Is there a better way to use a compass?

[jar546]

How about reading from the side and follow your heading. Many compasses have side indicators.

Otherwise, just go North all the time. There really is no other way. Just use the side window instead of the lubber line.

 

[FPDocMatt]

How about reading from the side and follow your heading. Many compasses have side indicators.

Yep, that's what I'll do from now on. I saw the side window but didn't know what it was for. Thanks!

 

[lowviz]

Matt,

Unless you are totally gonzo about orienteering, use the compass only as third string life support. Great for getting cert cards, but dicey IRL. For me, descend to the tie-in, choose a direction of travel with respect to the current, progress a bit, turn and take a reading on the tie-in through the side window then turn again and proceed. Do a Dorothy repeat "Home is XXX degrees" (three times). <Note to the wise, currents can change>

If you are doing a complex nav, use a reel.

There is a way to simplify all this: Use a reel.

Stay safe.

Almost forgot: Look into the side window and take a reading. Now do the same from the top. My money is on you being 180 degrees off. (copious amounts of electrical tape on the top window will cure this hazard.)

Took Jim Lapenta's rescue course, needed the compass several times. Most notable: dropped to approach the panicked SURFACE diver from below: Bad viz, no compass, no find victim. Side window, keep it simple...

 

[freewillie]

Actually, it's the compass you are already using!

You're probably close enough tom drive up PA take underwater nav with Jim, but if stay close home any underwater nav course will be adequate. As Jim said you should get into habit using compass every time you dive.

The luber line is just to keep you oriented. If you are boat diving for example, take a reading in the direction you are starting, and 180 will lead you back t where the boat is. For example, if you head away from the boat at 240, then assuming went relatively straight direction you head back at 60.

Don't forget keep heading in the window, and kee compass level. If you don't want swim with your eyes on compass every second pick a spot in front of you and swim to that spot.

For example, heading back keep compass point in window in direction you are going, say 180. Look ahead and see what landmark is in front of your compass. If its a kelp, rock, coral, etc the you don't have to keep eyes on compass, just swim to landmark. Once get there, repeat compass heading, pick landmark in front, keep going. Repeat until arrive destination.

One of the best drills however for underwater navigation is doing square and triangle patterns underwater. Practice a few times and the compass becomes essential dive gear, not just some crazy contraption comes in console.

After my underwater nav class for AOW my confidence in underwater navigation has grown exponentially. Thanks to a great instructor I'm now the diver others look to when it's time head back. My last dive with dive club we were sitting in the sand looking at our compasses. Some of the diver's pointed in one direction, and I knew it was the wrong way. I had previously set my lubber line to home and pointed back the other way to go home. I was right.

As Jim says, this only happens if you get into the habit using compass each and every dive. There really isn't anything wrong with your compass, you just have to become more familiar with how to use it.

Fun and safe diving.

 

[dkktsunami]

Yep, that's what I'll do from now on. I saw the side window but didn't know what it was for. Thanks!

As several people have indicated, use the numerical heading, not lubber lines, hold compass in front of you in palm of hand. Also rather than attempting to swim an exact heading allow a little deviation on either side of the desired number - if heading is 57 degrees concentrate on remaining between 55 and 60.

 

[Charlie99]

I rarely use the side window, and instead just hold the compass below me so that I can see the compass card. I use neither the lubber line nor the numbers.

One method of using the compass is a very numerical, mechanical method of using headings, recirpocal headings, etc. Another way is a more holistic, intuitive way of just keeping track of what direction you are heading and where you are with respect to various other points.

Most of my navigation is no more complicated than "went out 2 ticks right of West, so go back 2 ticks right of East". The card on my compass has a tick every 10 degrees and a triangle every 30 degrees. Most of the time, rather than using numerical headings, I just note the heading offset left/right of the cardinal headings.

When randomly wandering around a reef, I simply look at the compass card often enough to keep track of where north is. Then I keep a mental map of my wanderings so when it is time to depart, I know the general heading back to known points.

For me, it really just all boils down to the compass card always staying in the same alignment towards north with me and the compass housing rotating around the fixed card.

For precision work, you may be amazed at how accurately you can look at a point ahead of you, then look down at the compass card and determine the bearing. So even if I'm taking a surface bearing, most of the time I don't bother using the side window.

Charlie

 

[RTee]

Matt, as others have mentionned use the side windows for simplicity. Doing it that way enable you to point and shoot, point at a reference then take a heading to follow or just follow a set heading. It is also the best way to keep the compass level and prevent it from sticking which would result in heading discrepancies which will normally happen if it is allowed to tilt too much.

I would also highly recommend purchasing a slate of some such. Not only will it allow you to do most of the mental gymnastics either prior the dive and capture it on the slate but you can also write other important info on it as the dive develops. One of the main detractor in diving is attempting to remember too many things at once which normally result in overloading your cranium CPU.

 

[idive2]

I've taken coordinates and headings to a little higher level over the last several years. Mapping things
by coordinates than coming up with headings from specific points, that kinda stuff. I rarely use the window
with the degrees and usually do the " a little bit south of SW " thing or similar. I am interested in learning
the triangulation method of establishing angles from two fixed points in order to determine a position.
Sometimes using gps when diving is not practical, I thought it would be cool to surface from a location I wish
to mark and then take headings to a couple fixed locations and try to determine my coordinate from that.

 

[thirdcoastdiver]

I wear a compass on my wrist. If I extend my arm with my wrist directly in front of me, then the lubber line ends up being aligned correctly. After that, it is all about keeping the arrow between the indicators. It is easier in the beginning to use the window to set a heading (as posted earlier).

The really important part is to learn to trust your compass. As a beginner, I would decide my compass must be wrong and tried dead reckoning, which doesn't work at all. I would be convinced that as I submerged and dropped to the bottom, I was still facing in the same direction as on the surface. In reality, it is easy to change direction, just dropping to the bottom.

The other point that is important to repeat from another point....even if you aren't the lead person, pay attention to your compass and directions. You never know when your buddy will decide that he is confused or can't remember the next heading.

Prior to starting to dive, I spent a lot of time in the woods and thought I was pretty good with a compass. During OW, we spent a half-hour or so practicing with compasses on land. Easy I thought and even if you concentrate and don't look up, there are enough indicators along the way to make you feel pretty confident and accurate.

Under water, there are fewer points of reference with bad vis, less sense of movement (currents),direction, etc. Task loading kicks in and navigation becomes very challenging to do well. The solution is easy: practice. It will come together eventually. When underwater look for recognizable terrain, position of the sun relative to your direction of travel, and pay attention to your compass bearings. As TS&M posted, for some the task loading of diving makes it very difficult to subtract 180 from your current heading to retrace your line of travel.

Computers with a digital compass do what you are asking, they show you the heading without having to worry about lubber lines, and compass card alignment. It will still take a fair amount of practice to get good at underwater navigation. Good luck!

 

[lowviz]

It seems awkward to me to swim along the lubber line, but focus on keeping the compass needle in a different direction from the direction in which I'm heading.....//...

Same here, after a few dives I figured out why I was having problems.

....//...The really important part is to learn to trust your compass. ....//.....

Very true, I use mine a lot. So in the image below (of a very popular dive compass), is East 90 or 270?