Is night dive for beginners?

[Daryl Morse]

If you feel confident in the water, talk to the DM about it. As long as the DM knows it's your first night dive, it should be okay. Night dives are really fun. You'll see different marine life than you see during the day. I wouldn't pass up on a chance to go. Night dives are some of my most memorable dives. The only caveat is that you should have a decent primary light, and preferably also a backup as lights do fail.

 

[Sue Sue]

Take a flashlight and go out into the woods at night. Now of course add the fact that you will be Scuba Diving. This is the feel DH and I have on night dives. Once you are comfortable for day dives, then talk to your DM about an easy spot for a night dive. Set your standard for your first night dive to enjoy a basic experience. Listen to the predive instructions carefuly, descend slowly and don't forget to equalize, stay close enough to your DM to see him or her at all times, but not so close that you are on top of each other. Stay close to your buddy as always . DH and I have purchased battery powered glo lights that we attach to our tanks so that we can identify each other. Some blink even..Check for them at your local Dive shop. Also, maybe leave the camera behind for the first night dive if you use one. You will have enough to think about. Check your gauges often as you may use air a bit quicker. Look around slowly , enjoy the critters and then prepare for your ascent. Your air consumption limit and communicating this to your DM should be establised at predive instruction time. Slow ascent, keeping your light ready to signal the boat when you surface. Your DM should give you instructions on how to do this. The captain follows the lights and will be looking for you. Be patient and relax to get picked up as the captain does need keep his or her eye on a lot of things, as always. Just like your ID says, diving is fun....enjoy ! Sue Sue

 

[fishb0y]

I agree with Daryl... just let the DM know before you head out on the dive. Ak=lot of operations do a fairly controlled environment for night dives. If it makes you feel any better my 11y/o's first dive after OW was a night dive.

BTW... if you feel confortable during the day dive, a night dive is just a walk in the park.

 

[Christi]

Definitley make sure you are comforable with the day stuff first, including buoyacy control.

Don't fret about this yet, your trip is not until December and night dives are not something you need to reserve in advance. Do some dives during the day here, and talk to your DM to decide if you are ready for a night dive.

 

[ggunn]

I would suggest that you do a little night snorkeling first to get acquainted with conditions in the water at night.

 

[mstevens]

If it makes you feel any better my 11y/o's first dive after OW was a night dive.

Man, what is it with kids and night dives? There seems to be some sort of natural fit for at least some of them. Perhaps it's that if they were diving with a parent they felt safer than most of us feel as adults with a DM.

My 11 y/o won't go upstairs without all the lights on and an attack cat for protection, but he'll happily leap into the sea in the dark. Go figure.

 

[fishb0y]

My 11 y/o won't go upstairs without all the lights on and an attack cat for protection, but he'll happily leap into the sea in the dark. Go figure.

Funny, mine too

 

[DiveGal01]

Night dives are wonderful. Buddy up with an experienced night diver for your first time or start your Advanced Certification with a night dive accompanied by an Instructor or DM. If you really love it you can go on to earn the Night Diver Specialty with 2 more night dives.

At night you'll see an entirerly different environment. Coral polyps open up to feed, lobster are out walking around on the reef, BIG fish (snapper, grouper, hogfish, tarpon) are out feeding, Parrot fish are sleeping in slime cocoons, and morays are out free swimming. Squid are also more active at night.

I highly recommend a cylum or some other lighted marker on every diver as well as on the dive flag. PADI recommends two lights per diver. Personally, I think if your buddy team has 2 good lights between them, if one fails they have the other one to use to surface immediatly. But 2 per diver can't hurt and I'm sure PADI has their resons.

When night diving from an anchored boat, the boat should have a strobe suspended for diver reference - depth of the strobe depends on the depth of the dive. A safety bar suspended at 15 feet is also a good thing to have setup for anchored boats. Also, you're have to swim back to the boat, so bone up your navigational skills.

Night drift dives are different. The boat follows the lighted dive flag. You surface - the boat is there waiting for you. Ah, drift diving - the lazy man's dive.

Dive the location first in the daytime and then dive the same spot at night. This way, you will already be familiar with the dive site during the night dive.

Oh, and use night diving etiquette. Don't shine your light in your buddies eyes and shine your light on your hand during comunication so your buddy can see. Don't shine your light at boat. Shine it under your chin or on top of your head.

I do a lot of night diving at Lauderdale by the Sea. It's killer!

Night dives ROCK!!!!!!

 

[ggunn]

Night dives are wonderful.


When night diving from an anchored boat, the boat should have a strobe suspended for diver reference - depth of the strobe depends on the depth of the dive. A safety bar suspended at 15 feet is also a good thing to have setup for anchored boats. Also, you're have to swim back to the boat, so bone up your navigational skills.

Night drift dives are different. The boat follows the lighted dive flag. You surface - the boat is there waiting for you. Ah, drift diving - the lazy man's dive.

At Cozumel, you won't see anchored boats, bars, or boat strobes because of the current. Lighted dive flags, either.

But yes, night dives are very cool.