Night Dives Dos and Don'ts
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msdiver04
Registered
This sounds something like a night dive I did off Roatan Island, Honduras. There were a bunch of older teenaged boys in the group which was about 10:1 DM. When we hit the water, the group scattered. The vis was good, but the situation was chaotic. By the end of the dive, I was swimming away from some of the young guys who were poking at rays to stay with the group, hoping they'd be okay. When we got into the boat, someone noticed that one of the divers wasn't there, and then, people mentioned another one was not there as well. It turns out they had gone to another boat. I was a new diver at the time, and in looking back, I'm happy all ended well, but I learned one big lesson: find out how many people and what the DM-diver ratio will be on the dive BEFORE you go. I now approach a dive center with what I want and problems I want to avoid. I also don't pay for three days of diving in advance in case they don't follow through with what they promise. So far, this has worked out well. They want my money, and they know that I am judging the situation each day.
Hi,
I want to pass my 2 cents worth of opinion.
I dive tropical all the time so far, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippine.
I always notice and see 99% of their practices, that night dives SHOULD:
- almost always done in secluded bay, so no fierce current etc.
- never exceed 20 meter depth
which most of the reason is for safety.
I also notice that, although it's not good practice, it's very common that bottom time 60 minutes is relative. When you see something special or you still have abundant of air, everybody will stay, of couse we keep eyes close to each other. Normally when I dive overseas dive briefing on second third etc doesn't include bottom time anymore. Stay as you wish but together. The style suits me because we normally want to maximise the time and there are many interesting stuffs in the shallow. Many times 60 minutes bottom time only consume 100 bar, which left another half an hour for us to enjoy the dive, why surface?
But I agree that if that is their practise, they should let you know.
So the diving style is flexible. I still remember dive briefing in Sipadan, the DM said, maximum depth is x meters, but if we see something big, we go deeper.
If we are controlled and responsible, it's not end of the world.
BUT IMPORTANT : make sure evryone in the group knows. I always dive with my group, so I understand how you feel when they practise different thing without telling you.
See how is the style of diving in certain location and voice out if you are uncomfortable with it.
In tropical diving, it's also very common to let you go up yourself. You responsible for your own. what you can do, stick with buddy. If you have to go up, go up with your buddy, inform the DM. The main outline is, the airhog will go faster, the rest will continue. Good operator normally have sweeper (usually DM in training), the guy will accompany those who have to surface earlier.
I want to pass my 2 cents worth of opinion.
I dive tropical all the time so far, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippine.
I always notice and see 99% of their practices, that night dives SHOULD:
- almost always done in secluded bay, so no fierce current etc.
- never exceed 20 meter depth
which most of the reason is for safety.
I also notice that, although it's not good practice, it's very common that bottom time 60 minutes is relative. When you see something special or you still have abundant of air, everybody will stay, of couse we keep eyes close to each other. Normally when I dive overseas dive briefing on second third etc doesn't include bottom time anymore. Stay as you wish but together. The style suits me because we normally want to maximise the time and there are many interesting stuffs in the shallow. Many times 60 minutes bottom time only consume 100 bar, which left another half an hour for us to enjoy the dive, why surface?
But I agree that if that is their practise, they should let you know.
So the diving style is flexible. I still remember dive briefing in Sipadan, the DM said, maximum depth is x meters, but if we see something big, we go deeper.
If we are controlled and responsible, it's not end of the world.
BUT IMPORTANT : make sure evryone in the group knows. I always dive with my group, so I understand how you feel when they practise different thing without telling you.
See how is the style of diving in certain location and voice out if you are uncomfortable with it.
In tropical diving, it's also very common to let you go up yourself. You responsible for your own. what you can do, stick with buddy. If you have to go up, go up with your buddy, inform the DM. The main outline is, the airhog will go faster, the rest will continue. Good operator normally have sweeper (usually DM in training), the guy will accompany those who have to surface earlier.
Lehmann108
Guest
If you were diving air and had two dives just shy of 70 feet and each was over an hour, according to my RDP you are way, way, way outside of RDL. Am I reading the RDP wrong or something.
Also what type of tank were you diving? An AL80? How can you squeeze over an hour at 68 ft? Do you breathe?
Also what type of tank were you diving? An AL80? How can you squeeze over an hour at 68 ft? Do you breathe?I always chose dive outfits with 10 or less divers on the boat if I can. Preferably 6 is the max.
The less people there are on a boat, the less chance they will be kicking and fighting with you to get in and out of the boat and under water. And more room for maneuver.
Also, the dive master, if he/she chose to dive with you, will have less people to deal with if stuff hits the fan.
Just my 2 psi.
The less people there are on a boat, the less chance they will be kicking and fighting with you to get in and out of the boat and under water. And more room for maneuver.
Also, the dive master, if he/she chose to dive with you, will have less people to deal with if stuff hits the fan.
Just my 2 psi.
Lehmann, a check-mark profile dive with a max depth of 70 feet can easily go an hour without exceeding safe nitrogen loading. This is where the tables are not terribly useful, because they are designed to evaluate square profile dives.
Air consumption varies . . . I can, and have done 90 minutes on an Al80.
Air consumption varies . . . I can, and have done 90 minutes on an Al80.
Bonairetrip
Contributor
Night diving is great fun - I enjoy it and I think my brother would prefer to do 100% night dives, When we are in Bonaire, it is pretty much at least one night dive per night. But it is different....
You did many things well. It sounds like a total cluster and the DM did you no favors (and I would disagree with him on many, many points). In the end, you took responsibility for your own safety and that probably helped things end as well as they did.
Still, at the risk of being harsh, let me point out a few things:
a) You seem to have been very stressed on the dive. Perhaps on the verge of panic? Getting kicked is never any fun and what you described sounds like no fun at all. But you made lots of references to frustration, anxiety, needing to be calm, feeling really crowded in, squeezed this way and that, fury, etc.
b) You must have been way stressed to have blown through 40 bars of air in 4 minutes at 15 to 20 meters (or your gauge has an issue). Again, there was no reason to be stressed at that point -- you were at 40 minutes, some ndl time left and 100 bar of air. Should you have aborted prior to the 45 minutes? What would have happened with another stressor -- leaky mask, failing light, wet breathing reg, weight belt that is too loose, etc.
c) IMHO, any diver (especially at night) should have signaling equipment. That includes something like a dive alert, spare light, sausage or even a strobe. In the end, you are responsible or you.
d) You did the right thing by taking control of your safety at the end. I might do that sooner... It is too easy to rely on a dive professional for decision making, especially if you are a newer diver.
e) Unless you are diving solo (and I often do), insist on a real dive buddy. One that you are comfortable with and can communicate with.
So, what about next time? I think you have the ability to done and enjoy and do it well. Just start by lowering the stress levels.
a) Go to an area without current. One that you have dove recently during the day.
b) Go with a small group -- even if it means hiring your own DM/boat. You seem nervous at night (common and normal) and crowds seem to really amp up your stress.
c) Make the dive slow and easy. Covering lots of ground at night really makes little sense.
d) Be sure you are well equipped including a spare light and signaling device.
e) Practice the signaling stuff. Never point your light directly at another. I use the circling of the light to get attention, then I point the light at myself and try to make clear signals.
f) Take responsibility for your dive and your plan. That includes aborting any dive you are uncomfortable with.
g) Demand a real buddy -- on this dive insist on no other distractions (doing drills, photog, etc.)
I promise it will get better.
You did many things well. It sounds like a total cluster and the DM did you no favors (and I would disagree with him on many, many points). In the end, you took responsibility for your own safety and that probably helped things end as well as they did.
Still, at the risk of being harsh, let me point out a few things:
a) You seem to have been very stressed on the dive. Perhaps on the verge of panic? Getting kicked is never any fun and what you described sounds like no fun at all. But you made lots of references to frustration, anxiety, needing to be calm, feeling really crowded in, squeezed this way and that, fury, etc.
b) You must have been way stressed to have blown through 40 bars of air in 4 minutes at 15 to 20 meters (or your gauge has an issue). Again, there was no reason to be stressed at that point -- you were at 40 minutes, some ndl time left and 100 bar of air. Should you have aborted prior to the 45 minutes? What would have happened with another stressor -- leaky mask, failing light, wet breathing reg, weight belt that is too loose, etc.
c) IMHO, any diver (especially at night) should have signaling equipment. That includes something like a dive alert, spare light, sausage or even a strobe. In the end, you are responsible or you.
d) You did the right thing by taking control of your safety at the end. I might do that sooner... It is too easy to rely on a dive professional for decision making, especially if you are a newer diver.
e) Unless you are diving solo (and I often do), insist on a real dive buddy. One that you are comfortable with and can communicate with.
So, what about next time? I think you have the ability to done and enjoy and do it well. Just start by lowering the stress levels.
a) Go to an area without current. One that you have dove recently during the day.
b) Go with a small group -- even if it means hiring your own DM/boat. You seem nervous at night (common and normal) and crowds seem to really amp up your stress.
c) Make the dive slow and easy. Covering lots of ground at night really makes little sense.
d) Be sure you are well equipped including a spare light and signaling device.
e) Practice the signaling stuff. Never point your light directly at another. I use the circling of the light to get attention, then I point the light at myself and try to make clear signals.
f) Take responsibility for your dive and your plan. That includes aborting any dive you are uncomfortable with.
g) Demand a real buddy -- on this dive insist on no other distractions (doing drills, photog, etc.)
I promise it will get better.
divingmedic
Contributor
charlesml3:
I was on a night dive like that. I never turned my dive light on.
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My RDP is out in the car but it would matter how long the surface interval is between those dives. I didn't see that he posted that. I've done 4-5 relatively deep dives in one day many times without a problem when taking longer SI.Lehmann108:If you were diving air and had two dives just shy of 70 feet and each was over an hour, according to my RDP you are way, way, way outside of RDL. Am I reading the RDP wrong or something.
I dive on a 60 tank and routinely can make 70-90 foot one hour dives. It's all in the metabolism of the diver, the skill, comfort and dive conditions.
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