Underwater orientation

[TSandM]

I use a combination of natural navigation and compass headings. Depth contours are EXTREMELY useful -- noting the depth where the anchor is when you drop gives you a lot of information about where you are likely to find it again. If the site allows swimming that depth contour along the reef, that makes life easy. Otherwise, I pay attention to which direction I am going from the anchor line, and how much time I go in that direction. On the way back, I watch my time (knowing that I usually swim a bit faster coming home) and make sure I'm up at the required depth well ahead of time.

It can get VERY trick on sites where there is little contour, and there also aren't any clear lines of demarcation (kelp to sand, for example). I had an embarrassing dive off a Southern California dive boat, where I was teamed up with two locals. We dove a site with no contour, that consisted of a whole bunch of rocky ribs that all looked very much the same. I was tail-end Charlie, and happily diving along looking at critters, when we reached turn pressure and the lead diver told me I was now in charge. Gulp! I knew very vaguely where the anchor was, and I'll admit I fell over it rather than navigating to it with confidence.

 

[fisheater]

Bottom line from all of the above is to STOP the DM led dives. Start diving where you and your buddy are both sharing nav responsibilities. Go slow and not very far, at first. Then, as your skill and confidence increase you can cover more ground.

 

[knowone]

First set I acquired had a console with a compass which should be mandatory.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Most of the shore diving in Hawaii is a rocky point covered with a thin layer of coral surrounded by sand. This is our typically unguided diving; our boat dives all are guided. Most newb's are better off without a compass; if they tried to use one they would probably get lost faster.

One of the necessary briefing points of all dive boats at Molasses Reef off Key Largo, the most popular dive reef in the USA and typically not guided, is "if you reach 1000 psi and do not know where the boat is, carefully surface and figure out which way to go."

I feel my OW students successfully learn reciprocal navigation during their OW course, but if it is nearly a year between that trip and the next trip I do not think many will be able to navigate well, much less feel like navigating.

Reality folks; those of us participating in cyber-diving are the vast minority of divers; we are actually interested in good diving and even so many of us are navigationally challenged. The vast majority of divers just want to see some pretty fish a couple times per year.

A Navigation Class from an Instructor that knows how to teach navigation is a way better suggestion than "Bottom line from all of the above is to STOP the DM led dives."

 

[TSandM]

halemano, I think the comment, "Stop the DM led dives" was directed at the OP, who is asking how he can better his navigation skills. And I think the advice is right; unless one has to take responsibility for knowing where one is, that ability never grows.

 

[DennisS]

You can always cheat when you get your navigation down, always remembering, if it's electronic and in salt water it will probably fail at some point.

Desert Star Systems, LLC - DiveTracker Sport for Diver Navigation

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Not knowing the specifics of CMAS training, the OP's profile does not indicate to me that he has had a Navigation Course from an Instructor who knows how to teach navigation. My comment was made with regards to the OP.

A Navigation Class from an Instructor that knows how to teach navigation is a way better suggestion than "Bottom line from all of the above is to STOP the DM led dives."

 

[fisheater]

I was, in fact, referring to the OP, when I suggested that he stop going on DM led dives. Of course getting good instruction is a great adjunct to this. However, unless that instruction is combined with actual use (& reliance) on dives, it'll do little good.

I agree (& lament) that the vast majority of divers just want someone to take them around and look at pretty fish once a year or so. However, they're not the ones on SB looking for advice on how to become better divers.

Resort-based DMs do a great and valuable job, under often trying circumstances.

 

[Sas]

My diving is either done off a live boat so when I am done with the dive I just put up an SMB wherever I end up and the boat comes to get me or I do shore dives with a buddy who is really good at navigation. So anyway, it was many many dives before I learned to navigate as I just didn't need to...

I knew all about how to use a compass and the natural navigation skills and even did a Navigation course but I just didn't have to use them so it never worked or I got bored and stopped paying attention to where I was. In the end my buddy refused to navigate and made me do it then I learned Now I'm pretty good! Which I never expected to happen.

Can you do non-DM led dives? Or tell the DM to follow you as you want to learn navigation? It's helpful to be kind of forced into doing it imho.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

If one has not been show the proper skills in use while diving, practicing the text only skills in this thread will be pretty challenging. I find it funny that my advising proper instruction on post 14 was the first to mention proper instruction. My bad as well on post #8. :depressed: