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[Lateralus]

Greetings. I have about 50+ dives under my belt but I’ve always dived with a dive master/guide. I will be going to Grand Cayman next week and I will be doing a few shore dives without a guide.This will be a first for me and my wife.

What are the basics of underwater navigation? Any good articles or YouTube videos to get the basics?

I vaguely remember the basics that were covered in my certification (close to 10 years ago).

I remember setting the compass and having to go around a circle and make it back to home base during certification, but that was in a controlled setting. This will be different.

Thanks in advance.

 

[EastEndDiver]

Grand Cayman is very easy to shore dive ….seriously.....take a compass heading to the mini wall which is straight out from shore ….the mini wall runs parallel to the shore then just take a reciprocal heading back to shore...…. I have probably only done about 200 shore dives there......Once you get to Cayman you will see how easy it is....

 

[EireDiver606]

Get a compass if you feel you need it.

 

[northernone]

A compass is great. Practice in your living room until you're comfortable. There's good YouTube tutorials for land based compass use, user very similar.

Cameron

 

[KeithG]

In general when you shore dive the bottom drops away from the shore (unless you are stuck in a large flat boring expanse). In the Caribbean you should be working with 50 foot plus viz. You should be able to visually decern shore vs deep.

So a compass is not generally necessary as you can tell from the slope which direction is which.

In the Caribbean we find a compass is sometimes useful in a night dive. Daytime, never needed.

 

[M DeM]

I can’t say for other places but when I stayed at sunset divers, they essentially gave you directions.... “enter at the salt pool, go 100’ through the corridor made by the reef, there’s a mermaid statue, then head east....”.