How do you use a compass??

[Kellykins]

Hey How do you use a compass...

I read in the book that you point where you want to go with the lubber line...turn the bezel(spell mistake?) until it lines up to the North pointer...!

And then when you want to go back, you change the bezel to the other side...

Is that right??

If so, how come some people say on the AOW course Navigations hard...?

xx

 

[gndpdr]

well it's real simple ...if your course out is less than 180 degrees you would add 180 degress for your back course...if your course out is more than 180 degrees you subtract 180 degrees for your back course..

 

[Kellykins]

you what....? :S

 

[300bar]

Yes-no-sometimes.

What you disscribe is what you learned in the OW course,is fine for a swin out and back.So yes.

AOW hard, NO.you just learn to use the compass in a different way.swimming squars and triangles.
Doing S&R in the AOW you'll do U-paterns.

In real life you'll SOMETIMES set your compass on a return heading and mostly forget it during the dive.

Makes sence,problebly not but will when you do the AOW.

 

[AuburnFan]

Referring to if you swam in a straight line out and then you would turn 180 degree to go straight back. Thats the easy part. The hard part i guess would be when you make multiple turns and have to figure out how to get back.

 

[Kellykins]

Ohhh!
Damn...I dont wanna get lost you see... not good with reading a map let alone a compass!

 

[mike_s]

Referring to if you swam in a straight line out and then you would turn 180 degree to go straight back. Thats the easy part. The hard part i guess would be when you make multiple turns and have to figure out how to get back.

That's easy. you add up the angles of your turns (for equal distances swam) to make 360 degrees.


for example. to swim a triangle, you swim out X many kick cycles, turn 120 degrees, swim the same number of kick cycles, then 120 degrees again, swim same number of kick cycles, and it should bring you back to your starting point.

do the same thing to swim a square, but turn 90 degrees each time and swim 4 "legs" (lengths).

 

[Kellykins]

how woudl you know what 120 degrees is when you're swimming...

 

[AuburnFan]

That's easy. you add up the angles of your turns (for equal distances swam) to make 360 degrees.


for example. to swim a triangle, you swim out X many kick cycles, turn 120 degrees, swim the same number of kick cycles, then 120 degrees again, swim same number of kick cycles, and it should bring you back to your starting point.

do the same thing to swim a square, but turn 90 degrees each time and swim 4 "legs" (lengths).

I figured that much. Geometry was fun.

 

[AuburnFan]

how woudl you know what 120 degrees is when you're swimming...

Add 120 to what your current heading would be.