Underwater Navigator

PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty Course.

Learn to use your compass with greater accuracy and learn to use natural features to assist you during your underwater navigation.

To begin this course you must have an Open Water or Junior Open Water certification from PADI or another recognized agency.

Learning about Underwater Navigation helps to build your confidence as a diver. With the correct dive planning and good navigation skills, it will save energy, save time, and reduce stress which in turn will reduce your air consumption.

During the course, you will practice estimating distances, use kick cycles, time, depth, and the natural contours of the reef. Sunlight and shadows are other factors to consider that we will discuss during your course.

A quality underwater compass should be liquid-filled, have a lubber line, index marks, and a bezel. As well as your compass you will need an underwater writing slate and a Surface Marker Buoy.

Your first dive will begin with counting fin kicks, making a reciprocal heading, navigating a square pattern, plus some natural navigation using the contours of the reef. If you have a PADI Advanced certification then you will have already completed this dive and you may not need to repeat it.

It would be a suggestion to go over these skills again as a refresher and get comfortable with the compass especially if your Advanced Course was some time ago or you need a Navigation refresher. If you are already confident about the Navigation basics from your Advanced course then you can proceed to dives 2 and 3. This will make the course cheaper as you will only have 2 training dives remaining.

There will be further compass work during the remainder of your course plus a fun exercise where you will mark a submerged object using triangulation at the surface which will allow you to retrieve that object later. You do not need to be an expert at underwater navigation to complete this skill. 

With your Instructor, you will also conduct some extra navigation patterns using several compass headings and returning to your starting position.

To begin this course you must have an Open Water certification and be a Minimum of 10 years old.

3 Dives including all equipment, course materials, and certification. Cost 9,900 Baht.