Course overview

Sharpen your sense of direction underwater with the PADI Underwater Navigator specialty in Hikkaduwa. On the town's gently sloping reefs and coral gardens you learn to navigate accurately by compass and natural features, an essential skill for finding wrecks and reef structures on Sri Lanka's south coast. You finish certified as a PADI Underwater Navigator with the confidence to lead a dive back to the boat.

What you’ll learn

• Navigate accurately using a compass underwater
• Use natural references such as reef contours, ripples and depth
• Estimate distance by kick cycles and timing
• Run reciprocal, square and search-pattern routes
• Mark and relocate a point of interest
• Plan and follow an underwater navigation route

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10
• PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent)
• Comfortable with basic buoyancy control
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Navigation skills day

   Knowledge review followed by three dives on Hikkaduwa's reefs practising compass headings, natural navigation, distance estimation and search patterns to complete the specialty.

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Frequently asked questions