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.

A vacation to an all inclusive resort in the Caribbean that offers scuba diving can be a great money saver. To decide whether this option is for you, there are some pros and cons to consider.

Pros

• Don’t have to worry about money while you are there
• Usually cheaper than purchasing everything separately
• Stress free: No decisions to make about where to go for drinks, dinner or diving
• Usually a party atmosphere (can be a con too)
• Security
• Activities and entertainment are included (sometimes diving is included also)

Cons

• Usually big resorts; grounds and dive boats can be crowded (ever have to go out at 6 am to reserve a lounge on the beach?)
• No incentive to leave the resort and experience the local culture
• Have unexpected expense of going out if you don’t like the food and/or drink
• Service is sometimes lacking since tips are already included (we always tip anyway, even if the policy is supposedly not to)
• Not all islands have all inclusives, so island choice is limited

You just have to decide what is most important for you. For instance, if you like smaller resorts and small dive groups, than an all inclusive resort may not be for you.

Most all inclusives include non-motorized water sports in the package. However, while most resorts offer scuba diving, you usually have to pay extra for it. If the resort does offer scuba diving in the price, you can save a significant amount of money.

If you pay for your diving at the resort, my experience has been that prices are pretty much market prices. If you do multiple dives you can usually get a discount. Just ask, prices can be pretty flexible.

Popular All Inclusive Destinations

Probably the most popular places (or at least those with the most resort choices) for an all inclusive Caribbean vacation are the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, including the ever popular Cozumel. In my opinion, of the three options, Cozumel is the hands down winner as far as diving.

High End/Low End

There is an all inclusive resort to fit every budget. You just have to decide what you want. What’s more important to you? Would you rather have gourmet food and premium drinks or would you be happy with lower end offerings and more money in your wallet? The answer can be different for each trip.

No matter where you go and which level of service you choose, it is hard not to have a good time. So pick a place, pack your gear and get going!

Every dive shop, dive boat, and scuba diver uses scuba tanks. While we all have used the standard Aluminum 80 cubic foot tank, we have seen a great many different size and shapes in other scuba tanks. Each of the “different” scuba tanks have a unique advantage/disadvantage, use, and cost. How can you choose the right scuba tank?

Let’s walk through the basic considerations to choose the perfect tank:

• Budget. The reason the Aluminum 80 tank is everywhere is because it is cheap. But so are the Aluminum 50, 63, and 100 cubic foot tanks, so why is the 80 cubic foot the most popular? It is simply because it is the first Aluminum size (actually the second size), but the first 72 cubic foot Aluminum tanks were rounded bottoms and a bit taller.
• Physical Size of the Scuba tank. It is generally the length of the tank and not the diameter that will bother most scuba divers. Carrying the tank without dragging it across the boat dock is a sign that either you cannot carry the weight or your arms are not long enough. If strength is not the problem than maybe the tank is too long. Or if you keep hitting your head on the tank valve and the bottom of the tank is bouncing off of your butt at the same time, than the tank is too long. The two main tank manufacturers (Catalina and Luxfer) both make an Aluminum 80 tank that is 3 inches shorter than the standard tank. They do this by increasing the diameter of this new tank, but it is a little heaver. The Aluminum 63 cubic foot tank is 21.5 inches long. Some of the high pressure steel tanks are only 20 inches in length.
• The Air Capacity of the Scuba tank. If your air consumption is markedly less than your dive buddy’s, why carry the extra air back to the boat? If I am diving with students; than a smaller 50 cubic foot is perfect. If I am diving with my wife than I use my 100 cubic foot tank, while she uses the 50 cubic foot tank. Choose the capacity that best matches your air consumption, dive objective and appropriate safety considerations.
• Weight and Buoyancy considerations. The major disadvantage of Aluminum Scuba tanks is they tend to become positively buoyant at the end of each dive. The Aluminum 80 cubic foot tank can be up to 5 pounds of positive buoyancy at 500 psi. Both Luxfer and Catalina now make a newer neutral buoyancy Aluminum 80 tank to solve this problem. Of course you might want to consider a steel tank. These steel scuba tanks are approximately 20 inches in length and do not have the positive buoyancy problems that Aluminum tanks experience. The down side of the steel scuba tanks (3500 psi) is that they operate at higher pressures and not all dive operations can fill them. The steel material tends to rust if any water or humidity enters the interior of the tank. Lastly the price of the steel tanks can be 2 or 3 times the prices of the Aluminum tank.

We all know being able to clear your ears while scuba diving is very important. After all, if your ears don’t clear you’ll have to abort the dive. So how do you clear your ears?

The most common method is called the Valsalva maneuver. In this technique, you pinch your nostrils closed and gently blow through your nose.

If you are having problems, try these steps to help you descend safely:

• Start Before You Go Below the Water

If you are using the Valsalva maneuver, gently blow through your nose while you are waiting to start your descent. This “pre-pressurizes” the ear and makes equalization easier upon descent. Start this before you even go under the water.

• Equalize Early and Often

You’ve heard this in your scuba diving class. Begin equalizing as soon as your head goes underwater and continue equalizing every few feet. This is probably the most important step to descending without ear problems. If you are having problems clearing one ear, tilt your head - with the blocked ear toward the surface.

• Descend Feet First

Your Eustchian tube is affected if you descend with your head first and it makes it harder to equalize your ears.

• Ascend if You Have Problems

If your ears are not clearing properly, ascend a few feet to reduce the pressure. Try clearing them again. If it still doesn’t work, ascend a few more feet and try again. Rinse and repeat until you have cleared your ears successfully.

• Do Not Force It

If you have tried ascending and it is not working, abort the dive. If you force yourself down, you can cause permanent ear injury. In this same vein, if you are using the Valsalva method, do not blow forcefully. It should be a gentle blow. A forceful blow can also cause ear injury. It’s better to forego a dive than have ear problems for the rest of your life.

• Do Not Dive With a Cold

Another mantra you probably heard in your scuba class. Congestion can make equalization difficult. And even if you are able to ascend, you run the risk of having problems during ascent, a condition called “reverse squeeze.” This can also be caused by medications wearing off during the dive. If you do take medicine, just be aware of the risks.

Follow these steps and you should be well on your way to having nice clear ears. Take it easy, take it slow and have a safe, comfortable dive.

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