Diver Safety - Night Diving Tips

Go at Sunset
Many dive boats will leave for a night dive right before sunset. That way you have light to get your scuba gear ready. It also feels less intimidating (to me anyway) to go out while there is still some light left.

Likewise, if you are doing a shore dive, plan on hitting the water right before the sun sets.

Even though you will have some light above the water, it will still be pretty dark underneath. And by the time you surface, it will be dark out.

Dive a Familiar Site
If this is your first time scuba diving at night, try and go to a site you are familiar with.
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.

Keep it Shallow
A night dive is typically a shallow dive. I would say 20 meter is probably max with 10-15 meters more the norm.

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.

Attach It
You will want some method of attaching that dive light to you. That way if you let go, it won't sink to the bottom, never to be seen again. A lanyard or stretchy cord (or whatever you are comfortable with) work fine. Which reminds me of one of the next night scuba diving tips:

Use Reflective Tape
One thing I have seen which I think is a good idea is to mark your lights or other paraphernalia with reflective tape. That way if you drop something, you be able to spot it once the light shines on it. I've seen people put an X on their BC or tank so their dive buddy can tell it's them. Something worth considering.

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.

Descend Feet First
It is best to descend feet first and look down when you are descending. You can shine your light underneath you (just make sure you are not shining it in someone's eyes) to see where you are going so you don't hit or disturb the coral. More night scuba diving tips:

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.

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. Which leads into one of the next night scuba diving tips:

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.

Keep an Eye on Your Gauges
If you are new to scuba diving at night, you may go through your faster than your would during a typical daylight dive. This could be compensated for by the fact that a night dive is usually shallow, but just be aware of your air at all times. Of course, this is one of those night scuba diving tips that is applicable to day scuba diving too.

Mark Night Diving Entry/Exit Points
If you are doing night scuba diving off a boat, the boat should have a flashing strobe light attached to it so it is easy to find. As you are ascending, make sure you are looking up and know where the boat is so you don't bang your head.

If you are doing a shore dive, you should also know how to mark the night diving entry/exit point. The most common way is to place lights on the shoreline. You should use more than one to make it easier to spot. You could have 2 close together and 2 close together but further down the shoreline. Or whatever configuration works for you.

It also doesn't hurt to have someone on the shore to make sure the lights don't go out (or somebody doesn't swipe them). And last, but not least, the last of the night scuba diving tips:

Keep an Eye on Your Buddy
If you happen to lose sight of your buddy, one way to find him would be to shut off your light and look for the glow of his light. He shouldn't be that far from you and you should be able to see his light.

Another, and pretty much opposite way, is to turn a full circle while pointing you light outward. You might be able to see your buddy in the beam or he might notice the movement (if he hasn't noticed you are gone yet).

If the boat has to come pick you up after you have surfaced, shine the light on yourself so the captain can see you.

And that the last of my night scuba diving tips.

If you haven't done night scuba diving, you should really give it a try. It's a different experience and isn't difficult. You just have to get used to it, like all new things. You'll see lots of new creatures and habits to add to your memories. So give it a try. I hope these night scuba diving tips will help make your first night dive a more comfortable experience.

Source: www.scuba-diving-smiles.com

Xmas Day Party 2009 - DTL/Castaways

Dive Timor and Castaways decided to close for one day of the year and have a party for all the kids of the staff instead. However, it looks like the adults enjoyed the games just as much as the kids!

Girls Sack Race

Boys 3 Legged Race

Mens Egg and Spoon Race

Girls Musical Chairs

Ladies Sack Race

Mens Sack Race

Kids Pass the Parcle

Grab the toys

Ladies Tug-of-war

Merry Christmas! Underwater

A Christmas dive at Dili Rock



















Abryl

Santa Sato

Marianne

Sato

Dive Log - Tasi Tolu Dec 09

More great critter photos by Ashley Woo



















Ornate Ghost Pipefish

Rhinopious

Thorny Seahorse

Chelidonura amoena

Hermit Crab

Crown Snake Eel

Chelidonura hirundinina

Dive Log - Dili Rock Dec 09

OK, so the rainy season has started and the vis is dropping, but who cares when you have a new macro lens!

Brown Banded Pipefish

Hinge Beak Shrimp

Nembrotha lineolata

Lionfish

Shrimp

Photos thanks to Ashley Woo

Diver Safety - Surfers Ear

Having experienced this myself this week, I thought it would make interesting reading. However its not so common in tropics:-

Q:	I've been told I have surfer's ear. What does this mean and will it affect my diving?
A:	An exostosis is a narrowing of the inner half or the bony part of the circular outer ear canal by bony swellings. These localized bony swellings grow slowly over a period of years in response to the irritation of cold water on the skin of the outer ear canal. They are called swimmer’s nodes and are common in the surfing community. This condition is not related to infection nor is it caused by infection. This blocking of the ear canal, by preventing water from draining out, makes the person more susceptible to outer ear infections. The bony swellings continue to grow while there is a continued exposure to cold water, and the temperature that qualifies as cold, is that found in sea water and outdoor swimming pools in temperate climates. When the medical examination reveals early development of, or there is an established exostosis, it is important that measures are taken to prevent the continued growth of the exostosis. If swimming in non-tropical waters a hood should always be worn, or for surface swimmer’s only, some form of ear plug should be used. The narrowed ear canal is more prone to blockage by wax or debris, and more susceptible to otitis externa. An exostosis on the floor of the ear canal can form a sump which retains moisture and predisposes to infection. Some advise on ear care for divers: 1.If ears have a natural tendency to occlude with wax, have them checked regularly, particularly before a prolonged diving trip. 2.Do not poke anything into the ears (finger or cotton bud) 3.After every dive: Rinse both ears out with fresh water to wash out contaminated water and salt, which is hydrophilic. • Instill a couple of drops of 5% acetic acid (vinegar) in 60% ethyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol suffices) in to both ears. You may use a commercial solution like Aqua Ear to treat your ears after every dive or exposure to water. • If very prone to ear infections, blow warm air into external canal using a hair dryer. There is no specific risk for diving. It is recommended to have surgical removal if there is associated hearing loss or repetitive infections of the outer ear.

Source: Divers Alert Network

New Certifications this week

Congratulations to all the new divers certified at Dive Timor Lorosae this week:-

Joao - Open Water

Tim - Open Water

Santos - Advanced Open Water

Lucilia - Open Water

Chris - Open Water

Coleen - Advanced Open Water

Chris - Rescue Diver

Andrew - Open Water

Silly Pics

Guy

Roger, Sato & Maarten

Gian

Diver Safety - Excercise and Diving

For all those hashers that want to run after diving:-

Q: I regularly exercise and want to continue my routine on my vacation. I am worried about diving and exercise. Is there any information that can help me plan for both.

A: Timing of Exercise and Diving
After accepting the need for regular exercise to maintain physical fitness, the next issue concerns the timing of exercise training and diving. Scheduling outside physical fitness activities can be problematic when an active diving schedule is maintained. While part of this is simply a time management problem, there are other considerations. Conducting intense physical exercise too close to diving activity can be problematic for more fundamental reasons.


Bubble formation, while noted earlier as not equivalent to or a guarantee of DCS, can indicate an increased risk for it. Intense physical activity -- generally with substantial muscular forces and joint loading (the application of forces on joints) -- is believed to transiently increase micronuclei activity, the presumed agent of bubble formation. Intense physical activity too close to diving may therefore be problematic. Physical activity after diving may also stimulate additional bubble formation, possibly through a combination of increased micronuclei activity and increased joint forces. Interestingly, some preliminary work has shown that an intense bout of exercise conducted 24 hours prior to diving may reduce bubble presence in humans,3 possibly by inhibiting micronuclei activity. This potentially protective effect was not seen with exercise conducted closer to dive time. While this effect needs to be validated, the preliminary findings may support a simple rule of thumb for scheduling exercise. To reduce the risk, it is a good idea to avoid intense exercise 24 hours before and after diving.


The near-dive window will be best for low-intensity activities. Those who participate in cross-training activities may find it easiest to accommodate this schedule. For those who are more single-minded, diving may fit well into training rest days for those who put the priority on exercise, while training may fit best into diving rest days for those who put the priority on diving. Overall, lower training intensities will likely be more appropriate for the latter group, but accommodations can be reached.

Source: Divers Alert Network

Welcome Will

Welcome Will, our new Divemaster trainee. Will is British and as tall as Roger was, so spends his life ducking. He will be with us until the end of February

New Divemaster - Tim

It was a very long course but Tim finally completed his Divemaster Training. Congratulations! Even his cocktail was delayed when Sato shook rather than stirred it and it exploded in the bar.

And in True Dive Timor Lorosae tradition - the Snorkel Test!



















Getting prepared

Ready to drink

How good did that taste?

Dive Log - 7th December 2009

This weekends diving had some great turtle sightings, good to hear:-

Lone Tree - 2 turtle
Dili Rock - Turtle and bumphead parrotfish
K41 - A seahorse possy
Jaco - Leopard Shark and turtle

New Certifications this week

Congratulations to all the new divers certified at Dive Timor Lorosae this week:-

James - Open Water

Hilman - Rescue

Antonio - Open Water

Bernado - Advanced Open Water

Jack - Advanced Open Water

Joao - Advanced Open Water

Diver Safety - Donating blood

Here's an interesting one from the DAN website. We had a recent diver that donated blood in Baucau then went diving on the way back to Dili

Q: If I donate a pint of blood how soon afterward is it safe to dive?

A: Immediately following blood donation, the volume of circulating blood is reduced. Provided the donor eats and drinks normally, blood volume returns to normal within 24 hours. Diving within the first few hours after donating blood is not advisable because of the possibility that reduced blood flow could cause impaired inert gas washout after a dive, and thus an increased risk of decompression sickness. We have no reason to believe that it is necessary to wait more than 24 hours after donation before scuba diving.