• Open Circuit Divers
  The certified TDI Cavern Diver or equivalent who has interest in moving forward with overhead environment diving and expanding their diving techniques, capabilities, and more!
• Rebreather Divers
  The certified TDI Rebreather Cavern Diver or equivalent who has interest in moving forward with overhead environment diving and expanding their diving techniques, capabilities, and more!

(these requirements must be met prior to commencement of training):

Open Circuit Divers

• Minimum age 18, 15 with parental consent
• Provide proof of TDI Cavern Diver certification or equivalent

Rebreather Divers

• Minimum age 18
• Minimum certification requirement: TDI CCR Air Diluent Diver, or equivalent
• Provide proof of certification as a TDI Rebreather Cavern Diver or equivalent

The TDI Intro to Cave Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• Policy for cave diving
• Gas management procedures and management to include dissimilar volumes
• Psychological considerations of cave diving
• Equipment considerations including:
  • Cylinder options
  • Regulator options
  • Buoyancy compensator/harness options
  • Proper weighting
  • Reel options
  • Equipment configurations
• Communication (light and hand signals)
• Swimming techniques
  • Body posture/trim
  • Buoyancy control
  • Line following
  • Propulsion (finning) techniques
• Physiology
  • Breathing techniques
  • Stress management
• Cave environment
• Cave conservation
• Problem solving
  • Emergency procedures
  • Equipment failure
  • Silting conditions
• Accident analysis
• Cave diving etiquette
• Review of dive tables and decompression theory

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Properly deploy a guideline
• Properly use line markers
• Properly follow a guideline with eyes open and closed (simulating loss of visibility)
• Air share with a buddy with eyes open, following a guideline
• Air share with a buddy with lights off and eyes closed, using touch contact while following the guideline
• Remove and replace mask while in contact with the guideline
• Demonstrate conservation, awareness, and back referencing techniques
• Demonstrate light/hand signals and touch contact
• Demonstrate anti-silting techniques
• Simulate a primary light failure and use back up light to exit
• Demonstrate buoyancy control, proper trim, and propulsion techniques

The TDI Rebreather Intro to Cave Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• Policies for rebreather cavern diving
• Psychological considerations
• Equipment considerations
  • Bailout cylinder options
  • Rebreather configuration options
  • Scrubber options
  • Buoyancy compensator device (BCD) / harness options
  • Reel options
  • Proper weighting
  • Equipment configurations
• Communication
  • Hand signals
  • Light signals
  • Touch contact signals
• Swimming techniques
  • Body posture / trim
  • Buoyancy control and rebreather weighting
  • Line following techniques
  • Propulsion techniques
• Physiology
  • Breathing techniques
  • Stress management
• Cave environment
  • Geology
  • Local access requirements
  • Land owner relations
• Conservation
• Problem solving
  • Equipment failure
  • Silting conditions
• Accident analysis
• Review of dive tables and decompression theory
• Cavern diving with Open Circuit (OC) divers
  • Bailout configuration requirements
  • Out of gas emergencies
• Cavern diving etiquette

Some of the in-water skills include all of the following and more:

• How to properly:
  • Deploy a guideline
  • Follow a guideline
  • Conduct bailout exit including bottle swapping while following a guideline
  • Conduct bailout exit including bottle swapping simulating zero visibility and using touch contact while following a guideline
• Use of safety reel in:
  • Lost diver procedures
  • Lost line drill
• S-drills to be performed on all dives
• Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning
• Equipment check and equipment matching
• Demonstrate:
  • Specialized propulsion techniques in varying types of flow
  • Proper buoyancy control, body posture, stress analysis, oxygen partial pressure management, and overall rebreather instruments analysis
• Remove and replace mask while in contact with the guideline
• Demonstrate light / hand signals and touch contact
• Execute conservation and awareness techniques
• Explore Cavern
• Use referencing as back-up navigation
• Demonstrate adequate anti-silting techniques
• Simulate a primary light failure, and use back light to exit the cavern
• Demonstrate rebreather unit specific skills in compliance with current level of rebreather certification as outlined in the TDI course curriculum

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in single guideline cave diving activities without direct supervision provided the graduates adhere to the following requirements:

• The diving activities approximate those of training
• Planned dives do not exceed diver’s current certification level
• Penetration is limited to the “rule of thirds,” OR 1/6th if using doubles to a maximum depth of 40 metres/130 feet.
• Proper cave diving equipment must be used
• Maintain a continuous guideline
• Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are qualified to progress on to the next level of overhead environment training: the TDI Full Cave Diver course!

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in single guideline rebreather cave diving activities without direct supervision provided the graduates adhere to the following requirements:

• Diver carries adequate bailout to safely exit from the furthest point of penetration and complete and decompression stops using a minimum SAC rating of 30 litres per minute / 1 cubic foot per minute OR the students calculated elevated SAC rate to account for a CO2 event, whichever is greater
• The diving activities approximate those of training
• No decompression cave diving
• Proper cave diving equipment must be used
• Maintain a continuous guideline, no jumps or gaps permitted.
• No equipment removal in cave
• Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are qualified to progress on to the next level of overhead environment training: the TDI Rebreather Full Cave Diver course!

• Satisfactorily complete the written examination with an 80% passing grade, followed by 100% remediation by the Instructor
• Perform all land drills and cave dive requirements efficiently
• Demonstrate mature, sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution
• Maintain an appropriate level of awareness and respect for the environment
• Log all training dives