The PADI Night Diver Specialty course is divided into knowledge development and open water training.

In addition, your PADI Instructor may add confined water and other sessions,

depending upon your location and the needs of the class.

The knowledge development portion expands your knowledge about night diving equipment,

evaluating dive conditions at night,

using and maintaining dive lights, night navigation, aquatic life and other topics.

Knowledge is usually accomplished through independent study with PADI Night Diving
Video, this manual and other references, followed by predive review and discussion with your instructor.

 

 

At you instructor’s discretion, more formal classroom sessions may be held.

Understanding night diving procedures forms the basis for applying them,

which you master during open water training.

You’ll make at least three night dives accompanied by your instructor,

practicing and demonstrating the practical aspects of diving at night.

 

You’ll have fun practicing what you learn in this manual and by watching Night Diving
When you successfully complete the course, you’ll be awarded the PADI Night Diver certification.

 

Earning this certification means that you’re qualified to plan, organize and make night dives in conditions similar to those you train in.

The PADI Night Diver Manual  is an interactive book designed to assist you in remembering the material you read.

Use the following guidelines to maximize your learning.

First, find a quiet comfortable study environment. Next, begin by previewing an individual section.

Effective previewing means skimming the section quickly, reading italicized or highlighted words, subheadings or captions.
After previewing the section, return to it’s beginning.

 

You’ll notice that each section has a set of study objectives stated as questions.

Read these carefully, before concentrating on the section. The questions will guide your learning.
Now, read each section looking for answers to the study objective questions.

Underline or highlight answers as you find them.

 

Immediately after you’ve finished reading a section,

return to the beginning and review your underlined or highlighted answers.

 

Make sure you have underlined or highlighted an answer for each study objective question.
At the end of each section, you’ll find an exercise with questions to answer.

These exercises allow you to assess your comprehension quickly and effectively.

 

The exercises ask you to mark an immediate response directly in your book.

Once you choose an answer, compare it with the correct one provided.

If your answer was incorrect,

re-read the related the related material plus your underlined or highlighted response within the section.

Finally, at the end of the book,

you’ll find a Knowledge Review. Your instructor may ask you to complete the Knowledge Review and turn it in to him.

If you have questions, you should discuss the Knowledge Review with you instructor before training dives.

By the time you complete the Knowledge Review, you should be thoroughly familiar with the material in the book.

However, if you find there’s something you “just can’t get” despite re-reading the material,

be sure to have your instructor explain it to you.

 

Remember your instructor’s first concern is that you have a safe and fun experience on each dive.

Understanding and remembering the information in this book is part of the process.

Since you’re reading this book, It’s reasonable to assume that you want to night dive and know why.

However, it helps to understand some motivations other divers may have so your buddies

and you get what you want out of night diving.

You can split these motivations into five categories.

The first is natural curiosity. To many divers, a night dive spells adventure and a chance to explore the unknown.

They hope to discover things they wouldn’t during the day,

or they may be attracted by the added challenge darkness brings to diving.
Aquatic life provides a second reason for night diving.

 

At sunset, animals active during the day retire, and night creatures emerge.

In salt and fresh water, many fish seek shelter in the reef; some change color as they sleep on the bottom.

 

Nocturnal fish and other animals, such as catfish and lobster, become active at night.

By diving at night, you encounter a new set of behaviours.
Third, because the underwater world at night differs from day,

many divers enjoy night diving to get a new look at familiar dive sites.

 

Besides different aquatic life, night adds a new dimension,

so that the same old reef or wreck appears fresh and different.
A fourth reason is that many divers enjoy the vibrant colors that characterize a night dive.

As you learned in your entry-level course, water absorbs color from light passing through it.

 

Water absorbs red first then orange, followed by yellow and then the green a good bit deeper,

leaving only blue (in clear water).

During the day, this absorbtion filters the sunlight, muting the colors you see.

 

At night, you see by your dive light close at hand;

it’s light doesn’t travel through much water , so colors remain bright and true.
Finally, you’ll encounter many people who night dive because it gives them more chances to dive.

Hectic work schedules and office hours restrict many divers’ diving to weekends – unless they night dive.

 

During the week, such individuals can enjoy night after working hours.

Likewise, on a dive trip night diving gets in one more dive at the end of the day.

You can enjoy most specialty diving activities at night, just as you do during the day.

However, night diving particularly enhances three specialties- Underwater Naturalist,

Underwater Photographer/Videographer and Wreck Diver.

As mentioned, aquatic organisms behave differently at night.

This presents the underwater naturalist with more opportunities to observe unique creatures and unique behaviours.

Whether you’re watching a cone shell glide across sand or a carp rutting through the mud,

night diving expands your familiarity with underwater life.

Underwater photographers/videographers enjoy night diving because they can photo/video nocturnal flora and fauna.

Organisms that become dormant-especially fish-

can be approached easily for close ups that would be difficult or impossible during the day.

 

To some videographers and photographers,

night provides a dramatic backdrop against which to contrast vivid underwater colors.

Wreck diving also benefits from night diving.
Many divers enjoy wrecks because they can seem mystic and adventurous.

At night largely intact wrecks become ghostlike, adding to the adventure and mystery.

An important point :Wreck penetrations should not be made at night.

If you’re qualified to penetrate overhead environments, do so only during the day; be content to look in the ports and windows at night.

 

Nocturnal Aquatic Life.

Whether you’re diving in a lake or the ocean, in warm water or cool,

and at a high latitude or near the equator, aquatic life changes with nightfall.

As mentioned earlier, at dark some creatures retire while others come out of hiding. Some change behaviour.

The varieties of nocturnal organisms and their individual behaviors would take volumes to fill.

Nonetheless, you’ll find a few creatures routinely in saltwater and freshwater.

Also you’ll encounter several unique behaviors on a routine basis, most of which involve reproduction and feeding.

With their greater variety of life, oceans and seas abound with interesting creatures at night.

As mentioned before, it’s a real treat to encounter an octopus, which is common in both tropical and temperate water.
During the day, the octopus stays hidden in a crevice or a hole, but at night it roams about searching for food.

 

Considered one of the most intelligent invertebrates, the octopus reacts strongly to being shined on with dive lights.

Typically, it freezes and changes colors, trying to blend in with the reef.
When that doesn’t work, it may try to crawl or jet away, or it may advance toward the light.

If you spot an octopus, avoid shining your light directly on it. Instead , use the edge of your light beam to watch it.

This way, you’re less likely to frighten it and more likely to see it behave normally.

Besides the octopus, don’t be surprised if you run into its nocturnal cousins : the squid and the cuttlefish.
Crustaceans – shrimp, lobster and crabs- are the octopus’ favorite food and also a common sight on night dives .

 

Like the octopus, crustaceans tend to be elusive in the day, but wander around scavenging by night.

You can look for lobster all day and never spot one, only to have several walk by on a night dive.

Most crustaceans don’t shy away from light as much as octopus do. I

n fact, you’ll often first spot shrimp from the reflection in their eyes.

There’s hundreds of shrimp species in amazing variety so look closely. You may be surprised by what you find.
Another interesting crustacean is the hermit crab, known for living in shells it finds.

 

If you find several in the same area, sit back and watch quietly. You may catch them scurrying about, trading shells and picking up new ones.
During the day you usually find eels with their heads poking from their holes, but at night, they often come and swim freely.

They appear somewhat snakelike as they undulate their way along the bottom, but actually they’re fish.

Depending upon your location, you may encounter moray, conger, monkey face or wolf eels.

Besides highly active creatures like octopi, crustaceans and eels, less active animals come out at night.

Many shells wait under the sand until dark, then show themselves, gliding slowly across the bottom.

 

Look for them in sandy areas that seem barren by day.