Night Diving

fishingdude · 12-28-2008, 08:50 PM

You may have seen this on SB but:

Anyone every freedive off the beach at night? What kind of gear do I need to get besides a light? How do I rig the light onto my gun so that I can see? How freaky is it?

Also, what kind of light should I get?

Dan · 12-28-2008, 09:40 PM

I've only done it once and it was pretty scary. I attempted to do around 45ft and it was on a drop off about 100 yards from shore (not in the US). The number one difficulty I encountered was equalizing because I had the gun in one hand and the light in the other. Every time I'd bring my light hand to my nose I'd lose direction. This can be solved by attaching the light to the gun which can be done in a neat way that will not interfere with the function of the gun. But I never got around to doing it.

The bigger problem IMO is that if you're doing a depth past 20ft no matter how powerful the light (It will be small if you attach it to the gun) you will not get more than 20-25ft out of the beam and it will be very focused. You will only see a very small illuminated circle. This would be manageable if you're diving on a very specific wreck.

Scuba divers may have a different perspective on this. I think doing any kind of serious depth freediving is not feasible. Splashing around in 15ft would be OK but still pretty creepy. I don't see how you could keep up with a diving partner in the dark so you'd have to go solo.

monster slayer · 12-29-2008, 12:15 PM

It´s nice to take pics in scuba, night spearfishing is illegal in México though

Core Sub · 06-10-2009, 09:31 AM

Well first time i come accross this thread. so here is my experience. I freedived at night at least 200 times in my life and i loved it. I always had a partner, and did the solo dives 3 times in my life. At first was a little weird because of the lost of light and kind of because you lost some sort of direction far out of shore. This is how i perfected the equalization through my throat method. That way i dont have to pinch my nose. I used a High potent light (The Big One) from UK. Depending on depth it can reach up to 65 feet easy. In murky waters reach at least 25 feet. But it blinds you because of the light reflection on the particles. i used a very small speargun. a AB Biller about 2 feet and a half long with 2 bands 5/8. Very small but very powerfull. I used a 75 feet floatline. and riffe float.. Most of my dive was to collect the small spiny lobsters that cannot grow more than one or 2 pounds. They got lots of dots and they are very red. And they swarm the reef specially at night. They are different than the common spiny lobster. that can grow big sometimes you catch them on top of the reef as well. . And some slippery lobsters. We call them cucarachas. The speargun was for some sleeping parrotfish. the snappers that would not move because they got blind by the light. and some groupers you might get in small caves

. And every other creature that comes out to feed at night . I haved encounters and bump into barracudas and sharks at night. But nothing that dangerous. The deepest i have gone was 50 feet freediving at night on clear waters. And instead of using a stringer i used a fish bag. to hold mostly the Bugs and some spider crabs. Octopus and the fish as well. I really love the experience.

Core Sub · 06-10-2009, 09:34 AM

I remember one time my light went out about half a mile out there. And have to swim back in the dark. using the light of the small houses out there. That was weirdest feeling ever. And yea a bag full of bloody fish.

. And all those freediving trips. do not include the 500 times i use scuba at night just around 200 times freediving just in case my PR fellows will wonder.

Dan · 06-10-2009, 06:11 PM

You got balls Core.

psychobilly · 06-10-2009, 08:16 PM

I believe that spearfishing at night here in P.R is a very common practice. But I must say that the people who do it do so mostly from shore, they don't go that deep, probably 15-20 feet and it's mostly like core said collecting langostinos(the small lobsters he was talking about)and other stuff like octopus,conch,stone crabs etc. So I would say the spearing is incidental and carrying the gun more like a mental thing (protection). At least that's the way most guys I know do it. I done it many times myself with other guys and a few alone but I admit it's kind of creepy.

Core Sub · 06-10-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psychobilly

I believe that spearfishing at night here in P.R is a very common practice. But I must say that the people who do it do so mostly from shore, they don't go that deep, probably 10-20 feet and it's mostly like core said collecting langostinos(the small lobsters he was talking about)and other stuff like octopus,conch,stone crabs etc. So I would say the spearing is incidental and carrying the gun more like a mental thing (protection). At least that's the way most guys I know do it. I done it many times myself with other guys and a few alone but I admit it's kind of creepy.

You got it psyco. But i use the gun to get some parrotfish and snappers that are sleeping sometimes in holes. The other ones you can get them with a knive if need to. they dont move at all. like i said is a very very small gun. id dont bother to carry it loaded most of the time. The most common practice is that of 8' to 15 feet.But i go to San Juan and Vega Alta and the average in my favorite spots go from 20 to 30 feet, at the bottom. the rocks go as high as 5 to 8 feet on top of the rocks. the deep ones i have done 2 of them were in parguera in a 50 foot reef. and in Isla de Mona. At 35 feet. but visibility was incredible. and we have at least 6 guys with strong lights. it looks like a ball park out there. We ended up close to the reef at Monas island and we manage to capture at least 40+ langostinos. in 2 hours and a half. I got a picture i will load later, I caught like 20 in 2 hours, pretty tasty little bugs. and lots of them can feed a lot of people.. and some octopus. I remember because that is the first time a Moray eel. a big one broke my fish bag trying to eat the octopus i got in there. and he was about 2 inches from my right leg and i didnt saw it

. that was really scary. And you right is kind of creepy. Now NO low volume mask for this type of dive. you really want as much view as possible. I still remember getting stung by the damn little bugs(little spinny lobsters) dont know there real name in english sorry, all the time. in my legs trough the suit ouch. OHHH the memories

psychobilly · 06-10-2009, 08:39 PM

Man core I do know what you mean.. We used to go to a spot in Luquillo and fill a big bag of them buggers and then go and make a big asopao right there on the beach at night or just boil them and eat them with butter and lemon. You are right about the parrots, you could catch them sleeping in that bubble of slime very easily. I think I might go and check on that spot....

Core Sub · 06-10-2009, 08:44 PM

You see now i should jump in a plane and go to la Pared with you

. My grandmother used to live in luquillo so i know all those places you want to go. they produce a lot of bugs. YUMMMY. what is the name of the beach close to la Pared? Playa azul or something like that. That is where i used to catch lots of them. And also in Fajardo. but is long walk close to the reserva natural there. Deepest part is 55 feet. lots of bugs too there, and some other things