The idea to start Diversnight came to founder Tone Svee Dahl one November night over 15 years ago.

We talked to her to learn more about why and how it all came to be – Tone says it's because she needed someone to go diving with.





– After I had earned my diving certificate in 2005, I had nobody to go diving with. I wanted to get in the water and needed some dive buddies. Luckily I met some other divers who took good care of me and helped me with my diving skills, Tone says.



She went diving almost every weekend, but after a few months, she realized that the time we spend under water is only a small part of being a diver and going for a dive.

– We spent a lot of time before, between and after the dives. One dive wasn't worth the effort, I wanted more, she says.

LES OGSÅ

Knit the official Diversnight beanie!

Not everyone had the time to do two or more dives, but when a friend told her about the diver's forum Dykkesiden, she had somewhere to find more dive buddies.

The forum was very popular at this time and all she had to do was to post where and she wanted to dive, and invite other people to join. Usually, someone would turn up.







– After a while, I had befriended divers all over the country. But I noticed that many of them just got in their cars and left as soon as the dive was finished, Tone says.

She wanted to spend more time, hang out and socialize. Diving in itself was fun, but she felt something was missing and thought about what she could do.

– Then I thought of cake, everybody loves cake! she says enthusiastically.

LES OGSÅ

Strikk din egen Diversnight-genser

With the help of Dykkesiden Tone started inviting people to «cake dives». Soon, a small crowd started to meet regularly to dive and enjoy Tone's cake afterward.

This took place at dive spots around the Oslofjord, but many of her new-found friends at the dive forum lived elsewhere in the country. They had no chance to join.







A November night in 2005 Tone went to Scuba Bar in Oslo, a small pub very popular with divers. Every Friday it was happy hour for divers and lots of people usually turned up.

– It was my birthday, and two friends gave me a big box with gifts. Among them was a pink lightstick, Tone says.

– That's when the idea to have a night dive all over the country came to me. Everyone could dive at the same time, and they all had to make a cake! This way, divers living elsewhere could join too, she remembers.



The very next day, Tone started to post about the night dive she had in mind on the diver's forum. People loved the idea, and divers from all over the country joined in.

Three weeks later night dives were organized in 40 different locations in Norway. A total of 351 divers were in the water, and everyone enjoyed having cake afterwards.

– It was an instant success! Someone even founded a new dive club that night, Tone recalls.





After the first night dive, people demanded it had to become an annual tradition. Divers from abroad who had heard about the event and also wanted to take part.

– We changed the name to Diversnight and opened up for everyone. The first few years we held the event on the first Thursday in December, but many people didn't have time this close to Christmas. The date was moved to the first Saturday in November after a few years, Tone explains.

Another reason for moving the date was the extreme frost in 2010. It was so cold that ice formed in many places along the coast – it was impossible to dive!







The rest, they say, is history. Since the humble beginnings in 2005 Diversnight have been held every year. In total, almost 29.000 divers from at least 25 countries have been in the water during the events.

– It's quite amazing! Especially when you think about the fact that it all started with a cake, Tone says.

Diversnight 2024 takes place on Saturday, November 2nd at 20:24 CET. Follow the link below for more information and how to register.