. Take a backup torch that has a strobe function. For emergency signalling.
Also take a whistle or noise maker of some description. Smaller groups for night dives are a little safer, than large numbers of divers.
Don’t be afraid to cancel or end the dive if your not comfortable or confident while diving a night dive.
You are 100% correct about how blinding the light can be. I did a dive in the Devil's Den and set up a tripod with camera and light to record myself and my dive buddy. We were both looking at the camera and waving, but it was like looking straight into the sun!
Many predators come out at night to hunt! During the day octopodes are hard to see because they are masters of camouflage. At night they are out in the open, crawling around on the reef. When they get caught in the beam of your light they turn a beautiful aquamarine.
Did my first night dive 3 days ago at Sail Rock between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. Was amazing!
The Tarpon love the dive lights at night... ...
Oh yes, you’re illuminating their prey. Love the way their eyes reflect the beam!
I love the way they hang next to you - shoulder-to-shoulder - sometimes nudging you, then pounce on any poor fish that happens into your beam.
Just like cave divers carry 3 flashlights (or as you brits say 'torches') so should a night diver. Yes you CAN have 2 fail. I did have my buddy's fail and I had to give him one of my backups (as I did have 3). I actually carry more as I do video/camera as well. Ideally try to buy 2 of the same model of flashlight- this makes batteries interchangeable and can use same charger or if a charger fails, you have backup charger.
Tip for night divers that lost there buddy's and both torches burned out !
Or where I dive brail even in the day time !
During every dive become aware how long you hold your bc inflation button down to safely make an asset without going into an embolism !
Cose your eyes give your bc a shot of air then open them and see if you are commong up to fast ?
Practice !!!!!!
you will be surprised how little air you need
Also helps with buoyancy control
And after a while
with just a quarter second puff or release of air
you can assent and decend even in the dark !
A simple poof and you are on your way up (every body is different you have to practice to get your rate)
Safety stops ?
Practice releasing your smb blind (with your eyes closed)
Tie knots in the string 1/ 2 inches apart
every 10 ft one knot 10 ft 2 knots 20 ft etc
go up the line (with your eyes closed)
(Or remain neutral and pull yourself up the line)
when you get to your safety stop
Release or ( add air if you pulled yourself up) to become neutral buoyant
start counting in seconds till your time is up
Practice ! practice !practice !
Also makes you a better solo diver
Dry suit divers will have to develop their own technique
Have a great day !
i always considered night dives risk vs reward. I've never really been on a night dive that i truly enjoyed. I always wondered if the time i went out makes a difference. most of them were at dusk.
is there an optimal time you'd recommend to start a night dive when the night crew is more active?
Well done !
Night Dive, sea urchins are a pain in some places
my friend was scared at his first dive course, everything was change when he do his first nightdive....
Night dives can be amazing. For a unique experience, do the safety stop kneeling on the ground at 5 m with all the lights in your group turned off.
WTF kind of 'Hospital' is closed?
Not so much the hospital
But some places don’t have 24 hour hypobaric chambers.
A good idea is to have at least 3 lights…
Hospitals don’t open 24/7?? Lol
Two is one, One is none....
Imagine seeing a whale at night
How is this a guide ? . Guide to Night dive: it’s dark and cold
Not a fan.