YO-HANCHA
Something of the night
As a man not unfamiliar with the tempting crack of a beer can , Yo-Han Cha has an ambivalent attitude to night dives
I really enjoy a night dive these days , but I started off a bit ambivalent towards them . It ’ s probably because they were usually the last dive of a long day on a liveaboard ( it can be a hard life being a scuba diver abroad ). I ’ d be tired , starting to feel the cold and when I was less experienced , not great at spotting cool animals underwater . So , I ’ d end up finning about in the dark , not seeing much , getting chilly and unsurprisingly bored .
How times have changed ... I love a night dive these days . And it doesn ’ t matter whether if it ’ s off a liveaboard in warmer climates or in the fresher temperatures of the UK . This might sound like I ’ m contradicting myself , but I think part of it is knowing when to call [ the end of ] a dive . If I don ’ t feel up for a dive , perhaps because I ’ d rather spend the evening relaxing with a cooling beverage , I ’ ll do that instead . and my decision will be made regardless of peer pressure . After all , if you ’ re tired , how are you going to enjoy the dive ? Most of the time , though , I ’ m more than up for a night dive , and quite willing to go quietly into the night .
Another reason I ’ ve grown to enjoy night dives is that I ’ ve become much better at spotting wildlife underwater . Instead of whizzing about like an excited puppy , I ’ ve learned to slow down to see more . With the sea having its share of nocturnal creatures , there can be so many different things to see on the night shift .
If you ’ re a photographer like me , then you sometimes get the opportunity to approach certain creatures that are usually a bit more skittish during the day .
Some dive operators will light up a dive site from the surface with powerful stern lights , at locations such as the Barge at Bluff Point in the Red Sea . This for me , gives it a spookier feel , especially if it ’ s a wreck . A couple of years ago on the Breda , a wreck that I ’ ve dived many times before , the top-lighting gave it a novelty factor that I wouldn ’ t have had if I ’ d dived it during the day .
When the clocks go back in the autumn , there ’ s usually a window available to go night diving in quarries . I usually choose the sea over fresh water , but once again , diving a well-known site at night is different enough for me to still enjoy the experience .
There are obviously more safety concerns when it comes to night diving . Shore diving entries and exits can be a bit trickier , so choose your dive site with that in mind . However , when I ’ m diving off a boat , I do find that my ability to navigate my way back to the dive boat increases . That may have something to do with a very well lit up boat being much easier to navigate back to than just relying on my sense of direction in the dark . Before you all yell , ‘ compass !’ for one of those to be of any use you need to know what your heading was to begin with ! No need to ask you not to judge me ; I think it ’ s too late for that !
If you ’ ve never tried a night dive , whether it be in the UK or in warmer climates , whether it be in the sea or in a disused quarry , I ’ d strongly recommend giving it a go . It ’ s easier than you think , and strangely relaxing . �
Matt Knowles of Burnley SAC explores the wreck of the Breda at night
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