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night diving
- Thread starterRichc
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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If you try the search button you can find plenty of info, try for torches too.
Here is something I found http://forums.deeperblue.com/wales/83613-night-time-spearfishing.html
Just be very careful as night diving can be potentially very dangerous!!
Here is something I found http://forums.deeperblue.com/wales/83613-night-time-spearfishing.html
Just be very careful as night diving can be potentially very dangerous!!
I would also look into using a 3-prong in lieu of the old speargun for nightime diving, it helps to ease the whole fumbling around underwater with line tangling you up with panicked fish...(not a good combo out here in Guam at night... tends to get a bit sharky)
Always dive with a partner too ... it feels like a different animal out there at night and it takes time to get comfortable with the difference in dive style (active swimming and persuing your fish instead of the stalk and wait [maybe its just me] during the daytime)
LED is the way to go ... i have the princeton tec [the big mamba jamba] that foxfish was referring to... it costs a pretty penny but if you are tough on gear, totally worth the investment.
most importantly... have fun, everything is more exciting at night:blackeye
Always dive with a partner too ... it feels like a different animal out there at night and it takes time to get comfortable with the difference in dive style (active swimming and persuing your fish instead of the stalk and wait [maybe its just me] during the daytime)
LED is the way to go ... i have the princeton tec [the big mamba jamba] that foxfish was referring to... it costs a pretty penny but if you are tough on gear, totally worth the investment.
most importantly... have fun, everything is more exciting at night:blackeye
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Hi RichC, night diving is amazing fun and generally i think there's lots more to see at night.
Generally there are more opportunities to see/take flatfish, which come out at nighttime. There are of course more opportunities to take other fish including bass & mullet etc at night. However just my 2p worth, if you're looking to night dive specifically because you beleive that fish are attracted to light then firstly that's gonna be like shooting fish in a barrel (not very spearo kosher) and secondly you may be mistaken lol! probably depends on the fish around your area too tho...
Personally i have no problem taking some fish for tea at night, but the #1 reason for night diving is because there's just so much more life about to see
good luck.
hi richc, night diving is fun. always go out with a buddy. personally i don`t like head mounted lights it tends to blind me.. hand held torch is much better in my opinion. and if i were you i`d avoid too powerful a torch it scares fish and causes blind out(or wash out i think) if you accidentally stir some sediment. i put green filter on my LED flashlight (made of sprite plastic bottle) to soften the light.... hope this helps. again please do dive with a buddy. safe diving
Hi RichC.
I probably do more night diving than day diving at the moment, purely because there is so much more to see and because there are more fish around. The best tides I found for diving are the last three hours of a rising tide, thats when the fish seem most active.
Any torch will do, but in the UK, the brighter the better. Take two if you can, a main torch and a small back-up. Kit wise, try and adopt the KISS principle. Keep it simple. If you don't need it, don't take it. And is you do take it, make sure it's secure and can't fall out or off.
Dive with a buddy, unless you can really help it. Night diving is inherently more dangerous than day diving. Just having someone shine their torch on you whilst sorting out a fish is a real help. If something goes badly wrong, then they could save your life (or ring the emergency services to start a promp search).
Let someone know where you are going, and roughly how long you will be in the water. Go somewhere local that you dive in the day for the first few dives so than you know the ground
Most importantly, enjoy yourself. On a calm summers evening, no crowds, warm water, a starry sky and phosphoresence, there is no better place. Don't go too deep, and look for fish where you might not find them during the day. I get most of my bass at night from a featureless rock shelf. You won't see them there in daytime. Flatfish will be over the sand as usual, but will be closer in, with many more species to see.
I probably do more night diving than day diving at the moment, purely because there is so much more to see and because there are more fish around. The best tides I found for diving are the last three hours of a rising tide, thats when the fish seem most active.
Any torch will do, but in the UK, the brighter the better. Take two if you can, a main torch and a small back-up. Kit wise, try and adopt the KISS principle. Keep it simple. If you don't need it, don't take it. And is you do take it, make sure it's secure and can't fall out or off.
Dive with a buddy, unless you can really help it. Night diving is inherently more dangerous than day diving. Just having someone shine their torch on you whilst sorting out a fish is a real help. If something goes badly wrong, then they could save your life (or ring the emergency services to start a promp search).
Let someone know where you are going, and roughly how long you will be in the water. Go somewhere local that you dive in the day for the first few dives so than you know the ground
Most importantly, enjoy yourself. On a calm summers evening, no crowds, warm water, a starry sky and phosphoresence, there is no better place. Don't go too deep, and look for fish where you might not find them during the day. I get most of my bass at night from a featureless rock shelf. You won't see them there in daytime. Flatfish will be over the sand as usual, but will be closer in, with many more species to see.
Thanks everyone for the hints and tips!
I think I need to get a torch and back up go and try out. I usually dive alone so will have to persuade the wife to come for a snorkel with me! I will check out the Princeton tec (thanks fishimani). Bit confused in comparing torches as some are rated in LUX and some in Lumens.
Cheers
I think I need to get a torch and back up go and try out. I usually dive alone so will have to persuade the wife to come for a snorkel with me! I will check out the Princeton tec (thanks fishimani). Bit confused in comparing torches as some are rated in LUX and some in Lumens.
Cheers
I went night diving the other night, (in guernsey) Push bike lights rapped in cling film and tape, worked a treat, saw 3 ray and a sole, i have realised its not all about the equipment!
Well I finally got round to buying a torch and went out at the other night. It didn't get dark till 1030 so there was a bit of waiting around. I wasn't too sure on technique. During the day I ussually dive down find a hiding spot and wait for a minute or two for fish to appear. However I found this a bit tricky with one hand on my torch and the other on the spear gun. Plus wasn't sure if it is best to keep the light on all the time or dive down and wait in darkness then switch on to see whats around. Having said that I saw quite abit of sea life a few bass, pollack and loads of crabs from the surface. Good fun but I think I enjoy the experience more in early evening or dusk rather in pitch black. Any tips on technique would be apprecited!
Rich, at night the fish are a lot less wary, despite the torch light you can swim right up to pretty much all species.
You're best off running a seach pattern, around reefs or even quatering sand areas that are barren during the day, they can come alive at night.
You're best off running a seach pattern, around reefs or even quatering sand areas that are barren during the day, they can come alive at night.
Just echoing what magpie said, I usually split my time between swimming in the shallows under the cliffs (<6ft of water) and diving a bit further out over the sand.
There can be a huge difference between night and day. I found places that can seem lifeless in the day are suddenly packed with bass, flatties, cuttlefish etc during the night! Be careful though, night diving gets very addictive!
There can be a huge difference between night and day. I found places that can seem lifeless in the day are suddenly packed with bass, flatties, cuttlefish etc during the night! Be careful though, night diving gets very addictive!
man!
be carrefoul an take a beacon light with you; not the light for underwater, but something that can be spoted from boats....the boats are dangerous in day-time and extremely dangerous in night -time, because it's night of course, and because of some drunk skipers...
be carrefoul an take a beacon light with you; not the light for underwater, but something that can be spoted from boats....the boats are dangerous in day-time and extremely dangerous in night -time, because it's night of course, and because of some drunk skipers...