Course overview

Stop relying on your guide and find your own way underwater with the PADI Underwater Navigator specialty at Sipadan. You learn compass and natural navigation on the macro reefs off Mabul, useful when drifting along Sipadan's walls or relocating a favourite muck site around Kapalai. Confident navigation makes every dive in this current-prone region safer and more rewarding.

What you’ll learn

• Navigate accurately with a compass on reciprocal and square patterns
• Use natural references such as reef contours, sand ripples and depth
• Estimate distance using kick cycles and timed swims
• Mark and relocate an underwater point of interest
• Plan and follow a navigation pattern as a buddy team
• Combine compass and natural navigation in current

Prerequisites

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

What's included · What's not

Not included? Sort the rest of your trip

Flights and accommodation aren’t part of the course price, here’s how to book them around your dates.

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

   Theory and three dives on the Mabul reefs covering compass patterns, natural navigation, distance estimation and relocation, finishing with certification.

Verified through iDive

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Frequently asked questions