Night dives during a new moon?

[Diver0001]

We're heading to Curacao in a bit over 4 weeks. It will be a new moon while we're there.

With all the diving I've done, I've never done a night dive. We 'll have several chances to do one on this trip. Is it worthwhile doing a tropical/Carribean night dive when it is that dark?

What's been your experience with night dives?

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The only relevance that the phase of the moon has for diving (day or night) is that it can affect the tides. Depending on the location, a day or 2 after a full moon the largest tidal flow of the month will occur and a day or 2 after a new new the smallest tidal exchange will occur.

In some places if the visibility is outstanding, it can be fun to make a shallow dive during a full moon, turn off the lights and use the moon light to see. During a new-moon you won't see anything if you do that.

R..

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
matching tank flashers for yourself and your buddy so you can pick each other out in a group.
..snip..

Not a lot else to distract you.

If there's one thing that does distract on a night dive it's a tank flasher on the diver ahead of you...

Please, just use a colored tank marker with a steady output rather than one that flashes. There are various colors to choose from.

 

[Diver0001]

If there's one thing that does distract on a night dive it's a tank flasher on the diver ahead of you...

Please, just use a colored tank marker with a steady output rather than one that flashes. There are various colors to choose from.

Agreed. Strobes are very distracting. They rate right up there with rattles in terms of things I'd rather people didn't use. I do have a strobe but I attach it above water to something near the exit when it's very dark so we can see where the exit is.

In terms of "tank markers", my impression is that they're intended to make you visible from behind when you're facing away from your buddy. What I find works just as well is to use a reserve-light and either hang it from a D-ring so it points down (makes a big dot on the bottom right below where you are) or to attach it to the BCD strap facing backwards (up) so it creates a light beam upwards from where you are and reflects in the bubbles.

YYMV but in our conditions "tank markers" wouldn't be visible from more than a few metres away so we tend to look for other solutions. Tight buddy contact helps too

R..

 

[PhilaDallas]

Just relax and enjoy. Night diving is more peaceful since you can only see what the beam of your light reveals. Not a lot else to distract you.

Especially not the barracuda that is hanging about 20 feet away watching all of the weirdos with lights swimming around. For all of the great stuff I saw on my night dive, having my wife flash my and point behind me, then turning and seeing the barracuda was the best. Reminded me that what is within the ring of my light is just a small section of what was out there.

 

[gypsyjim]

Especially not the barracuda that is hanging about 20 feet away watching all of the weirdos with lights swimming around. For all of the great stuff I saw on my night dive, having my wife flash my and point behind me, then turning and seeing the barracuda was the best. Reminded me that what is within the ring of my light is just a small section of what was out there.

Which is why the sudden appearance of a tarpon swooping past you to grab a snack can be so er, exciting!

I like to turn my light off and let my eye adjust to the ambient light if there is a moon. You often can spot the larger critters who like to tag along behind us divers, waiting for us to light up some tasty tid bit they can grab for dinner.

I hate those strobes too. We seldom dive with any marker lights at all on our group. Even more important on a night dive than it is in the day light, you should never be far enough apart that you can not see each diver clearly, and even when we do turn off, or cover our lights to enjoy the phosphorescence or the moon light we are remaining in close enough contact to avoid separation.

 

[iamrushman]

everything everyone else said and more..i prefer night dives to day dives...your in for a treat.

 

[phoenix31tt]

agree with everyone here... night diving is awesome... it's a toss up between night and wreck for me
the phase of the moon only affects critters, (in some parts visibility) and of course the tides

 

[AfterDark]

I've done hundreds of night dives, for about ten years it was the only diving I did. Almost every Friday night we'd hit the water after dark.
Ten feet of vis looks unlimited, can't see past your light anyway. The critters are everywhere some we never see during the day; but the #1 reason we went night diving was ROCK LOBSTERS! In RI we can hunt bugs at night, which is great because that's when they come out of their holes to hunt. The hunter becomes the hunted. We'd get 6 of so each what a feast! I was actually tired of eating lobsters after a while. We found that during a new moon we'd catch more bugs.

Now night diving usually means solo diving for me. Everyone I dive with now doesn't seem to be interest in night diving. Oh well more bugs for me! "The best time of day to dive is after dark". AfterDark

 

[vann evans]

for your first night dive, I would suggest that you enter the water about 20 minutes before it's actually dark. You can slowly adjust to darkness as you lose the light and it is much less stressful. you will slowly get used to darkness as it occurs. One of the hardest part is communicating with your buddy. talk with them ahead of the dive to discuss light use for signalling. Be careful with your depth-it is easy to rise or fall without realizing your depth changes.be sure and take at least 2 light sources with you. do not shine the light in other diver's faces.

enjoy

Vann

 

[gypsyjim]

My introduction to night diving was a two tank trip.

We went in a bit before dark, and gradually we needed the lights more and more, until we realized it was full dark.

After the SI that second dive in full dark was almost second nature, since any hesitation we might have had was eliminated completely after tank #1!

A variation on night dives, that I often do while on Bonaire, is a pre dawn dive. This dive starts as a night dive, and I get to see the night hunters still out and about, but I also get to witness the reef waking up to the new day. There comes a moment in those pre dawn dives where, in an instant the entire day shift suddenly rises, and starts the new day!