Underwater Navigation

[Hatul]

By the way, it's a mistake to use depth as the main navigation guide. There are many times when the water gets shallower and you're heading away from shore. I recommend sticking with the compass for guidance.

Adam

 

[H2O 70]

excuse me for asking .... but what is a RIB?

Rigid Inflatable Boat

Like Fisheater said, loose the training wheels.

How are you navigating on land? Do you get lost trying to find some new restaurant?

Navigation is something that can be learned. It can be harder for some than others.

My wife can get lost in a parking lot. She swears I use 'The Force' when I'm trying to navigate. What she doesn't get is I grew up playing in the woods and I spent years making sure some Lt. wasn't getting us lost.

This is not an ideal situation, but when we dive together, she simply doesn't navigate.

You could buddy yourself with someone who is a good navigator. Follow them and learn.

Our local quarries here are great for practicing navigation. Vis is typically >10ft and the quarries typically have suspended platforms and different depths. You can practice navigating using dead reckoning and your depth gauge and your kick count.

Natural navigation is a lot easier, but it requires some level of intuition and understanding of terrain.

As has been mentioned, practice, practice, practice. It will come.

 

[TSandM]

Depth is useful, but as Rob so correctly pointed out, an understanding of the topography of the site is critical to apply it. That understanding can come from a briefing, or from careful observation of what happens as you dive. We have a local site that has a "valley" in it, where you dip to a certain FSW, but then climb a "hill" as you continue out from shore. It can confuse people, the first time they encounter it. A compass is VERY useful in this situation as an adjunct to depth, but knowing that you have gone into a valley and climbed out of it gives you something to expect on the return journey. If you don't find yourself following that depth contour, it tells you you are not retracing your steps accurately.

The bottom line is that navigation is done by integrating a number of different pieces of information, acquired from observation and from instruments. Which pieces are most useful can vary from site to site, or vary in the same site with conditions.

 

[AmRus]

AmRus,

I also struggle with navigation using the D9 digital compass. It is way to sensitive, switches off every 60 seconds and there is the possibility to reset the bearing leaving you "screwed" (need to write it down on slate to combat this). I would recommend getting analogue compass for navigation, and only if you do a lot of navigation dives. The D9 compass should only be used as backup.

Thanks for the suggestion and your input. A 'real' compass is the next item on my list. When I've tried using the D9 compass, I get really irritated, but thought it was just me.

 

[AmRus]

Thanks TSandM, Chris (I'm like your wife on land as well as under water - I'm always zigging when I should be zagging) and Everyone Else who've written in. I appreciate the advice - I've learned:

1/ When going in, orientate myself and familiarize myself with the view;
2/ look back when leaving the recovery point to see what it will look like when I come back;
3/ pay attention to my surroundings and not just float along with the crowd (situational awareness);
4/ buy a real compass and use it; and,
5/ 'loose the training wheels'

I've already been really attentive during the pre-dive briefings, because I was aware of my problem. This is something I intend to tackle head-on during my next trip, though.
________-

I also really appreciate it that you all wrote such helpful advice and no one just said I was an idiot for 'not getting it'. This is an excellent forum. Thanks again.

 

[fnfalman]

A 'real' compass is the next item on my list. When I've tried using the D9 compass, I get really irritated, but thought it was just me.

The Suunto SK7 is a pretty good compass. Big, easy-to-read numbers. Add a Deep Sea Supply bungie mount and you're like a bad mamajama diver.

 

[TSandM]

Second the recommendation for the SK-7 and boot!

AmRus, come back after your trip and let us know how it went, and whether any of the advice you got here proved helpful.

 

[Scott L]

Is there a electronic wrist-mounted compass out there in scubaland? I have a Galileo Sol computer for rec diving and the electronic compass is fantasitc...

 

[AmRus]

Thanks, TSandM. I will - promise. It may not be 'til November (I don't get wet nearly as much as I'd like), so don't hold your breath. Of course, I early on learned this isn't a wise thing to do anyway... Cheers!

 

[AmRus]

The Suunto SK7 is a pretty good compass. Big, easy-to-read numbers. Add a Deep Sea Supply bungie mount and you're like a bad mamajama diver.

I'm in the 50plus category, so 'big easy-to-read' sounds just up my alley. And I can hardly wait to (finally) become a bad mamajama diver.

Thanks again.