Ain't Going Down once the Sun Comes Up- Scuba Diving in a new light

When we start our diving lives, all our training and scuba dives take place during the day (for obvious reasons) but as we advance and get more comfortable in the water, why be limited by daylight hours.

Night Diving is one of my favourite types of scuba because you get to see many different creatures and critters that just don't come out in the daytime. Even a dive site that you may have dived a multitude of times during the day can seem completely new to you when dived at night.

The creatures you see during the night are often much braver at night than during daylight hours. In the daylight, many sea animals will flee before scuba divers where-as they tend to just go about their business in torchlight.

So what do you need for a Night Dive?

It not much different to diving during the day. You can use all your usual diving kit for a night dive as for a dive during the day but with a couple additions.

The first, and probably most obvious, is the need for a light. Most night divers will have 2 dive lights in the water so if the main light (primary) goes down for some reason, you have a back-up available to allow you to surface safely.

Strobes are also a good idea for night dives. These can be attached in various places but are generally used to mark your exit. We always leave at least one strobe to mark the mouth of the bay or the turning point for the dive site's exit.

If you are diving from a boat, you can mark your shot line with light sticks and, if needed, mark the depth of your safety stop with a different coloured light stick.

You should also, always choose a dive site that you have dived during the day, so you know the site and can navigate without getting dis oriented. 

You can learn more about Night Diving by taking a Night Diver Training Course where divers are trained to

plan and organise Night Dives, special night diving techniques, night time communications and how to deal with any potential problems when night diving.

Night Diving is worth the extra hours on the day. You will see a different world and different animal behaviours that you just won't see if you only go scuba diving during the day. So, charge those torch batteries and get ready for an adventure you won't forget!