Night Dives and Buoyancy

[PvtStash]

Do you find it harder to know your place in the water column at night ?

Bouncing between the bottom and the surface? I've not had a dive at night yet, but it seems as if maintaining your place (nuetral) would be harder..., may not even realize your pos or neg (if your jus' a lil' off) until you pass a thermocline or hit bottom (ears will tell you too eventually).

[navyhmc]

Night diving and depth control is a bit more difficult as the diminished visib does hinder some of the normal references we have. Keeping a closer tab on your depth gauge is a start, maintaining a closer station to the bottom and ascending/descending reference lines is a must.

My usual night dive set up for shore diving is to use three lights on the shore about 25' apart and the middle one is the entry/exit point if at all possible and compas headings are taken before entering the water. then it's a simple job of watching the compass and keeping near the bottom.

Usually I will have planned headings to use as refences with bailout headings for each turn on the route.

Boat diving, I'm more likely to go out and back headings and if the water is clear enough, a strobe is placed on the reference line about 10' from the bottom and you never go beyong where you can see the strobe. And look for it frequently.

Night dives is where the HUD mask would be nice.