During your Open Water Diver course you were shown how to read an underwater compass!

So how well do you think you did?
Can you still remember how to follow a bearing?
Control your buoyancy and depth all at the same time?
Or do you just plough into the bottom as soon as you try and concentrate on following the compass and just end up completely lost?

Well learn to get it right, take the PADI Underwater Navigation Specialty Course.

This course consists of Instructor led discussions as well as three Open Water dives. The focus of this course is on the practical skills enabling you to dive safely whilst navigating using a compass in Open Water situations as well as to increase your knowledge of both Topographical and marine life as aids to navigation underwater. It consists of three open water training dives, with a recommended training dive depths of 6 12 meters for each dive. The course normally runs over two days, dependant upon the dive site location and logistics. At the discretion of the instructor additional confined water training sessions may be required, prior to participants going to open water.

The presentations and discussions will cover the following topics -

• The Importance of Navigation in the Underwater Environment.
• Distance estimation underwater.
• Natural navigation underwater.
• Using underwater patterns.
• Compass navigation.
• Dive site relocation.
• Using the underwater Sextant. (Optional discussion).

Each Open Water dive will build up the participants knowledge and skills required to enable them to develop their skills whilst measuring distance, also using both natural aids and the compass to effectively navigate whilst underwater.

When you sign up for this course you will receive your speciality course manual, which you should be prepared to read and complete the knowledge reviews prior to the starting date of your course.

Day 1 - Upon arrival at Simply Scuba you will receive a safety briefing and orientation to the dive centre. This will be followed by an introduction to the course and an overview of what to expect and whats expected of you. This is followed by an Instructor led discussion covering the key points of Underwater Navigation and the checks and responsibilities involved in this highly challenging aspect of scuba diving. Students will then prepare for the days diving activities, checking and preparing equipment, before leaving the dive centre for the pool or chosen dive site. At the end of the day participants return to Simply Scuba or appropriate dive base for de-kitting followed by a debriefing of the days activities.

Day 2 - The second day starts with all course participants meeting at the pre arranged time and place, preparation of the equipment follows, then off to the dive site for the final dives of the course. At the end of the days diving, all participants return to the dive centre at Simply Scuba to assist with de-kitting and storage of the equipment followed by a course debriefing and completion of certification administration.

Participants must hold a minimum diver certification of PADI Open Water Diver, or an equivalent rating.

Minimum age is 10 years*.

Hire of diving equipment (Excluding Underwater Sextant).

Dive site entrance fees, and PADI Certification fees.

Underwater Sextant, available to purchase, and is an optional module within this course.

Transportation from Simply Scuba dive centre to the pool and or selected dive site venue is your responsibility.

2 passport sized photographs.

Your log book and proof of your current level of diving certification.

Swim Wear and Towel.

Packed lunches.

*Participants under 16 years must be accompanied on the course by a suitably qualified parent or legal guardian.

Like all training courses where certain levels of performance are required to pass it is important to realize that you must reach the required levels of proficiency for each aspect of the course in order for the instructor to certify you, (just like on a driving test). If you fail to achieve the required standards we will endeavor to give you the opportunity for further training, however this would incur additional cost.

The PADI Night Diver Specialty Course is part of the PADI Diver Continuing Education Program, designed to encourage divers to further their Knowledge and Skills under the safe supervision of professional instructors. It combines well with other such courses such as the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Diver Specialty Course.