Course overview

The SSI Navigation specialty on Tioman builds the confidence to find your way underwater around the island's boulder mazes and reef sites. Across the specialty dives you master compass use, natural navigation and distance estimation so you can lead a dive and return reliably to your starting point.

What you’ll learn

• Navigate accurately with a compass on straight and square patterns
• Use natural references like reef contours and boulder formations
• Estimate distance by kick cycles and time
• Mark and relocate a submerged object or exit point
• Lead a buddy team while navigating
• Re-establish a heading after disorientation

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10
• SSI Open Water Diver or equivalent
• Basic comfort with 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
   Compass and natural navigation

   Academic review, then dives practising compass patterns and natural references among Tioman's boulder reefs, finishing with a leadership exercise and certification.

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Frequently asked questions