NIGHT DIVING

Night divers, or any diver for that matter, should never shine a dive light directly into anyone else's eyes. Doing so before or during a dive will ruin or reduce night vision dramatically.

Night diving can be very productive, especially when searching for lobsters. Divers should bring at least two Dive lights plus attach a cylume light or rechargeable glow stick to their regulator yoke. This chemical light stick enables dive teams to stay in contact with each other by monitoring the light stick's glow.

Navigation back to shore can be made relatively easy by leaving a blinking light, similar to a road hazard light, on shore before entering the water. This light then gives divers a distinct point to navigate back to after their dive. Believe me, at night the entire coast could look remarkably similar, and this light should prevent some long walks back to your entry point.

If boat diving I would recommend using a dive reel for navigation. This way its easy to wind yourself back to the dive boat anchor.

UNDERWATER HUNTING

Night is definitely the best time to catch the nocturnal lobster. These tasty crustaceans also can be found during the day by searching through holes that are found in jetties and wrecks, etc. A strong, narrow beam dive light is the best type of light to use when trying to see deep inside these small caves.

Divers in search of dinner often ignore mussels, but they shouldn't be, as they are very tasty. Collect mussels from mid-water where they are rinsed constantly by the tide. They will be clean and tender. Mussels clinging to poles near the surface in the sunlight will not be as tender. Mussels picked from the bottom will be full of sand or mud.

Spear fishing should only be done in clear water. Always make sure you can see the full distance of your shot. For example, don't use an eight-foot cord in four-foot visibility, as you could accidentally hit another diver. To spear a fish, swim slowly without making any quick movements, and try for a shot just behind the head. If hit in the stomach, the fish could spin off the spear, while if hit in the head, the spear could just bounce off.