Course overview

Take charge of your own dives with the SSI Navigation specialty at Sipadan, learning compass and natural navigation on the macro reefs off Mabul. These skills pay off when drifting along the Sipadan walls or relocating a muck site around Kapalai, where mild current rewards divers who can find their own way. Confident navigation makes diving this Sabah region safer and far more independent.

What you’ll learn

• Navigate accurately using a compass on set patterns
• Read natural references like reef contours, depth and ripples
• Estimate distance with kick cycles and timed swims
• Mark and return to an underwater point of interest
• Plan and follow navigation patterns as a team
• Combine compass and natural navigation in current

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10
• SSI 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

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

Verified through iDive

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Frequently asked questions