TDI FULL CAVE DIVER

Are you a serious adventure seeker wishing to explore overhead environments? Sign up for the TDI Full Cave Diver Course!This course is the third stage of overhead environment training in the series of TDI’s Full Cave Diver Development Program. Advanced cave dive planning, practical execution of different types of cave systems and scenarios divers encounter are presented. This cave diving course is not intended to prepare divers for evaluating all facets of cave diving. The objective of this course is to expand and critique previous skills accomplished in the TDI Cavern and Introductory Cave Diving programs. Emphasis is placed upon dive planning and skill perfection through actual cave penetration.

Who this course is for:

The certified TDI Introductory Cave Diver (or equivalent), who has interest in moving forward with overhead environment diving and expanding their diving techniques, capabilities, range, and more!

Course prerequisites

Minimum age 18
Minimum certification of TDI Introductory Cave Diver, or equivalent
If decompression dives are to be conducted in training, the student must be TDI Decompression Procedures certified or equivalent, or this training may be conducted concurrently. If courses are taught concurrently, ALL requirements for both courses must be met and registrations processed upon completion.

What you can expect to learn:

The TDI Full Cave Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more.

Standard cave diving policies
Gas management procedures and management to include dissimilar volumes
Psychological considerations of cave diving
Equipment considerations including:
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
Decompression theory and its application to cave diving
Cave environment
Conservation
Problem solving
Emergency procedures
Equipment failure
Equipment failure
Accident analysis
Cave diving etiquette

Required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

Properly deploy a guideline
Properly use directional and non-directional 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 the cave
Demonstrate lost line and lost diver drills
Demonstrate use of reels to perform jumps and gaps required in circuits and traverses to maintain a continuous guideline to open water
Demonstrate buoyancy control, proper trim, and propulsion techniques
Demonstrate proper stress analysis (detection and management)
Demonstrate specialized propulsion techniques in varying types of flow
Equipment check and matching
Demonstrate adequate predive planning

What’s in it for you:

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in cave diving activities without direct supervision so long as the following limits are adhered to:

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,” to a maximum depth of 40 metres/130 feet
Diver must maintain a continuous guideline
Proper cave diving equipment must be used
Safety and decompression stops as appropriate or necessary (if trained as TDI Decompression Diver or equivalent)

TDI Full Cave Diver minimum requirements:

Satisfactorily complete the TDI Cave Diver course written examination with a 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

How do I take this course?

Take it online. TDI Full Cave is available in eLearning
Course Cost: $139.95 USD for eLearning only. Pool and open water training not included.
Practical training including 8 full cave dives $990.00 USD