Core Specialty
SSI Navigation Specialty
Knowing where you are underwater makes every dive more relaxed, especially around structured sites such as Boonsung Wreck and varied Khao Lak dive sites. The Navigation Specialty builds compass skills and natural reference techniques so you can return to the boat reliably, explore reef features with intention and guide your buddy without second-guessing your position.
The Essentials
Navigation — Key Facts
1 to 2 days
Duration and Structure
- Digital learning : Compass reading, pattern navigation and planning
- Training dives : Three dives with dedicated navigation exercises
- Scenarios : Out-and-back, square patterns and natural reference routes
- Debrief : Accuracy reviewed and refined after each dive
Age 10+
Prerequisites
- Certification : Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Age : Minimum 10 years
- Equipment : Compass included with rental gear
Navigate with confidence
What You Can Do
- Return to the boat or exit point reliably
- Plan and execute compass bearings underwater
- Use coral formations, sand channels and depth as natural references
- Lead a buddy through a dive site with intention
Skills and Knowledge
Two Systems That Work Together
Good underwater navigation uses a compass as a backup to natural references, not a replacement for them. The course teaches both: how to read and use a compass accurately, and how to build a mental map of any dive site using the reef itself as your guide.
- Compass techniques — heading, reciprocal bearing, square and triangle patterns
- Natural references — depth contours, coral formations, sand direction and current
- Distance estimation — kick cycles and time-based distance tracking
- Search patterns — methodical approaches for locating specific features
- Dive planning — pre-dive site mapping and contingency planning
What Goes Well With It?