How To Teach The Advanced Open Water Navigation Dive

As a dive instructor, this will be one of the most taught dives you will do as it is a mandatory dive on the PADI Advanced Open Water course.One of the most common question i get from new instructors is 'what is the best way to teach navigation?'. Firstly let's have a look at the Performance requirements for this dive.

1. Maintain neutral buoyancy.

2. Determine the average number of kick cycles

and average amount of time required to swim

underwater at a normal, relaxed pace approximately 30 metres/100 feet.

3. Navigate to a predetermined location and return to within 15 metres/50 feet of the starting point using natural references and estimated distance measurement (kick cycles or time). Surface only if necessary to verify direction or location.

4. Position and handle a compass underwater to maintain an accurate heading while swimming.

5. Navigate without surfacing to a predetermined location and return to within 6 metres/20 feet of the starting point using a compass and estimated distance measurement (kick cycles or time).

6. Swim a square or rectangular pattern underwater, returning to within 8 metres/25 feet of the starting point using a compass and beginning from a

fixed location. Recommended size of square — each side 30 metres/100 feet, or total combined length of approximately 120 metres/400 feet. 

To start with once you descend allow your students to get neutrally buoyant and adjust there trim. Once everybody in the group is ready the first skill I conduct is to determine your student’s average number of kick cycles. The conduct this is by laying a line out this is even easier if you have a 30-meter line on your reel. When doing this skill have everyone in a line and then you are going to set the pace, no one should be in front of you. once you get to the end of the line get all your students to write down there kick cycles and make a note of the time and then repeat back down the line.

One working out your student’s average kick cycles I then get them to perform Performance requirement number 4 & 5 for this  I get the students to perform a reciprocal heading Usually around 20 kick cycles with one student navigating and the other buddy counting the kick cycles. When conducting this skill position your just about your students so you can check they are using their compass correctly.Once you return to the starting point repeat the skill swapping over the roles of the buddy.

When doing the square firstly give the student navigating the Starring heading and if it is + or - 90 degrees on each ( I usually swap this for each buddy) then tell the buddy counting the number of kick cycles. When doing the square pattern try to get as close as you can to the 30 meters each side if you can. Once again when performing this skill position your self just about your student to make sure of correct compass use.

Finally, I get the student to navigate back to either the boat or something very obvious on the dive site using natural references. When you brief this skill tell your students to remember the way distinctive features around the dive site such as wave movement, current, depth measurements, bottom compositing etc.

Top tips for this dive

1.Practice/refresh your student’s compass skills on the land, not on the boat.

2. Bring a slate to allow you to remind your students of the skills and to communicate headings and kick cycles.

3.Have a 30 Meter Line