Chapter 3- Diving Skills Diving Skills 89 marks on the bezel to mark the position of the needle, and you will know that whenever the compass needle is pointing in between the marks, you are swimming towards shore. If the compass needle points opposite the marks, you know you are heading away from shore. When you decide to begin your dive in a certain direction, you sight over the level compass and set the index marks on the rotating bezel so that they line up with the compass needle. Then, by keeping yourself aligned with the lubber line, and the compass needle aligned with the index marks, you can maintain your course very accurately (figure 3-67). Usually, you only need to reference the compass occasionally to make sure you are on course. If you need to navigate precisely, you must reference the compass frequently. A reciprocal course is made when your outbound course is a straight line and halfway through your dive, you make a 180° turn, which the compass enables you to do precisely. To make a 180° turn, you swivel around until your compass needle is directly opposite your original reference marker. Even if you do not follow a specific pattern during your dive, the compass can still be helpful. You and your buddy can surface near the end of your dive, line up the lubber line with your body and the direction of your exit point, set your bearing with the index marks on the bezel, submerge, and follow that heading to your destination. Swimming under water is usually easier than swimming on the surface. Simple navigational techniques make diving more enjoyable. Knowing where you are underwater will help you avoid long surface swims and help you to relocate interesting areas. You will save time, air, and be able to spend more time enjoying the objective of your dive. You must be able to perform the basics of navigation that you will learn in your NAUI Scuba Diver certification course. To learn more about underwater navigation, enroll in a NAUI continuing education course, such as the NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver certification course, or a specialty course such as Search and Recovery Diving. Verify What You Have Learned Review the following questions about navigation: 36. Three natural aids to navigation are _____________, ______________, and _________________________. 37. When you are using a compass for navigation, you should_____________________ and _________________________. 38. A reciprocal course is a ____________________________. DISASSEMBLING YOUR SCUBA GEAR After diving, you must disassemble your scuba gear and rinse it with fresh water. To disassemble your scuba unit, use the following steps: 1. Turn off your air. The cylinder valve turns off in a clockwise direction. 2. Push and hold the purge button on one of your second stages or power inflator to relieve all the air pressure in the hoses of your regulator (figure 3-68). 3. Unscrew the yoke screw from the cylinder valve (figure 3-69) or unscrew the DIN regulator from the DIN valve. 4. Dry the dust cap attached to the first stage of your regulator (figure 3-70). 5. Replace the dust cap over the inlet to the first stage FIGURE 3-67. YOU MUST ALWAYS ALIGN THE LUBBER LINE WITH YOUR BODY AND WITH THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO SWIM.
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