The TDI cavern diver course is your first step in overhead environment diving.
Through this course, you will build up the skills to dive safely within natural daylight and a short distance from the exit.
Not only will you learn about proper planning, procedures, and techniques for cavern diving but also about the hazards and how to deal with them. And, of course, you will now enjoy your cavern diving in the Cenotes of Tulum and its surrounding to a much higher level of knowledge and safety.
The cavern diver course is the first part of the Cave course. After your training, you will know what to expect and decide if you keep going.
This TDI Cavern course will take you further in your diver’s life. Once certified as a cavern diver, you might consider following your training with the Intro to cave or even all the way to Full cave training.
Duration of the cavern diver training
- Minimum of 3 days
- Open water training
- Minimum 4 cavern dives
- Theory: minimum 6 hours
The times and duration for the cavern diver course are given as an indication of the minimum required standards by the dive agency. It is important to note that when you engage in any technical diving course, we expect not just the minimum but full proficiency in all aspects.
Cavern diver’s Gear
- Open water dive gear configured for cavern diving
- Twinset (Intro to Tech Training)
- Sidemount
- Razor Side Mount
Choose your configuration and your gear wisely. Make sure to contact your instructor and follow their advice. There are many options on the market, but not all are equal. Some equipment is more performant than others and will help you become a better diver, not only for this particular course but in general and for eventual future technical diving training.
Prerequisites to join the cavern diver course
- Minimum age 18, 15 with parental consent
- Open Water Scuba Diver
- Proof of 25 logged dives
Cavern diver’s qualifications
- Daylight zone
- Penetration is limited to 1/3 of a single diving cylinder or 1/6th if using double cylinders
- 61 linear meters / 200 linear feet from the surface
- 40 meters / 130 feet maximum depth
- No decompression diving
- No restrictions
- Maintain a continuous guideline
- Qualified to enroll in Introductory Cave course
What do I learn during the Cavern diver course
- Policy for cavern diving
- Gas management procedures
- Psychological considerations of cavern diving
- Equipment considerations
- Communication (light and hand signals, touch contact)
- Body posture/trim
- Buoyancy control
- GuideLine use (deploy, follow with eyes opened and closed)
- Propulsion and anti-silting techniques
- Physiology
- Cavern environment and conservation
- Problem-solving
- Emergency procedures (Air share, light failure…)
- Equipment failure
- Silting conditions
- Accident analysis
- Predive planning
Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in Intro to Cave training