The thought of dipping below the surface at night seems mysterious, yet so alluring. Although you’ve been scuba diving at a site many times before, at night you drop into a whole new world and watch it come to life under the glow of your dive light. The scene changes as day creatures retire and nocturnal organisms emerge. If you’ve wondered what happens underwater after the sun goes down, sign up for the PADI Night Diver Specialty course.
PADI Open Water Divers or higher, who are at least 12 years old, can enroll in the Night Diver specialty course.
Scuba diving at night teaches you to focus on what you can see in your light’s beam, on controlling your buoyancy by feel, on staying with your buddy and on paying attention to details you may overlook during the day. During three night dives, you’ll practice:
- Light handling and communication techniques.
- Entering, exiting and navigating in the dark.
- Identifying how plants and animals differ or change behavior at night.
The first dive of this PADI Specialty Diver course may credit as an Adventure Dive toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification – ask your instructor about earning credit.
Along with your basic scuba equipment, you’ll need a primary dive light and want to have a backup light, too.
Night Diver courses start at $299, and involve three dives either at dusk, dawn, or night.