Underwater Navigation Course

Who this course is for:

• The certified diver looking for a higher sense of direction and orientation while scuba diving

Course prerequisites:

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Diver, or equivalent
• Minimum age 18, 10 with parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

The SDI Underwater Navigation Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• The aquatic environment
  • Vision
  • Light
  • Sound
  • Tides
  • Currents
  • Waves
  • Surge
• Natural navigation
  • Bottom contours
  • Depth
  • Amount of light
  • Surge
  • Currents
  • Underwater objects
• Compass
  • Types
  • Analog
  • Digital
  • Features
• Compass use
• Estimating distance underwater
• Kick cycles
• Time

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Equipment set up
• Dive planning
• Predive checks
• Orientation
• Navigation
• Skills are generally done with more success if practiced on the surface from shore. Using the shore or descent line as a starting/reference point makes keeping track of students easier
• Practice compass use on the surface: out and back, in addition to square and triangle patterns
• Perform square pattern on the bottom
• Perform triangle pattern on the bottom
• Buddy contact
• Equipment disassembly
• Log all dives

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in diving activities without direct supervision of the SDI Instructor* so long as the following limits are adhered to:

• The diving activities approximate those of training
• The areas of activities approximate those of training
• Environmental conditions approximate those of training