Simple Questions from new diver

[BLT]

Hi,

Night dives are awesome, here's a few things I always consider:

Bring a light - you have to be able to read your gauges!

Have a good whistle (always) so if you drop your only light you have another means of signaling in the dark.

Bring a few (cylume?) light sticks for you and your dive buddy(s). They are a great locational device and are quite cheap.

Our instructor used a flashing strobe on his tank so the rest of the group could find him and he counted divers by the light sticks.

If gloves are allowed you might want them on the night dive just in case you bump into something in he dark. The same goes for wearing a full wetsuit vs shortie or no suit at all.

Be prepared to be colder than normal. For some, a night dive is their 3rd or 4th dive of the day. Combine that with no sun, a breeze and some people can get downright cold, especially when they exit the water and the ride back.

Get a copy of the PADI "Adventures In Diving" book and read the night diving section. If you are planning on doing some of the PADI speciality courses or AOW you will need this book. A good investment (covers about 13 specialities including night dives, boat dive, etc).

Always let the Dive Master / Instructor know in advance if you don't feel entirely comfortable with the dive. Sometimes the hardest thing for divers is to express concern or call a dive.

Make sure you are comfortable with your dive buddy and their level of experience. Perhaps a well informed Dive Master will buddy you with someone more experienced if they feel it is necessary.

Pay attention during the pre-dive brief/checkout since it will be different than a normal daylight dive briefing (ie discussing specific light signals, entry/exit in the dark, etc).