Navigation tips and tricks

[Vitesse2l]

Just wondering how folks go about their navigation...

My diving is often in 4-5m vis salt water. Shore and boat. I'm UK based, BSAC club member.

I have an old Suunto SK something, handheld, and use my computer to time the legs. Mostly I'm returning within 10-20m of shore entry point after an hour's dive and sometimes absolutely spot on, which I must confess pleases me greatly. Boat dives I'm usually shooting an SMB rather than returning to a buoy.

Obviously I'll use the terrain as reference and features like sand ripples as guidelines. Just wondering what else others do?

Thanks!

 

[MaxTorque]

10-20 meters in 4m vis after an hour! wow, i'm not sure you need any tips my friend!

Me, i'm glad when i just manage to get out on the same beach on which i went in............

 

[TMHeimer]

My usual diving is much like yours, but all from shore. 15-30 feet ( 5-10 meters). I Use the same basic methods as you, sand ripples, sea grass growing closer to shore, etc. Sometimes surge direction if I'm not too deep for that. I only use my compass when going out from and back to shore. Otherwise, I am searching for shells (like you with lobsters). I get too turned around doing that to bother with the compass, though I am very familiar with most of the sites anyway. From those depths I may surface more than once to check my exact location. I'm not concerned about DCS from 25 feet, and am not doing it like 10 time in a row like instructors do teaching controlled ascents to a group. Our visibility can range from basically 0 to 30'+ (10 meters). If not too deep I at times use the sun for direction.

 

[Scuba Client]

Just wondering how folks go about their navigation...

My diving is often in 4-5m vis salt water. Shore and boat. I'm UK based, BSAC club member.

I have an old Suunto SK something, handheld, and use my computer to time the legs. Mostly I'm returning within 10-20m of shore entry point after an hour's dive and sometimes absolutely spot on, which I must confess pleases me greatly. Boat dives I'm usually shooting an SMB rather than returning to a buoy.

Obviously I'll use the terrain as reference and features like sand ripples as guidelines. Just wondering what else others do?

Thanks!

Seems like you don't need any advice at all. I use a cheap generic wrist compass but then I dive at the same dive location. However, I did use my Perdix overseas and was surprised how accurate it was when I did an expanding square search using the timer.

 

[Vitesse2l]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Nice to know I'm not missing too much.

Best navigation result ever was a four leg shore dive, shallow, about 2m vis and a fair bit of surge. We surfaced at the exact steps we'd entered. Mostly fluke, my buddy couldn't believe it. It made me giggle at the absurdity, given the conditions.

I'm with TMHeimer on not worrying too much about navigation during the interesting bits - I'd end up spending my entire dive just looking at the compass. The temptation to surface for a check can become very strong though.

One day I'll get to dive in places where I can just see where I'm going!

 

[AfterDark]

Just wondering how folks go about their navigation...

My diving is often in 4-5m vis salt water. Shore and boat. I'm UK based, BSAC club member.

I have an old Suunto SK something, handheld, and use my computer to time the legs. Mostly I'm returning within 10-20m of shore entry point after an hour's dive and sometimes absolutely spot on, which I must confess pleases me greatly. Boat dives I'm usually shooting an SMB rather than returning to a buoy.

Obviously I'll use the terrain as reference and features like sand ripples as guidelines. Just wondering what else others do?

Thanks!

Sounds to me like you have it nailed. U/W nav is IMO a very important skill. I sometimes dive in high boat traffic areas where coming up to get your bearings can be very unhealthy. Without good nav skills diving those areas would be about impossible. The most common variable in U/W nav is current, making up for ones drift is very tricky and for me mostly seat of the pants nav. Having done hundreds of dives in most of areas I dive bottom features help me a lot with drift. At an unknown or new to me dive site I take note of any unusual bottom feature on my way out for use on my way back. Having land nav experience helps a lot but there are big differences, current being only one. The sun is mostly unusable as are stars or the moon that doesn't leave much to aid in navigation. I say keep doing what you're doing!