Underwater navigation course

[mm_dm]

See if they can include teaching you to use the Underwater Sextant (also called the Scuba Sextant) as part of your navigation training. PADI makes one, I believe it's to be covered in the nav course. Some places now skip it.

[MLenyo]

i think i'll be doing a navigation dive as part of my AOW, pretty excited!

[emcbride81]

Originally Posted by MLenyo

i think i'll be doing a navigation dive as part of my AOW, pretty excited!

Yep, there is a required nav adventure dive for AOW...in my opinion it is the most important adventure dive you could take. I am strongly considering finishing the specialty for the experience...plus my log has a few more slots open for c-cards!

[pyre24]

Ill be taking mine in a couple months. But there is a nav dive required for my AOW class.

[cmburch]

I finished my PADI AOW on a 4 day boat dive at the Channel Islands. I would have to say that navigation was probably the most useful. Some things that have really helped me:
Navigation - I can get back to shore swimming underneath the kelp near where I entered and do not have to surface outside of the kelp line with a stringer of bleeding fish to spot my entry point and adjust my compass. I also prefer to swim close to shore on the bottom with a stringer of fish rather than surfacing in 40-60' of water and kicking in on the surface.
Night - I like fishing at night especially Halibut. Knowing limits and safety. Being sure of how to get back to the shore entry point.
Drift- very important with the currents and tides. It could make for a very hard swim or pull, and having to assist weaker divers.
Deep - I like going to 80-85' feet where the big fish are, but I am a near shore diver. Where I go the deepest I would get in my kayak or inflatable is 65', if I am lucky. 45-50' or so swimming from shore, if I am lucky.
Peak Performance Buoyancy - I just do it now and don't think about it.

[Warren]

It's a great course.

After you take it, make sure you use your compass on every dive to stay sharp for when you really need to get to a certain point.

I recently dove with a friend, who was, as he stated, "really good at using the compass", so I sat back and watched him navigate. I gently reminded him several times of adjusting for the current, but kind of sat back and smiled as we missed out exit point by 100 yards...

Using the compass is easy, applying drift correction and speed variations is the biggest piece. If you are an aware diver, you'll always get clues to when you're being pushed off course, slowed, or sped up, and it doesn't take long before you subconsciously start to apply those environmental conditions to your track.