Where was your deepest, most interesting, and/or most challenging night dive?

[AfterDark]

My most memorable night dive was at "the house on the dumplings" Jamestown, RI a shore dive with some work a nice boat dive.Three of us were diving for bugs on the channel side of the rocks. We all got bugs, I hit our turn around pressure so we headed back. I set a course for us directly back to the egress which was different from the way we came out.One of the divers, Mike swam out head of us. He told us later he needed to pee and didn't want to go in his suit so he paced it up.

Unknown to us there was a monofilamentgill net that had broken loose from somewhere and drifted into shallow water where it became snagged (anchored) to the bottom and half-assed deployed. Mike swam full tilt right into it! He became seriously entangled. We all had less than 1000psi by this time I was down to 500psi, which was about where I should have been for where we were by that time. I made the decision to risk my own entanglement with low air and began to cut away the net. Mike, a longtime dive buddy knew what to do, he kept very still and maintained his buoyancy. The third diver also a longtime dive buddy went to stand-by holding his light and Mike’s light that I was able to pass to him. I kept my light positioned so I could see whatI was doing. In the meantime the tide changed. Before I could get Mike out I was caught. Dave, swam over to me and looked at my SPG, he knows I use a lot of air, 300psi. He cut me out quick I wasn't entangled badly. He gave me the up signal, I flipped him off. I was staying until I needed to blow and go it was only 20fsw a piece of cake, just keep out of the net! We got Mike out, surfaced and got the heck outa there. Mike pissed himself. That was 30 years ago I remember it like it was last week.

 

[Carlos Danger]

My most memorable night dive was at "the house on the dumplings" Jamestown, RI a shore dive with some work a nice boat dive.Three of us were diving for bugs on the channel side of the rocks. We all got bugs, I hit our turn around pressure so we headed back. I set a course for us directly back to the egress which was different from the way we came out.One of the divers, Mike swam out head of us. He told us later he needed to pee and didn't want to go in his suit so he paced it up.

Unknown to us there was a monofilamentgill net that had broken loose from somewhere and drifted into shallow water where it became snagged (anchored) to the bottom and half-assed deployed. Mike swam full tilt right into it! He became seriously entangled. We all had less than 1000psi by this time I was down to 500psi, which was about where I should have been for where we were by that time. I made the decision to risk my own entanglement with low air and began to cut away the net. Mike, a longtime dive buddy knew what to do, he kept very still and maintained his buoyancy. The third diver also a longtime dive buddy went to stand-by holding his light and Mike’s light that I was able to pass to him. I kept my light positioned so I could see whatI was doing. In the meantime the tide changed. Before I could get Mike out I was caught. Dave, swam over to me and looked at my SPG, he knows I use a lot of air, 300psi. He cut me out quick I wasn't entangled badly. He gave me the up signal, I flipped him off. I was staying until I needed to blow and go it was only 20fsw a piece of cake, just keep out of the net! We got Mike out, surfaced and got the heck outa there. Mike pissed himself. That was 30 years ago I remember it like it was last week.

WOW!!! I almost pissed myself just reading this. Glad everything turned out okay.

Fascinating stories; keep them coming!

---------- Post added ----------

A guy I know relayed an interesting story about his most memorable night dive. He said that they had gone out and tied-off at a location on a reef somewherez in Belize. The boat capitain was also the DM on this particular dive. They finished what was apparently a pretty standard profile only to surface and find that the boat had come loose from its' mooring and drifted off out of sight. They were stuck way out away from shore for several hours before finally being picked up by another boat that just happened by in the dark - pretty crazy!

 

[Nami]

During my AOW 11 years ago was my most challenging and deepest one. We were 2 students and did not receive the PADI Manual during the class (bought it later when I went to the US). Our instructor gave us each one a divelight, and since we did not have the manual we did not know that we should have a back up each. After 10 minute dive, my light went out. After 15 minute dive, my buddy's light went out. The only light left was the instructor's which I used to read what depth we were at: 90 ft. So, OK. We continued to follow the instructor until I saw that his light was getting lower too!! I tugged at my buddy and signaled that we should go back to the surface. So with the help of a dim dive light and hugging my buddy really tight, we went up. The instructor later was a bit mad at us because we ended the dive instead of him. But lesson learned: I am always checking my gear before each dive and don't trust anybody else to do it.

My AOW dives were all quite challenging - another story is my AOW deep dive: to 190 ft. More lessons learned on that particular dive.

 

[ktkt]

Ahhhh, night diving is absolutely my favorite

My very first night dive, I found an octopus out in the sand while it was my turn to practice navigating.

Some other favorites:
1) Awesome octopus shows in Roatan. One dive we found three of them, and they all put on their skin-changing-flashy routine trying to disguise themselves. Another dive, we found only one, but he was huge and stayed out on top of the reef adjusting his position and coloration for at least 5 minutes while we just looked in awe.

2) Flashlight fish in Tulamben! Once we got carried a bit far watching them and had a longish surface swim back. The next night was perfect, and they hung out flashing forever. I held hands with my guide and we just stayed watching them until air supply told us time to turn. Also found an enormous spanish dancer on that dive. The flashlight fish are a new favorite for me

 

[scubadada]

Lea Lea's Lookout, Little Cayman, July 8, 2010, 50 feet for 66 minutes. Huge lobster, octupi, turtles. big hermit crabs, conch, reef sharks, huge school of squid. Most amazing night dive.

Good diving, Craig

 

[kwinter]

Most interesting or memorable are good things to ask. But please refrain from ever asking about "deepest" dives. It sets depth up as a milestone, and that can be dangerous. Dive as deep as you need to in order to see what you want to see to make it memorable. But do it safely within your limits.

As for my most memorable, by the time I completed my deco and got back on the boat, my buddies had finished all the beer. Make that "my former buddies."

 

[Carlos Danger]

Most interesting or memorable are good things to ask. But please refrain from ever asking about "deepest" dives. It sets depth up as a milestone, and that can be dangerous. Dive as deep as you need to in order to see what you want to see to make it memorable. But do it safely within your limits.

Never any intention to set milestones here. Please do not infer that simply asking a question in anyway implies endorsement.

 

[lmorin]

Our most memorable night dive took place in Roatan where we did a night dive with 14 other folks. The boat anchored over a shallow reef 17 ft below. The wind, instead of declining in the late PM as usual, steadily increased producing 6-8 ft seas. The boat was pitching severely and tossed 2 gear-laden women right onto their faces. Upon entering the water, I was immediately thrust to the bottom by the surge, lacerating my ankle on the lettuce coral. It was a madhouse around the boat with massive surge and dive lights flicking and bobbing everywhere. My wife and I latched onto each other, found the DM and followed him around the reef where we saw 2 shrimp. The return to the boat featured a long lineup at the ladder. Boarding took sufficient time that the first folk back on board had plenty of time to become quite seasick, me included. The entire venture was an unfortunate mess, but made us better divers. Nobody enjoyed the dive and, IMHO, the DMs should have known the conditions well enough to cancel the dive.

 

[coldwaterdufus]

west coast of Canada, night dive playing with the sea lions, they were captivated by the lights and kept wanting to swim through the beams of light, followed us right through our safety and the whole length of the surface swim back to shore. I'll never forget that one

 

[TomZ]

Milford Connecticut, 1971 or 1972, night dive. Tide was running, looking for lobster, drifting along the breakwater. Back then good viz was 5' to 10', it's gotten better in recent years I'm told. Didn't have a depth gauge, but the spot's about 25-30' IIRC.

My buddy was right next to me... until I stopped for no apparent reason. He continues to get carried by the current, and can't get back to me. Nothing is touching me. Nothing. However I can't make any down current progress, no matter how hard I try. Tide is running too hard to reverse into it. Flashlight is now wildly swing around trying to see what's stopping me. OK, let's go up and end this dive. Ascended about 3' and stopped cold again. Now the rational mind has gone on vacation: either an octopus has me by the tank, or a shark has bitten off my legs, and I'm in shock and can't feel the pain. I was 16 or 17 yers old, it's night time, my buddy is out of sight and sea creatures are ending my life. Finally my flashlight picks up the rope lodged between my USD CAM E-Z Pack and tank. It's attached to string of lobster pots in a no lobstering area. Of course this being the 70's I had a foot long USD knife strapped to my leg, which made quick work of the rope. I was wearing a horseshoe vest, and popped the CO2 cartridge. I was in 100% panic mode.

We went back the next day at slack tide and cut every lobster pot free. I don't know how I survived to 25. Dumb. The funny thing is I didn't realize that was my first drift dive until this was written. The 35+year SI must have made me even dumber. The dives from that time were long ago and I didn't keep a logbook. I don't even count them.