Take a look at the resort and see if you can take the AOW or a Night cert while your there. You seem to be at a point were an AOW certification would be very worth while.
New to Night Diving
- Thread starter Blackrock
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Eris Lucan7*
Guest
When need for that is you better dive from a boat that directs 3-4 Big 500watt
Goliatlampspots or Halogenspots in the water over you...
E.L.7*
Goliatlampspots or Halogenspots in the water over you...
E.L.7*
caseybird
Contributor
Sure, it makes perfect sense to do a dive in a new environment in unfamiliar conditions without any training. Go ahead, you can trust a someone on SB who won't be within a thousand miles of you to give good advice. After all, who can stand up to the withering scorn of a SB "laffer".
I'm betting that some of the people doing thier first night dive "off the boat" were being DM guided. I believe shore dives in Bonaire are self guided, so it's up to you to decide if you want to choose the site, navigate, (compass course? kick cycles?) maintain bouyancy, juggle a light, monitor your air, depth and time, find the right beach on your way out and hope you didn't lose the car key without any extra training.
Hey, I love night dives. But in your place, I would do the AOW.
Better yet, like Bajashack said, you could hire an instructor on Bonaire to give you the night dive course, and get you dives in at the same time.
Have fun.
I don't know where you have been diving in Connecticut, but if you've been diving in low visibility, you've already had some good preparation for diving at night. And night diving in the tropics is about as easy as night diving can get, because your lights will carry through the water easily and you will just about always be able to see the bottom. Disorientation was a big issue for me in my first night dives -- If I got very far off the bottom, I couldn't see it, and since there's no gradient for light from the surface to the bottom, it's easy to lose track of which way is up. (Or at least for me, it is.) This is not really an issue in the tropics.
I don't think you need a class in night diving to do it. My night dive in my AOW class didn't do a whole lot more than let me have the experience of being in the water at night with an instructor as my buddy.
People have already brought up good issues. You need to keep track of your buddy, and it can be difficult to recognize YOUR buddy if there are multiple divers on the site. That's where some kind of recognition signal, like a colored glowstick, can be useful. You need some kind of light discipline, because light signals are part of night diving, and if your light is waving wildly around, it makes its usefulness as an emergency signal very low. You definitely need a backup light, and you need to check that it's working before you begin the dive.
For tropical diving, the LED backup lights make wonderful primary lights. The UK SL4 eLED is a very bright light with a focused beam, which is good for looking at critters but also for signalling, and is reasonably inexpensive.
Remember, always evaluate your own level of comfort and fitness for doing any sort of dive. There is no stigma attached to hiring a DM to guide your first night dive -- You may see things you would otherwise have missed!
I don't think you need a class in night diving to do it. My night dive in my AOW class didn't do a whole lot more than let me have the experience of being in the water at night with an instructor as my buddy.
People have already brought up good issues. You need to keep track of your buddy, and it can be difficult to recognize YOUR buddy if there are multiple divers on the site. That's where some kind of recognition signal, like a colored glowstick, can be useful. You need some kind of light discipline, because light signals are part of night diving, and if your light is waving wildly around, it makes its usefulness as an emergency signal very low. You definitely need a backup light, and you need to check that it's working before you begin the dive.
For tropical diving, the LED backup lights make wonderful primary lights. The UK SL4 eLED is a very bright light with a focused beam, which is good for looking at critters but also for signalling, and is reasonably inexpensive.
Remember, always evaluate your own level of comfort and fitness for doing any sort of dive. There is no stigma attached to hiring a DM to guide your first night dive -- You may see things you would otherwise have missed!
caseybird
Contributor
OP
Ah Caseybird...I'd recognize that NYC cynacism/sarcasm anywhere.
And I can appreciate it too, living just outside the city myself.
Some very good points have been brought up here that are very much worth some careful consideration. My buddy and I will talk it over and are usually prudent and pragmatic with our decisions.
We will most likely try it without taking the AOW class first; we have neither the time or money at this point. That being said, we will be extremely careful and conservative while attempting this new activity. I let you all know how it goes with my detailed trip report.
Thanks to everyone who has replied, I respect all of your comments/opinions.
~~Kevin
And I can appreciate it too, living just outside the city myself.Some very good points have been brought up here that are very much worth some careful consideration. My buddy and I will talk it over and are usually prudent and pragmatic with our decisions.
We will most likely try it without taking the AOW class first; we have neither the time or money at this point. That being said, we will be extremely careful and conservative while attempting this new activity. I let you all know how it goes with my detailed trip report.
Thanks to everyone who has replied, I respect all of your comments/opinions.
~~Kevin
caseybird
Contributor
Hey B-Rock! All this time, I didn't realize it was you! Go have some fun in Bonaire! Someone suggested a twilight dive, that may be the best solution overall if money's tight. You really gotta get used to having at least one hand occupied holding the light while trying to read the guages, vent, etc.
Do you do any diving locally? I know there's a quarry open near you. This season's about over, but if you travel to Dutch, maybe we can get together next year. Do you do any LI sound diving? The Westchester county shop I used to use pretty much told me it was a waste of time.
Good diving in Bonaire.
Do you do any diving locally? I know there's a quarry open near you. This season's about over, but if you travel to Dutch, maybe we can get together next year. Do you do any LI sound diving? The Westchester county shop I used to use pretty much told me it was a waste of time.
Good diving in Bonaire.
djanni
Contributor
Just hope it's a really dark night on your first night dive. It was for us and it was a surreal experience. All the lights shinning down like glowing columns in the black water. The light, in those Caribbean waters, would seem to go 50-70 feet down.
First night dive,,, just stay close to someone who knows how to get back to the boat.
Enjoy
First night dive,,, just stay close to someone who knows how to get back to the boat.
Enjoy
1_T_Submariner
Contributor
I just did this in Bonaire (Buddy Dive to be exact). I may get flamed but, here is what we did.
We did 2 daytime dives on the house reef. Easy navigation I looked at my compass but, you could see the peir in daylight once you get there you will realize how easy navigation is there.
I took 2 LED lights with me and 2 with my wife.
The Vis is so good you will be able to see your buddies light. We did not take strobes etc.
We stayed pretty shallow there are lots of cool things in the sand and the top of the reef.
Edit:
Oh shut your light off and get your buddy to do the same (once you are comfortable) and wave your hand in front of you! It's really cool. My wife thought I was crazy when I motioned for her to turn off her light then I start flapping my hands.
After you do one or two try the Town Pier Night dive. You will have to hire a dive master but it is a great dive. (Cost us $25 a piece I think plus tip)
Have a great trip.
We did 2 daytime dives on the house reef. Easy navigation I looked at my compass but, you could see the peir in daylight once you get there you will realize how easy navigation is there.
I took 2 LED lights with me and 2 with my wife.
The Vis is so good you will be able to see your buddies light. We did not take strobes etc.
We stayed pretty shallow there are lots of cool things in the sand and the top of the reef.
Edit:
Oh shut your light off and get your buddy to do the same (once you are comfortable) and wave your hand in front of you! It's really cool. My wife thought I was crazy when I motioned for her to turn off her light then I start flapping my hands.
After you do one or two try the Town Pier Night dive. You will have to hire a dive master but it is a great dive. (Cost us $25 a piece I think plus tip)
Have a great trip.
1. Dive the site during the day first so that you ko\now the basic layout of the reef structure
and any navigational marks you could use.
2. Bring a good dive light and a back-up light - alsouse an LED or chemical glow-stic attached to
your tank.
3. Watch your air consumtion more closely - your first night dive may make you a little anxious
and breathe harder.
4. If you are doing a shore dive place a light on shore at your exit point so that you will have a
place to navigate to at the end of the dive.
5. Have FUN!
Night Diving is an enjoyable experience. You will see creatures that you will not see during the day
- lobsters, octopus, crabs etc. and daytime fish will be sleeping tucked in the coral. You will also be able to feed the coral (plankton and small worms will be attracted to your light - shine your light close to a coral head and watch the coral grab and feed on the plankton.)
and any navigational marks you could use.
2. Bring a good dive light and a back-up light - alsouse an LED or chemical glow-stic attached to
your tank.
3. Watch your air consumtion more closely - your first night dive may make you a little anxious
and breathe harder.
4. If you are doing a shore dive place a light on shore at your exit point so that you will have a
place to navigate to at the end of the dive.
5. Have FUN!
Night Diving is an enjoyable experience. You will see creatures that you will not see during the day
- lobsters, octopus, crabs etc. and daytime fish will be sleeping tucked in the coral. You will also be able to feed the coral (plankton and small worms will be attracted to your light - shine your light close to a coral head and watch the coral grab and feed on the plankton.)
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