Manta Ray Night Dive

Manta Rays are one of the biggest fish in the ocean , with  wing spread that can be as long as 7.5 meters ( 25 feet) and weight up to 2250 Kgs (5000 pound). Although they look like stingrays but these peaceful creatures have no stinger and are not dangerous.

 On the Coast of Kona in Hawaii, each year thousands of divers and snorkeler gather for a night dive with Manta rays a Dive not to be missed. what happen is that Divers gather at the ocean bottom and point their torch light upward and snorkelers point their torches downward, the lights attract the plankons that are the preferred dish for the Mighty Manta Rays, that comes to eat the planktons and make a spectacular scene for both snorkelers and divers.

 Since it is a night Dive this dive is for AOW , and preferably with a night dive speciality, and specifically this dive a strict set of guideline should be followed in order to give the Manta enough room to maneuver , Divers should be down at the bottom and snorkeler should stay at the top; no one is allowed to touch or harm the Manta.

A night dive that should be done and may be a little bit scary but the show that you see is worth the try ...

Night Dive

Today's Post is another specialty course "Night Dive"

if you think you have seen everything in your diving spot... i think you are mistaken  go and check it at night...while everything is sleeping on land the ocean is several times more active at night than it is normally during the day.

The first time you descend into the darkness you will realize that it is a complete different experience , even though it sounds a little scary you will find that their is nothing to worry about and you will notice how much night dive is relaxing.

What do you see down there at night?
The sea comes alive with a whole different cast of characters at night, almost all sea creatures that you cannot sea during the day you will find them active and looking into their own business during a night dive, from crabs, lobster, shrimps to octopus , barracuda and sharks ...one of the most spectacular parts of night diving is watching the coral feeding....coral blooms after dark absorbing nutrients from the water and looks truly beautiful, of course an incredible occurrence that can only be seen at night with all lights turned off is bio-luminescence , amazing organisms that glow in the dark!

As a common sence it is preferable to dive in a spot that you already know, and make sure you take reference that can be seen at night before you dive.

Communication during night dive will be with your light.. the second most crucial item in your dive after the air ... without light you will have no dive....





What are the prerequisite of a night dive and what does the course contain?
To be able to take the night dive course you should:

1. be minimum an OW certificate
2. have minimum 12 Y.O 

The course will be split into:

1. Theory class where you will learn night dive planning, organization , procedures techniques and light failure techniques. You will also learn how to control your buoyancy, navigate and communicate at night; in addition to that you will get an introduction to nocturnal aquatic life. 
2. Practical class where you will have 2 night dives under a supervision of a dive instructor or dive master.

Night dive is a unique diving experience , wether you take as part of your advanced certification or as a separate dive specialty you should live it at least once in your life as a Diver ....

Advanced Open Water

Same as the Open Water Certification the Advanced Open Water is provided by several Agencies. It is the second certification in the American Certification System and it requires the person to be a qualified open water diver and that it has 20 logged dives* (not mandatory for all Agencies) and a minimum age of 15 Years old.

It Consist of 5 Dives 1 of which should be a deep dive between 25 and 30 meters (80 and 100 feet).
During  your certification track you will get training in : Search and recovery , underwater navigation , and buoyancy control, in addition to that you will have the ability to choose from the specialty dives :

• Night Dive
• Cave Dive
• Drift Dive
• Wreck Dive
• Deep Dive
• Underwater Photography
• ...

              Cave Dive                                                                           Night Dive                                                                             Wreck Dive


Advanced open water is a must for every certified open water diver that really likes this hobby! although it is mandatory if you want to advance in your Diving career, it can also be taken for a recreational diver... it allows him to explore more and more of the underwater wonders...