PADI Underwater Navigation Specialty CoursePADI Underwater Navigation Specialty Course

$199

Apart from neutral buoyancy, underwater navigation is one of the most important skills any scuba diver should try to master as quickly as possible to become a good diver! Finding your way to the entry/exit point is reasonably easy in South Australia, but knowing where you are at all times by using your compass and your eyes (by focussing on depth, bottom contour, shadows, landmarks, etc.) is not as easy as it seems. The PADI Underwater Navigator specialty course will teach you that and more. Over the course of three dives, you will learn different techniques of navigating underwater and become more confident in finding your way underwater!

The Diving Adelaide navigation specialty course is usually bundled with the buoyancy specialty, as these two core skills lay a solid foundation to build the rest of your scuba skills on. We usually run the theory session for both specialties on Saturday morning and the buoyancy dives on Saturday and the navigation dives on Sunday. However, if you are just interested in perfecting your navigation skills and are already confident that you buoyancy doesn’t need improving, then please let us know and we can schedule the theory session for the navigation course on Sunday morning instead, so the specialty can be run as a single day course.

The PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty Course schedule is as follows:
Home study (0 – 1 hrs): If you have already completed your PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course, please re-read the Underwater Navigator section in your Adventures in Diving manual.
Saturday morning: 9:00AM – 11:00AM: Theory morning
Sunday: 9:00AM – 4:00PM: Dives 1, 2 & 3

What you need to know before you start the course:

  • To participate in this course, you do not have to complete any theory, but we recommend re-reading your advanced course manual
  • All equipment is included in the course (Buoyancy vest, regulators, gauges, filled cylinders, weightbelts plus weights, wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins)
  • You have to be certified as an Open Water Diver or above to participate in this course.
  • This is a theory + practical course. Three dives are required.
  • A minimum age of 12 years applies. Every student under the age of 18 needs to have a parent or a guardian sign a consent form (available from the dive centre).

Saturday or Sunday 9:00AM – 4:00PM: Theory + Dives 1, 2 and 3

We will have a look and discuss the theory together. We will fill out the necessary paperwork and get ready for the dives in the afternoon.

Things to bring:

  • A full stomach, lunch and something to drink.
  • Swimmers and a towel
  • Sunscreen

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I need to bring any gear myself (for example mask, snorkel and fins or a compass)?

No, all gear will be provided by Diving Adelaide, including your navigation equipment. However, to guarantee perfect fit and the most enjoyable experience, we do recommend coming in store to have a look at our masks, as the mask is the most important piece of equipment!

How fit do I have to be to learn to scuba dive?

We have taught 14 year olds and 70 years old to dive, so don’t think you need to be superfit to participate in the course! Being comfortable in the water, being able to swim 200 metres continuously and being able to tread water for 10 minutes are the only requirements in terms of fitness.

Where will I be able to dive with my certification?

Any dive centre around the world will recognise your PADI certification card and will allow you to dive with them. PADI is the largest certification agency in the world with more than 6000 dive centres. Even if you dive with a non-PADI dive centre, they will still recognise your certification.

What happens when the weather isn’t looking too good?

The main thing to remember is that we are going to get wet anyway, so if it rains a little bit that doesn’t matter (you will be nice and warm in your thick wetsuit anyway). However, we are of course dependent on the weather, with the wind and swell being the main factors that determine whether we can go diving or not. If the weather forecast predicts huge swells and high winds, we may have to transfer the course to a different weekend. We will of course notify you beforehand if this is the case!

PADI Open Water Diver Course Group at Port Noarlunga
Instructors at The Bluff on a Leafy Sea Dragon Guided Tour
Rapid Bay Divers after Leafy Sea Dragon Guided Dives
Instructor and Students after PADI Open Water Diver Course