A reciprocal course is made when your outbound course is a straight line and halfway through your dive you make a _____ turn.

A reciprocal course is made when your outbound course is a straight line and halfway through your dive you make a _____ turn.

• A. 180 degrees
• B. 90 degrees
• C. 270 degrees
• D. 360 degrees

Answer: (A)

A reciprocal course means reversing your direction so you head back along the exact line you came. Halfway out, turning 180 degrees flips your heading by a half circle, so you’re now pointed straight back toward your entry point and can return along the same path. Turning 90 degrees would send you off to the side, not back along the same line. A 270-degree turn still won’t point you back toward your start, and a 360-degree turn keeps you moving in the same direction, not back to where you began.

A reciprocal course means reversing your direction so you head back along the exact line you came. Halfway out, turning 180 degrees flips your heading by a half circle, so you’re now pointed straight back toward your entry point and can return along the same path.

Turning 90 degrees would send you off to the side, not back along the same line. A 270-degree turn still won’t point you back toward your start, and a 360-degree turn keeps you moving in the same direction, not back to where you began.