After dark, everything changes - both above and below the surface. Many of our favorite dive sites are fantastic for exploring before dawn or after dusk, with certain animals putting on an incredible show, and with bioluminescent creatures adding a bit of their own magic to the scene. Here are some tips for enjoying night dives - and for doing so safely.
Pool Practice First
If you have access to a swimming pool, cast any feelings of embarrassment to the wind, kit up, ensure the lights are out, and practice exploring the pool in the dark. This will help you to get a feel for how well your dive lights work, and you can even figure out some camera settings if you plan to work on underwater photography after dark. Keep in mind, visibility in the pool is probably much better than it will be at a real dive site - but you'll still get a feel for diving in the dark.
Pick a Site You're Familiar With
For your first night dive, pick a site you've at least been to before, if not one you're intimately familiar with. Depending on where you dive, this could be a lake or a lagoon, or even a shallow reef environment. Ensure you choose an area that's free of currents and common hazards, and you'll feel a lot more comfortable. You'll be more familiar with the marine life in the area, and you'll be surprised to see what those animals you're accustomed to viewing during daylight hours are up to at night.
Practice Navigation
Even when diving familiar sites after dark, be sure you familiarize yourself with a map of the underwater topography before you begin, and be sure you work on your navigational skills, too. Becoming comfortable this way will be a great help when you finally do visit new dive sites without ever having seen them in daylight.
Take a Night Diving Course
Probably the most useful piece of night diving advice we can give is this one. Taking a night diving course will help ease any feelings of nervousness that you might be experiencing, plus you'll gain specific information and hands-on experience under the watchful eye of an instructor. Besides night diving courses that focus on the technical aspects of diving in limited visibility environments, there are special underwater photography classes available in some areas that focus on improving nighttime photo skills, completely eliminating the frustration trial-and-error camera work can bring with it.
In the event you cannot take a night diving course, try diving at dusk or early in the morning, as animals are either going to sleep or waking up, depending on species and location. At dusk, it's a little easier to kit up and familiarize yourself with your dive site before natural light goes away, and at dawn, the sun starts illuminating the site just as you might be getting a little worried about what's hiding out there, in the dark. No matter what you do, relax and enjoy the experience. Bring a buddy who's familiar with night diving with you, and don't forget to bring a back-up light with you. Have fun, and stay safe! You're sure to enjoy this unique experience once you've tried it.