Navigation

BanditDJB · 07-22-2007, 09:05 AM

I need some pointers on navigation. I dove last week and we had about 10ft vis. I admit I only have twelve dives. I followed the anchor rope down and set off in a direction following the line of my compass. I got probably 40 or 50ft from the anchor and noticed that I couldn't find my way back to the anchor (probably because I was trying to dodge a school of long Sea Nettles in my shorty). I was only at 80ft so I knew I could do a free ascent with no problem, but it would be nice to find my way back. Luckily, another diver on the same charter apeared from nowhere and I wrote to him on my slate , then he pointed me and my buddy in the right direction. I did find the anchor, but if not for him I would have had no idea where the anchor was.

I tried to notice landmarks as I swam away from the anchor but it was bridge rubble and it all looked the same. The 10ft vis was of no help either.

Next time I'm gonna wear a full wetsuit, then the jellies won't be an issue!

jay956 · 07-22-2007, 04:24 PM

Your sense of navigation will come with experience. When I first started diving I couldn't tell where anything was. As you get more and more dives it starts to become second nature. sometimes when I dive ill find my way back to the boat without even knowing it lol (like driving home but you don't remember driving).

Did you take any currents into account?

BanditDJB · 07-22-2007, 06:07 PM

On that day the current was nearly not moving at all, so that didn't seem to effect us so much. I think you might be right on it will come with experience. I just got some new gear and I will be diving more. I suppose I'll get the hang of it..lol

MgicTwnger · 07-22-2007, 09:11 PM

I've been diving, off and on, for 40 years, and I still screw it up.

Scuba Mama · 07-23-2007, 07:03 PM

I have a question for you. Was the anchor line or the area you set your compass full of metal? If so, the compass was off the start. Metal will throw a compass off due to the fact it works like a land compass based on magnetics. I knew once diving across the lake we had reach the plane we were looking for my compass shot around and told me north was to my left and I know the lake well, north was to my right. Trial and error will also help, maybe a navigation class would be helpful.

Vegas · 07-24-2007, 12:26 AM

Howdy!
I've only logged 24 dives, but I can say that in my limited experience my navigation has gotten better and better with practice.

I paticularly love night diving, and am usually diving in Lake Mead with low vis ....

It would have been easy to fall into, "I'll just let my buddy make sure we get back" as he is a much more experienced diver than I am, but the pin in his compass broke, and the loaner he was using had Little itty bitty numbers that he could barely see, especially at night -- so I got my practice! Each time I did better than the time before. The last time we dove at night, I brought us up right in front of his truck parked on the shore!

Some days it "clicks", but others, it seems I'm always off course no matter how I try.

I have to say it's encouraging to read the other posts on this thread, from the folks with MUCH more experience than me!

thanks for posting!

**glynneco** · 07-24-2007, 12:47 AM

Invest in a wreck reel. They are life savers in low or no vis situations. Invest in a lift bag or one of those newfangled bag/safety sausages so you can do your safety stop. Unless you've gone no deeper then 15-20 ft you still need to do one.

It does get better with practice though you can still have a bad day occasionaly. I had a wierd thing happen once. I came up on the wrong side of the quarry 180 degrees from where I wanted to be(long walk back) On the surface the compass worked fine. Under water at depths below 60 ft it would freeze up. It seems there was not enough oil in it and the depth would squeeze it and make it immobile.

BanditDJB · 07-15-2008, 10:05 PM

I'm finally gonna get my navagation class in. In about three weeks I'm headed out to Destin FL. for my advanced certification. I hope we get good visability.

Scuba Mama · 07-16-2008, 02:07 PM

With any luck your vis won't be that good. It will teach you to trust your compass. Have fun with the class.

ScubaMama

**dalehall** · 07-16-2008, 02:56 PM

We did the same thing when we dove the Oriskany. We were trying to find our way back to our ascent line and not one fo the other 10 that were there.. We couldn't find it. We were just going to take one of them up and surface swim to our boat. Luckily, our 4th in the group is an ex-military A-10 pilot. He has no problems with navgation and pointed us in the right direction. We found it with his help. I just keep diving with him