Hawaii Big Island Diving

Are you thinking of trying a night dive? It can be a little scary at first but once you try it, you’ll be hooked. It’s a whole new world down there. Here are some tips to make that first night dive go smoothly:

Keep it Shallow

A night dive is typically a shallow dive. I would say 60 feet is probably max with 30-40 feet more the norm. On our night dives we typically had a maximum depth of 35-40 feet.

Dive a Familiar Site

If this is your first time scuba diving at night, try and go to a site you are familiar with. In the Caribbean, many dive operators will do a night dive at a dive site that they went to during the day.

If you are thinking of doing the night dive, sign up to do a dive at the night dive site during the day. This way you will have some idea of what the area is like and may feel less apprehensive.

Get Some Light

You obviously need some dive lights when you are doing a night dive. It’s best to have a primary light and a backup light in case the first light fails. The secondary light can be small and could fit into your pocket.

You don’t need the biggest and brightest light you can find. In fact, it is fun, once you get accustomed to diving at night, to turn your light off and let your eyes adjust to the dark. You’ll be amazed at what you can see. Of course, it is up to you and get the light you would feel comfortable with while diving at night.

If you don’t want to turn your light off underwater (I’ve never had a problem turning it back on but you never know) you can always face it into your BC so you get the same effect.

Many dive operators will also attach a glo-stick or something similar to your tank. This makes it easier to spot someone underwater. One dive group may have one color, another group a different color or the divemaster will have a different color so it is easier to tell who is who underwater.

Please note that some areas do not allow the use of glo-sticks due to their chemicals. In this case, another device, such as a light, can be put on the tank.

Get Familiar With the Hand Signals

When you are night scuba diving, you need to discuss the hand signals before you begin your dive. Since it is dark down there, your buddy won’t be able to see your hands.

If you are on a dive boat, the divemaster will probably tell you what signals to use. If they don’t, just ask. There is nothing wrong with that.

A typical way to use hand signals is to shine your light on your hand so your buddy can see them. Another common night diving signal is to move your dive light in a circle to signify “OK.” Moving it up and down or back and forth can signify yes or no. Whatever you choose to use, just make sure you clarify before you begin the dive.

Take it Slow

There is alot to see at night. You will see a whole different world underneath at night than during a day. Take your time and look in those nooks and crannies.

The reef also looks brilliant and colorful in the beam of your light. Much different than during the day when you are diving deeper and the colors are absorbed.

Watch Where You Aim That Light

Be aware of where you aim your dive light. If you put the full force of that light beam into somebody’s eyes, you can momentarily blind them. It will take a little while for that diver to adjust his night vision again. So be careful.

I hope these tips will help make your first night dive a comfortable experience.

Have a great dive, Dianne Rein from www.scuba-diving-smiles.com.

Diving can be fun and enjoyable. With your first underwater breath, your life will never be the same again. But while you’re considering everything you read and hear about SCUBA diving, lets keep our eyes open about the process of learning to SCUBA dive.

While most SCUBA instructors and certification agencies sell the, “adventure”, of SCUBA diving, learning to dive is a process. To master this process, remember three basic rules of learning to SCUBA dive:

1. SCUBA will give you, what you put in.
2. It is always better to have your own gear.
3. There will be a time, that the SCUBA experience will not be fun!

SCUBA will give you, what you put in. If you do not apply your new found skills consistently and frequently, they will get lost. Think about it, would you fly with a pilot who was certified 9 months ago and now is ready to take you up on their first flight? How about having surgery with a surgeon who has not had an operation in over one year? Diving skills need to be practiced if you are going to be a safe diver.

What happens when SCUBA diving starts to get boring? Take a class, go on vacation, or assist with an Open Water class. Do something different.

It is always better to have your own gear. The basic facts are pretty clear: divers, who have their own SCUBA equipment, will dive more often. Just think about this, your best friend calls and wants to go SCUBA diving. You need to run down to the dive store, rent some equipment, try it on and make sure it fits and then go SCUBA diving. Loading up your car and meeting at the beach is pretty simple right? And you know the wetsuit is clean!!

There will be a time when your SCUBA experience will not be fun. The beach will have big waves, you will not like the boat trip, your buddy is weird; stuff happens. Just like when you go skiing, you”ll land face down in the snow. Your tee shot curves right and lands in the water hazard. Your movie has 30 minutes of advertising before it starts. Not all of life’s experiences will be fun and SCUBA is no different. Anything worth doing will have its bad moments. Learn by doing it differently, take a different dive boat, have your best friend SCUBA dive with you; life is too short to dive on a half a tank.

Most exert divers will agree that equipment flexibility with dive gear is paramount to a safe dive. Proper scuba equipment configuration matters on all dives. It doesn’t matter if the dive is a wreck dive, deep dive, shore dive, or even a boat dive; we need our dive equipment to be flexible and in the proper configuration. While at first glance, double tank setups and flexibility should never be used in the same sentence, the world is changing fast.

I seldom use double tanks, but when I do there is some basic use/setup questions that I need to consider. The very first question you will need to answer is: am I going to need a manifold in my setup?

Manifolds offer the capability of having an isolation valve. The isolation valve allows the tanks to be isolated from one another. If a regulator should fail underwater, the regulator could be isolated from the rest of the system. The manifold can be purchased without the isolation valve, but it seems that if two tanks need to be combined together because of the dive profile, a backup regulator should also be used. Manifolds can be pretty pricey and buying one without the isolation valve does not make sense. If you decide to purchase a manifold, then holding the tanks in perfect alignment is critical. Some divers use a set of semi-permanent tank bands to keep the tanks from shifting during the dive. If the tanks shift, then the manifold might bend with them and ruin the manifold.

If a manifold is not needed, then the second option is to use a set of Velcro bands. More on the Velcro bands later. When the diver does not require a manifold with an isolation valve, each tank should have its own separate regulator.

The two common uses of double tanks without the isolation valve are:

• 1-1/2 setup. Here the diver uses the first tank and ½ of the second tank. Once back to the boat or shore the diver replaces out the empty tank and repeats the process during the second dive. The difference between this setup and using a bailout bottle is the diver is planning to use the second tank, while a bailout bottle is used in emergencies.
• Independent doubles. This is a perfect setup when doing a boat dive to shore or a remote dry location. One tank is used getting there and another tank getting back.

The Velcro bands are designed by Captain Dan Berg of Aqua Explorers. The main advantage is the capability to hold a double tank system to your BCD without the manifold. Manifolds are extremely expensive and will raise the height of the system by a couple of inches. If the straps are tightened down, they can hold almost as tightly as the steel bands. But there can be some shifting of the tanks, and a good manifold can be ruined when this happens. So a good recommendation is not using a manifold with Velcro bands.