Course overview

Stop relying on your guide and find your own way underwater with the PADI Underwater Navigator specialty in Phuket. Across the Andaman Sea's reef sites you master compass use, natural navigation and distance estimation, skills that make every dive more independent and confident. The course also satisfies the navigation requirement on the path to Rescue Diver.

What you’ll learn

• Navigate accurately using a compass
• Use natural references such as reef contours and ripples
• Estimate distance by kick cycles and timed swims
• Follow reciprocal and square patterns underwater
• Mark and relocate a specific point on a dive
• Plan and execute a navigation dive independently

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10
• PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver or equivalent
• Basic buoyancy control
• Diver medical clearance where required

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 foundations

   Theory plus the first dive practising compass headings and kick-cycle distance estimation on a sheltered reef.
2. Day2
   Patterns and relocation

   Further dives running square and reciprocal patterns and relocating marked points, then certification.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Phuket.

Frequently asked questions