PADI Underwater Navigator

You will start with an introduction with your Instructor and complete the necessary PADI paperwork.

Then it is time for the PADI Underwater Navigation Specialty Video, which will allow you to fill in the two chapters of Knowledge Reviews for this Specialty course.

With your personal PADI Underwater Navigation Specialty Manual you will be introduced to the concepts of navigating using predive observations, natural navigation as well as a thorough look into the usage of a compass and other navigational tools like a course plotter. Also you learn about marking dive sites for future relocation on the surface.

Together with your Instructor you will then go through the Knowledge Reviews and get an answer to any open questions you may have left unanswered.

Now it’s time to put the theory into practice. You will go through some ways to measure distances, track compass headings as well as natural features of typical dive sites you find around the world. This will help you to create your personal dive site map during your dives.

As well you will practice extensively how to navigate multiple patterns like triangles, squares and some with more than 5 points using a compass to find your way back to the start point of each pattern.

Using landmarks and a compass to mark a dive site for future relocation will make your land practice session complete.

You will take part in 3 Navigation Specialty dives*.

Dive Number one is the PADI Navigation Adventure Dive and will introduce you into the basics of natural and compass navigation. You will navigate straight lines as well as a square using both options. Another task will be to measure the time and amount of kick cycles it will take you to cover a distance of 30 metres.

On Dive two of the Specialty you will have multiple tasks as you need to mark a dive site for future relocation using landmarks or compass headings on the surface. Once you reach the bottom you will navigate a predefined course using your compass with more than 5 points, to return to within 10 metres of your starting point. This will require adjustments for currents as well. The rest of your dive, you will already start working on mapping the dive site for your final task.

Dive 3 of the PADI Underwater Navigation Specialty will have you navigate another multi-side pattern underwater. This time your Instructor will preset the course for you and leave underwater markers for you to find on an underwater treasure hunt. Once you have found all the clues, use the remaining dive to get all the missing information you may want for your dive site map.

When you return from your final dive, you can transfer all your notes to paper to create a map of the site you visited and celebrate your certification with a cold drink!

*Please note: If you have completed the PADI Navigation Adventure Dive already, then Dive One has been recognized and you can complete the Course in 1 day (see details in the Schedule options)