1.1 INTRODUCTION
Many divers find that night diving is their favorite type of diving. As with all specialty diving applications, procedures are different than those associated with Open Water Diving. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the Open Water Diver with the procedures, techniques, and potential hazards associated with diving at night or in limited visibility. By becoming familiar with the use of dive lights and night diving techniques such as navigation, buddy system procedures and communications, buoyancy control, and interacting with nocturnal aquatic life, the diver should be able to enjoy night diving with maximum safety.

1.2 WHO MAY TEACH
Who may teach this course?
1. An active SDI Instructor that has been certified to teach this specialty.

1.3 STUDENT – INSTRUCTOR RATIO
Academic:
2. Unlimited, so long as adequate facility, supplies and time are provided to insure comprehensive and complete training.
Confined Water (Swimming pool-like conditions):
3. N/A.
Open Water (Ocean, lake, quarry, spring, river or estuary):
4. A maximum of four (4) students per Instructor. However, it is the instructor’s discretion to reduce this number as conditions dictate.
5. Instructor has the option of adding two (2) more students with the assistance of an active Assistant Instructor or Divemaster.
6. The total number of students an instructor may have in the water is eight (8) with the assistance of two (2) Assistant Instructors or Divemasters.

1.4 STUDENT PRE-REQUISITES
7. Open Water Diver or Junior Open Water Diver.
8. Ten (10) years or older.

1.5 COURSE STRUCTURE AND DURATION
Open Water execution:
9. Two (2) dives are required with complete briefs and debriefs by the Instructor.
10. Dive plan must include Surface interval, Max no-deco time, etc. to be figured out and logged.
11. Night or Low visibility dive is defined as any dive requiring a light to enhance visibility.
Course Structure:
12. SDI allows instructors to structure courses according to the number of students participating and their skill level.

1.6 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
Administrative Tasks:
13. Collect the course fees from all the students.
14. Ensure that the students have the required equipment.
15. Communicate the schedule to the students.
16. Have the students complete the Liability Release and Medical history forms.
17. The Instructor should review the Liability Release and Medical Forms before starting on the course.
Upon successful completion of this specialty the instructor must issue the SDI Night/Limited Visibility Diver specialty experience card. The Instructor must:
18. Issue one of the following cards:
A SDI Insta-Card.
Use either a SDI diver registration form or a Pre-paid Diver certification form to file for the specialty certification card if a SDI certification card is requested.
Award card and certificate.

1.7 REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
19. Basic SDI Open Water SCUBA equipment as prescribed earlier in this manual.
20. Lights, primary and back up.
21. Whistle/ Audible signaling device.

1.8 APPROVED OUTLINE
Instructors may use any additional text or materials that they feel help present these topics. The following topics must be covered:
22. Why dive at night?
A. Different Aquatic Life.
B. Experience in limited visibility.
23. Special Equipment
A. Diving Lights.
B. Importance of light and back up.
C. Comparison of different styles.
D. Personal Dive Beacon.
24. Buddy System
A. Buddy contact
I. Good visibility — close visual contact.
II. Limited visibility — buddy line.
III. Night Vision.
IV. Don’t shine light in buddy’s eyes.
B. Communications
I. When close use standard hand signals.
II. Light Signals at distance
1) Attention / OK.
2) Something’s wrong.
III. Tactual signals (buddy line)
1) Stop – One (1) pull.
2) Go/OK – Two (2) pulls.
3) Surface – Four (4) pulls.
4) Come Quick! – Five (5) or more pulls.
IV. Whistle on surface
1) Five (5) or more blasts: Distress.
25. Navigation
A. Bottom contour.
B. Compass.
C. Boat.
D. Beach / Lake.
E. Marker light / Strobe.
26. Disorientation
A. With buddy.
B. Lost buddy.
C. Light failure.
27. Buoyancy considerations
28. Emergency Procedures
A. Disabled diver.
B. Lost diver.
C. Diving maladies.
29. Underwater Environment
A. Nocturnal life.

1.9 REQUIRED SKILL PERFORMANCE AND GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Students are required to successfully complete the following:
30. Preferably the student has done a dive during the day at the site used for the night dive.
31. Open Water – Dive one (1)
A. Plan dive.
B. Safety Procedures.
C. Enter and descent.
D. Remain submerged at least twenty (20) minutes.
E. Change direction several times while maintaining proper navigation.
F. Use properly; U/W light, SPG, compass, depth gauge, and computer.
G. Maintain buddy contact throughout dive.
H. Log Dive.
32. Open Water – Dive two (2)
A. Plan Dive.
B. Safety Procedures.
C. Descend.
D. Two (2) minute swim without compass.
E. Surface and reorient.
F. Descend and navigate.
G. Log dive