Underwater Navigation in Pattaya: Practicing the Hexagon Compass Pattern
How do experienced dive guides find their way back to the boat, even when underwater visibility isn't very good?
It's a question one of my regular divers, Tim, asked me after following me on many dives around Pattaya.
When we dive, I often plan a route that takes us away from the boat, around the reef, and eventually back toward our starting point. During the dive, I'm constantly checking my compass, depth, time, natural references and conditions.
For Tim, understanding how all these pieces fit together was one of the reasons he decided to take the PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty with Dream Team Divers.
Recently, we practiced an interesting navigation exercise together: a hexagon compass pattern.
Watch Our Real Underwater Navigation Training
In this video, you'll see Tim and me on the dry deck of our dive boat, practicing the navigation pattern before entering the water.
This is real training, not a staged demonstration. I'm guiding Tim through his compass headings, kick-cycle counting and navigation slate while he practices the exercise.
Why We Practice Navigation Before Entering the Water
Underwater navigation requires more than simply reading a compass.
A diver needs to maintain a heading, estimate distance, monitor their surroundings and remember the route they are following.
Add limited visibility, current, buoyancy control and other diving tasks, and it becomes much easier to lose concentration.
That's why I like to practice navigation exercises on the surface first.
During this session, Tim rehearsed his compass headings while standing on the boat's dry deck. The boat was moving slightly, which made keeping the compass steady an additional challenge.
The goal was simple: understand the exercise before attempting it underwater.
The Hexagon Compass Exercise Explained
For this exercise, we used six compass headings to create a hexagon pattern.
We started at 60 degrees and changed direction by 60 degrees after completing each leg.
Our planned headings were:
Leg | Compass heading |
1 | 60° |
2 | 120° |
3 | 180° |
4 | 240° |
5 | 300° |
6 | 0° / 360° |
For each leg, Tim imagined swimming 15 kick cycles before changing direction.
He checked the heading, adjusted the compass bezel, completed the simulated distance and marked his progress on the slate.
Then he moved on to the next heading.
This hexagon exercise was one of the practical navigation challenges I selected for his training. It's a useful way to practice multiple turns and maintain awareness of an intended route.
Why the Navigation Slate Is Important
During the video, you'll hear me reminding Tim to mark his completed legs on the slate.
There's a reason for that.
When divers are concentrating on their compass, buoyancy, kick cycles and surroundings, they can sometimes forget which part of their navigation pattern they're completing.
A navigation slate provides a simple reference.
It helps students record their headings, check their progress and reduce confusion during more complicated navigation exercises.
The slate isn't doing the navigation for them. It's helping them stay organized while they develop the skills.
What Happens When There's Current?
In ideal conditions, a correctly completed hexagon with equal-length legs should bring a diver back close to the starting point.
But real underwater conditions are different.
Current can push a diver off course, while small compass errors, differences in swimming speed and inconsistent kick cycles can affect the result.
That's why underwater navigation isn't just about memorizing a set of headings.
Good divers need to recognize when their actual movement doesn't match their planned route and understand how conditions affect their navigation.
Navigation skills improve your awareness and decision-making, but they don't guarantee that you'll always find the boat. Dive planning, buddy procedures and safe surfacing procedures remain essential.
Why Learn Underwater Navigation If You Already Follow a Dive Guide?
Many recreational divers simply follow their Divemaster or instructor throughout the dive.
There's nothing wrong with following an experienced guide, but you can learn much more by paying attention to where you're going.
Which direction are you travelling?
Is the reef getting deeper or shallower?
Where did you make your last turn?
What natural features can help you recognize the return route?
Developing these habits helps you become a more aware and confident diver.
And if you're considering becoming a Divemaster in the future, having strong navigation skills and practical experience will be particularly valuable.
Learn Underwater Navigation with Dream Team Divers
At Dream Team Divers in Pattaya, we focus on practical training that helps students understand not just what to do, but why they're doing it.
Our PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty includes three training dives, with compass navigation, natural navigation and distance-estimation exercises.
Students can also prepare using our online Dive Hub, including an interactive compass tool that helps explain headings and navigation concepts before entering the water.
Want to learn more?
Explore our PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty course, visit the Dream Team Divers Dive Hub, or read our Underwater Navigator course introduction.
Dream Team Divers — Pattaya, Thailand
Practical skills. Better awareness. More confident diving.
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