Re: Night Dive training requirements

[Mike Walker]

some say not turn your light off, it may not turn back on....simply hold it against your chest or cover it with your hand..

This was probably a lot more relevant in the days of replaceable lamps (lamps die most frequently at turn on).
LEDs can fail but the odds of it happening are much lower and many lights have multiple arrays and such making a single catastrophic failure very hard to achieve (without something happening that would kill it anyways whether it was on or off).

With modern LED based lights I wouldn't worry about the on/off cycle. Having a full backup is a good plan, however.

(That being said - there are still old lights out there so actually check before assuming a borrowed light will have the reliability of LED. My thoughts are based on what I carry.)

 

[tursiops]

some say not turn your light off, it may not turn back on....simply hold it against your chest or cover it with your hand..

That is from the days when bulbs burned out......not an issue with today's LEDs.

 

[Esprise Me]

some say not turn your light off, it may not turn back on....simply hold it against your chest or cover it with your hand..

Agreed with those that say this isn't as much of an issue with new lights, but there's an additional reason to keep the light on and just cover it-- it's easier to find it again if you drop it. It's also a bit easier when you're wearing thick gloves, and/or if you have multiple settings to cycle through. Are there any compelling reasons to turn it off instead of just covering it?

 

[tursiops]

there's an additional reason to keep the light on and just cover it-- it's easier to find it again if you drop it. It's also a bit easier when you're wearing thick gloves, and/or if you have multiple settings to cycle through

Good point.

Are there any compelling reasons to turn it off instead of just covering it?

Observing bioluminesence, ostracods, and photography that takes two hands.

 

[NAM001]

get a night diving book and read it. the dive is more complicated in that you are not able to look at reference points and know where you are at or positioned. If you are aware of the issues you will not be surprised when you encounter them.

 

[dmaziuk]

get a night diving book and read it. the dive is more complicated in that you are not able to look at reference points and know where you are at or positioned. If you are aware of the issues you will not be surprised when you encounter them.

Roatan diving is boat diving, there will be a group of people with lights, a DM with lights, and a light hanging off the boat's ladder. It's really hard to get lost, or anything.

 

[eleniel]

Like others have said, definitely have a backup light in addition to your main light source. I always dive with two or more lights and I'm happy I do. On my last night dive my primary light wouldn't come on at all - it had been having issues earlier in the trip with not wanting to turn off but I thought I had managed to fix it after a few successful uses - apparently not.
Happily I had a backup light on me - not my preferred light for any reason, but reliable and bright enough to see what I was doing without scaring too much of the sea life.

 

[NAM001]

Roatan diving is boat diving, there will be a group of people with lights, a DM with lights, and a light hanging off the boat's ladder. It's really hard to get lost, or anything.

mY pOINT WAS THAT IT WAS COMPLICATED ONLY IN THAT YOU dont have vision to make a reference to keep your orientation. other than that is a simple dive.

 

[Satrekker]

Dive with 2 lights. If you have an issue with one, 2 becomes 1, and 1 becomes none. Carry a backup always.

 

[dmaziuk]

Dive with 2 lights. If there are issues, 2 becomes 1, and 1 becomes none. Carry a backup always.

And thus by strong mathematical induction, an infinite number of lights become none, and you might as well not bother and carry none to begin with.

HTH, HAND, YOUR GONE DIE!!!!