Night diving is a unique way to observe marine life. Ocean creatures behave differently at night, and you might even spot animals you would never get to see in the daylight. Here are 13 tips for a beginner night diver:
Perfect your buoyancy
Poor buoyancy control can lead to kicking up silt and sand from the sea floor, making visibility worse. At night it is harder to judge where you are in the water column, so it is easy to get shallower or too deep without realising it.
Get some diving under your belt first
You need to be comfortable scuba diving in the daylight before you start night diving. There is so much more to consider as a night diver: buoyancy control, hand signals, navigation, distance from your buddy, etc.
Research the different marine life in the area
You are likely to spot different marine life on a night dive than you do on a day dive at the same site. Some marine life uses the night-time to hunt, so you might see your usual marine-favourites acting differently.
Dive the site in the daytime first
Getting to know the topography of a dive site in the daytime will make it easier to navigate the dive site in the dark. Look out for distinct landmarks that do not move so that you recognise them at night.
Listen carefully to the briefing
Make sure you listen carefully to the dive briefing as this will cover the dive route, the depth, unique marine life to look out for, what to do if someone gets lost, and hand signals.
Bring a back-up flashlight
It is not uncommon for the batteries of your flashlight to run out halfway through a night dive, or for the flashlight to break or flood. You should always carry a spare torch.
Descend before complete darkness
Dusk is the perfect time to descend as a night diver! This is because you can get all your equipment ready and perform your buddy checks before it is completely dark.
Stay shallow
It is rarely necessary for any night dive to be a deep dive, but it is good to stay shallow in poor visibility because if needed you will be able to get to the surface quicker.
Get to know your equipment
If possible, dive with the same equipment set up in the daytime that you plan to take on your night dive. This is so you will know exactly where to find everything.
Make sure to also streamline your equipment by tucking in or clipping hoses and gauges close to your body. You might not notice that something is dragging on the ground when it is dark.
Be careful where you are pointing your flashlight
It is important to be aware of where you are pointing your flashlight. Although we want to see as much awesome marine life as possible, we also need to respect our fishy friends and not blind them! The same goes for shining your light in your dive buddies’ eyes!
Stay calm, breathe
You may to feel a little nervous on your first night dive; it is strange and there is a lot to think about and to take in. But try to relax, breathe calmly.
Stay close to your buddy
Stay close to your buddy. If your dive group crosses paths with another one, you might find yourself getting mixed up with who you are diving with. Perhaps consider using different coloured glow stick to identify your group or buddy.
This article was originally published in Scuba Diver ANZ #65
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