Does a Night Diver course add any skills/value if Navigation is already done?

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elgoog

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Hi all -

I'm traveling to the tropics in a couple of months and am going to be doing my first night dives there (with a DM/dive guide). Is it worth doing those dives as part of a Night diver course? For what it's worth, this dive outfit does PADI courses. I'm curious if there are any specific skills that are learned in a Night diving course that would not have been covered in a Navigation course. The way I currently see it, Night diving is basically going to be very similar to limited visibility diving that requires navigation skills but using divelights as well.

To provide some more context, I did the Navigation course in the murk of Monterey with a great instructor, terrible visibility and LOTS of exercises over 4 dives (culminating with a multi bearing, mixed distance underwater treasure hunt). I felt this course helped me a lot in terms of transferring land based navigation skills to SCUBA and also learning some new stuff. I'm not a good underwater navigator yet, by any standards, but feel like I have a great base which I'm now able to use in all my subsequent dives. From experience, has anyone felt similarly after doing the Night diving course?

I did Navigation because I had some very disorienting dives in Monterey and now feel a little more confident diving in those conditions. The only other specialties I've done are those that are required for one reason or another - Nitrox and Drysuit for those rentals, AOW lined up for next year as a few dive boats in my area require it for their charters. I'm not at all interested in accumulating cards just to get a Master Diver level.

Thanks in advance,
elgoog
 
I'll start by saying that i don't have a 'night diver' certification, or have done a course.

Night diving and low viz diving are not the same.

They do have very similar methods, equipment and approaches, but there are some more to keep track of, and special protocols, depending on boat or shore diving.

Night diving is very similar to diving underneath a large layer of bad vis water (algae, whale snot, etc). You still can see pretty far (other divers lights), without not being able to see what is in the path of your light.

On the surface, there are a few protocols to be aware of, procedures with lights and the boat, signals, and with shore diving, how do you find your spot back on land? Navigation also plays a big part, as you can't quite tell what coral references are, especially I'd you've never dive the site before, like you could during daylight.

Do you need a course? Maybe.

Chat with the dive op, and depending on how long you are down there, see if they would let you try a night dive with a private DM, and of you feel like you'd like to learn more afterwards (or don't feel comfortable doing it again without a great DM/guide), take the course then?

BRad
 
I wouldn't take the night diving course if it were me. I think you'll be wasting your money. Typically you don't need to be that great at navigating to go on a night dive anyway. The dive operator will hang some sort of flashing strobe off the boat to help you find the boat. If you stay within sight of that you'll have no problem at all. And you don't need to swim all over the place to see stuff at night. Since you will be diving with a DM, just hang with him and enjoy the dive. They will go over a few things with you before the dive like how to signal different ways with your light and not to shine your light in someone elses face etc.


I know a lot of divers who go on night dives and I don't know of a single person who took a night diver course.
 
Sadly, this is a hard question for someone to answer for you. It really comes down to knowing yourself and your capabilities. For some specialties are a necessity in their dive education, for others experience and perhaps a strong mentor are a suitable replacement. Take a close look at your past experiences, not only with diving but with most other things in your life. Are you someone who can grasp concepts by performing the tasks perhaps with someone guiding you? Or are you more effective having something taught to you then demonstrating it? Lastly, make a self assessment of how comfortable you are with your diving skill set and general calm during a dive? That may very well give you the answer you seek.
 
I took the course. It's not useless, but as Dive Right In Scuba 2 says, it depends on you. There are some procedures that you do with the light such as signaling and surface use. Plus how to rinse it and what to do if it floods. We had to turn the lights out, sit on the bottom and hold hands for 3 minutes....hmmm, supposed to be scary I guess. All can be learned by just reading up on it. Could I have night dived OK without the course, I would think so.
 
My first night dive was part of the AOW course. As I recall, the instructor took time to explain a number of things that I would not have known had I just jumped in with flashlight in hand and winged it. For example, he explained how to signal with the light, and what else to do and not do with the light, as well as various options for lights. There was also some discussion of what we might see, how to stay together, how to avoid getting disoriented, etc. It could all be "taught" in 20 minutes. I do not believe formal instruction is necessary before undertaking one's first night dive, but I do believe one should get some sort of minimal instruction on night diving before just jumping in for the first time, whether that instruction is from a mentor or dive buddy or whomever.
 
There are a lot of similarities between low viz and night diving. Needing to stay closer together, and remain vigilant to avoid separation is one. Using light signals to communicate is another. Losing visual reference is another -- but it's much worse at night than in low viz, because there is no light gradient to help you orient to up and down. I watched one of the best divers I know doing the yo-yo in midwater during an ascent from a night dive in Cozumel, simply because there was another on which to orient ourselves except us :)

However, if you have taken a good navigation class in Monterey's low viz, I'm not sure how much more you would learn from a resort night diving class. If the class included, for example, SMB deployment and doing an ascent on a bag, or lost diver search procedures, it might be worthwhile. Otherwise, I'd say just go night diving. Be aware of the challenges and you'll pick it up.
 
It depends more on your instructor. There are a few light signals and a few protocols, but mostly, night diving is just incredibly fun. Take two lights. A circle means "OK". Back and forth means not "OK". Shine your light on your fingers to signal other signs. Never shine your light in anyone's eyes or a critter's eyes. Turn your light off just before you get on the ladder.
 
What are your future diving plans. Not next trip but future plans.

Along the way I took the night diving course (SSI).

If you plan to always night dive with a DM guide, then the course is definitely optional although you might benefit from reading the manual without the course. I have done that for several courses.

However, if you plan for you and a buddy to go off night diving on your own, then knowing the material in the course would be more beneficial. There are things that might not occur to you on your own, such as marking your exit.
 
Turn your light off [-]just before you get on the ladder[/-] once you're completely out of - and away from - the water.

Fixed it for you.

(OP - do you think it would be easier to locate and recover a light that you dropped while exiting the water if it were OFF, or if it were ON?)
 

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