by Blue Harrison

Created on: July 29, 2009

Adrift in twilight cathedral, where exhaled bubbles seek surface in silver, effervescent swirl. Where the colours have all changed and the inhabitants are either asleep or just waking in nocturnal activity. Where the familiar waters of daylight are replaced by a shadow-shifted landscape...This is the mesmerizing experience called night diving. Not for the nervous or the solitary and certainly not for training exercises; the night dive offers up new explorations for divers in underwater terrain they've previously ventured in and feel comfortable with. Quite miraculous really, how everything below the surface dons a new face. How the whole atmosphere paces itself to an unhurried beat.

And this pulse is what the divers need to imitate in actions and attitude when making such a dive. Slow is key. There is no rushing this adventure. If one does try to quicken the tempo, the results are usually detrimental to the beauty and can result in dangerous situations. Many of the precautions and equipment will echo that of a day dive; but there's a few additions necessary to ensure a safe and magical journey through depths painted kohl, even with the help of moonlight. Experience, foresight and confidence all combine to enhance the sights and sensations come to life in the darkling drift. It can not be stressed enough: Calm and slow is the only emotion and motion that should accompany divers in such waters.

Keep the adventure manageable and safety-structured. Do not extend groups or partnerings beyond three. Vigilence is necessary. Each diver needs to be acutely aware of their partner(s) and mindful of the predetermined signals that will be in use. Lighting is essential and must be reliable, easy to handle and have at least one back-up for each unit in use. It is also vital that the dive take place in waters that are quite familiar, being an area that has been visited numerous times in daylight. Also, the depth should be no more than 15-20 miles; an abyss is not really navigational and deeper depths are best avoided all-together. Other strong choices for gear are: Reflectable and/or light-collecting strips that can be inserted into suits.
Various signals besides hand to include rocket and acoustic.
A small and sharp dive knife in the event one becomes entangled.

Remember, these are the little details that can make a major difference when the experience is actually underway. Vision is limited even if the dive is graced with a large moon. Do not rely

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