Underwater Navigation Course

Divers are intensely fascinated by navigation... It allows them to make their way back to a special spot discovered on a previous dive. They use the tricks and navigation techniques to find an ideal exit point at the end of a dive without the need for an uncomfortable surface swim. The SDI Underwater Navigation Course will help you overcome the obstacles inherent in finding your way underwater. You'll learn how easy and simple it is to navigate and how it will help you both above and below the surface. During this course, you will review natural navigation, such as sand ripples or reef formations, which can accurately predict your course. Tools like mechanical or digital compasses are a surprising challenge for a novice, but we'll help you crack the challenge and teach you the practical skills and techniques you'll need to use them effectively.

This course is designed to give students a greater understanding and experience of how to navigate properly underwater using both natural navigation and the compass.

This course is for:

• The certified diver looking for a greater sense of direction and orientation when scuba diving

Course prerequisites:

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver ,SDI Junior Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent or currently enrolled in one of these courses
• Minimum age 18 years, 10 years with parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

The SNSI Underwater Navigation Diver Course offers in-depth study of all of the following topics and more:

The aquatic environment Visibility Light Sound Tides Currents Waves Breakwater Natural navigation Bottom topography Depth Light intensity Ripples Currents Underwater objects Compass Types Analog Digital Characteristics Using the compass Underwater distance estimation Kick cycles Time Some of the skills you will need to demonstrate include:

Equipment setup Dive planning Pre-dive check Guidance Navigation Compass practice on the surface: round trip, triangle and square patterns Performing the square pattern on the bottom Performing the triangle pattern on the bottom Contacting the dive partner Dismantling the equipment Recording all the dives What's in store for you? After successfully completing this course, the student will be able to perform diving activities without direct supervision of an SNSI Instructor*, provided that the following limits are respected:

Dive activities should be similar to those experienced during training Dive areas should be similar to those covered in training Environmental conditions should be similar to those experienced during training *Note: Junior divers (ages 10-14) should participate in advanced buoyancy activities in the company of a parent, legal guardian or diving professional.

The SNSI Underwater Navigation Diver certification contributes as a specialization towards achieving the SNSI Advanced Diver Development Program.

Minimum requirements of the SNSI Underwater Navigation Diver:

• Satisfactorily complete knowledge reviews with an 80% passing grade, followed by 100% instructor grading.
• Fulfill all open water requirements efficiently
• Demonstrate mature judgment and common sense in relation to the planning and execution of dives