Need Night Dive Advice

[Blackrock]

Some of these may seem like stupid questions, but here goes...

My buddy and I are going to Bonaire in January for 2 weeks. We were certified 2 years ago and have about 25 dives under our belts. We have never been night diving but have decided to give it a try. What better place to try than in the conditions of Bonaire, right? But basically, we have no idea what we're in for. We need some advice from the experts that live on these boards.

*Do we need to learn any special skills before going night diving?

*Do we need to go through any training first?

*How much different is it from day diving? IOW, what should we be mindful of?

*Aside from your light(s) going out, is there anything else that can go wrong that's specific to night diving?

*Do we need strobes to mark each others' position?

*Since we'll be shore diving, do we need to mark the entry/exit points with something? (I don't think the Bonaire Marine Park allows glow-sticks)

*I know we'll need a primary and backup light. Is LED technology good enough yet?

I know...that's a lot of questions. Any help/advice you guys could give would be much appreciated. You don't necessarily have to stick to the questions. Thanks in advance!

[bperrybap]

You will have a great time. My wife and I went there in January of 2006.
It was a first time to dive in the ocean.
Here is a link to a web page my wife did about our trip: Bonaire Jan-2006
(Lots of links to further information on the "links" page)

I can't think of a better place to dive for new divers and to do a first time
night dive. The reef system is all parallel to shore which makes navigation
relatively simple.

When we went, we both had little dive experience (less than 12 dives)
and we had never dove at night. We both were a bit nervous.
We even talked about hiring a DM/guide for our first night dive and
talked with one of the guides at Captain Dons (where we stayed).
He convinced us to just go by ourselves which we did without any problems.
Diving off the dock at Captain Don's made it particularly easy because there
is a guide line that starts at the dock and goes straight out and
down the reef. So you just followed the rope out and down to your
desired depth and then turned right or left based on current. When
returning you watched for the rope and returned back to the dock.
One the way back you could see the lights from the resort shining down
and lighting up the water a bit.
What was nice about this first night dive, was that having the rope
removed the need to set markers or having to navigate.

If you aren't staying there, I believe Captain Don's will allow you to dive
off their dock for a small fee. (I think it used to be $5). Given the ease
of entry/exit and easy navigation(You can't really get lost) and rinse tanks
right there, I think it would be worth the $5 for the first time night dive.
It simply removes a lot of factors that can cause additional worries.
Some of the shore dive sites have rough coral you have to walk on that
can be tricky with waves/surf.
You may want to contact Captain Don's
and verify that they still do this and what the current cost is.

I would highly recommend doing the Salt Pier or the Town pier night
dives. These have to be booked with an approved guide, so book this
early when you get there because there are only so many slots allowed.
We did the Salt Pier and it was really cool to see the old growth corals.
It does cost extra for this dive, but I think it was worth it.

To answer you specific questions:

Any special skills needed?Any Training First?
Not really other than keep in mind that things appear different in low light
and some people get disoriented. This can make it more difficult for things
like buoyancy control and navigation. Watch your gauges and monitor
your depth closely as sometimes its not as obvious you are ascending/descending
during the night.
One thing that is good to do, is dive the site you plan on night diving
during the day or afternoon of the night dive. Then the site will be
fresh in your mind and make it less stressful during the actual night dive.

How much different is it
The actual dive mechanics is the same. But you may have more
difficulty with certain skills as things do look different and there will
be less visual queues. The life you see will be different. Some creatures
only come out at night. The water in Bonaire is very clear. You will not
need some super bright big light. More light is not always better, too much
light can scare off a lot of what you are diving at night to see.
Too much light turns a night dive into a "day dive" done at night.

What else can go wrong
Besides the same things that can go wrong on any dive, big things
to watch out for are panic, disorientation, loss of buoyancy, and getting lost.
As long as you take things slow and keep in mind that nothing will
attack you or eat you you should be ok. And if you do get turned around
or lost, you can always come up and get your bearings again.

Do we need strobes?
Definitely don't get "Strobes" - those bright lights that blink. Those types
of markers are usually only used to mark buoys/moorings or boats and not for
divers. They are extremely bright and quite distracting when divers use them.
As far as some kind of tank marker light goes. There are many battery
powered units available. In reality the tank markers are more for the
dive op staff or other divers rather than buddies. When diving with a
buddy, you will be close enough to see them even when you don't shine
your light directly on them. Their light will also easily be seen.
Now in crowded conditions, it can be useful to have some sort of marker
to help identify them. (just don't use a strobe). What you will start to notice
though, is that each primary light and diver does look different.
So if you look at a diver ( or you buddy) and pay close attention to
his beam of light pattern (each type of light is different) and his body outline,
you should be able to identify them through some unique attribute.

Mark entry/exit
I'd say yes, but I don't have any experience with this in Bonaire.
My wife and I did all our night dives at Capt Dons. I don't know if the
moorings in Bonaire have strobes on them. If not, I'd take a light/strobe
and hook it on the mooring line as I started the dive. This will get you
back to the mooring buoy which will help you get to your exit point.

Is LED good enough
Definitely. There are several LED lights out there that are more than
adequate.
When I was in Bonaire, I used a UK Q40 eLED+. Most folks use this
for a backup light but for the clear water of Bonaire it was sufficient.
My favorite small LED light right now is the UK SL4 eLED. It is brighter
than the Q40 and is bright enough to use for peeking under ledges
or looking down tube sponges during the day.
There are also some really nice non-LED based lights that are pretty
well priced right now. (much less than the LED lights)

There are several threads on the ST forum and SB about picking lights.
Here are a few from ST Forum:
Dive Light Help Me Choose
Primary Light
Ikelite PC-A

Just keep in mind that more is not always better.


If you don't have the Bonaire shore diving book, get it: Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy

You will have a great time.

--- bill

[MSilvia]

Use your lights for communication... A big circle means "Okay?/Okay!", rapid back and forth means "I need your attention!", Pointing the light at something is a convenient way to draw attention to it, and keeping the light steady and in your buddy's field of view while swimming along lets your buddy know, "I'm still here, and everything is fine." If you need to use a hand signal don't forget that you have to light it up or it won't be seen. Be sure not to dazzle anyone with a light in the eyes.

Also, bear in mind that lights fail, and you need at least one backup. As the tech/cave divers say, "Two is one, and one is none."

[Blackrock]

That's great info. Thanks for the help guys.

[TRACI]

Good Info, I hope I can do my first night dive in Coz in January.

[gibson1525]

just make sure you get your signals straight before you get in the water, definitely different at night. to signal your buddy, shine your light across where their light is hitting the reef. other than that have fun, they are just as good/better than day dives!

[BobbyWombat]

If you need to signal each other after getting your buddy's attention (by waving your light in front of them), point the light at your chest and make your hand signs in the light.

[BobbyWombat]

Also, a strobe isn't a bad idea for an emergency. You don't have it flashing your whole dive, but you deploy it on the surface in an emergency.

Definitely carry a backup light, as noted, but the dive plan should be: if your primary light fails, go to backup and thumb the dive.

[dallasdivergirl]

you could do the Salt Pier for a guided night dive. $25 per person. You have to sign up the day before.

Most of the resorts have a "house" reef and will have a guide line. Just make sure to note coral and other items (depth) so that you know where to come. Other wise have a great time.

You could also try doing a dusk dive to get in the water while it's still light.

[medicdiver]

I would love to go Night diving again. It's been about 6 months since I have gone.