Navigation....

Blue Space · Jun 18, 2003

I have a brain fart question here....

Is there anyway you can find you start point with out tracking your route from the start point...

Example: I start at point a and swim around for awhile. How do I get back to the place I started with out counting swim kicks and exact direction.....

I know I know I need to take a navigation course....But I've dove with some pretty experienced divers and we've been off course several times.....

Fire away I can take it.......

And Brian no word from you...

Arnaud · Jun 18, 2003

To me, that's probably the hardest part in diving.

Yes, you can count your fin kicks, but that's going to be boring very quickly.

The best way, IMO, is a combination of focusing on your environment, checking your dive time, and using your compas. The more you know a dive site, the easier it gets, obviously.

Best is, as always, to practice.

O-ring · Jun 18, 2003

Know "generally" where you are going and use a lot of landmarks. That way, if you get close, you can spot the landmark and know you are there.

Of course, in zero vis this becomes problematic. You can use a strobe to help out (leaving it on your point of origin - anchor line, whatever) or one of those homing doohickeys..

Arnaud · Jun 18, 2003

O-ring once bubbled...
... or one of those homing doohickeys..

Translation please ???

Soggy · Jun 18, 2003

I'd rather surface swim than count fin kicks...ugh

Natural navigation in combination with compass navigation is really the best way to do it. Often a compass is useless on a wreck, since you can navigate around the wreck without it (and because large iron objects have a tendency to screw up compasses). If shore diving, I find that I try to look for specific large rocks, or formations. Note your starting depth, so when you return, you'll know if you are even in the vicinity. If you are in the sand, you will always know which way shore is since the ripples in the sand run parallel to the shoreline.

Those are my navigation tips...not that I don't end up doing the swim of shame quite often!

Blue Space · Jun 18, 2003

O-ring beat me to it... I was going to ask about limited viz.. most of the diving I do is very limited...

Arnaud · Jun 18, 2003

http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/weba...6&cgrfnbr=977&parentCategory=974&sort=prsdesc

Soggy · Jun 18, 2003

I believe "doohickeys" are covered in the PADI Equipment Techniques course. It's similar to a thingamabob, but very different from a gizmo.

O-ring · Jun 18, 2003

Blue Space once bubbled...
O-ring beat me to it... I was going to ask about limited viz.. most of the diving I do is very limited...

Sometimes the boats we dive on will place one down there, but if the vis is really bad we always run a reel tied off to a point NEAR, but not attached to, the anchorline..

Stone · Jun 18, 2003

Arnaud once bubbled...

Translation please ???

The EyeSea and Neverlost are underwater direction and ranging devices (the technical term is "Navigation Doohickys").

Navigation....

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Blue Space

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