Cavern Diver Course

Cavern diver classes are held over 2 days and a minimum of 4 dives is needed to complete the coursework.

Prerequisites

• Open Water Certification.
• Minimum age 16, with signed parental consent.

Classroom Work-Minimum 4 hours to cover the listed topics:

• Definition & purpose of safe cavern diving.
• Review medical aspects of diving.
• Review decompression tables.
• Proper use of dive computers - how to & how not to use them.
• The cavern environment.
• Buoyancy control & proper body/attitude positioning.
• Cavern diving techniques.
• Communications.
• Accident analysis.
• Psychological aspects of cavern diving. (stress, attitude, awareness, reaction to stress in self and others).
• Equipment & equipment configurations.
• Lines & line technique.
• Dive planning & gas management.
• Emergency prevention & procedures.

LAND DRILLS

• Proper use of guidelines & reels.
• Techniques in following guide lines.
• Touch contact procedures.

Open Water Skills

• One open water seesion will be done to practice the skills listed below.
• Use of guidelines.
• Following line with blacked out mask or loss of visibility.
  • Repeat sharing air, first with vision and then eyes closed.
  • Touch contact.
  • Following a line without a mask.
• Use of reel
• Various finning techniques-flutter, frog,

CAVERN DIVES

• Minimum of 4 cavern dives conducted in 2 or more cavern zones.
• All dives include:
• Pre-dive briefing.
• Bubble check.
• "S" drill.
• Dive team skill evaluation.
• Post dive critique.
• Exercises to include:
  • Touch contact, use of reel and guideline, air sharing, and equipment matching.
  • Proper finning & propulsion techniques.
  • Proper use of BC, body positioning & buoyancy control
  • Communications with lights & hand signals.
  • Familiarzation with cavern zone.
  • 3 minute safety stop on all dives.
  • The 4 dive minimum is a MINIMUM. In order to ensure you are trained properly & ready to be certified as a cavern diver I may require you to do more dives. There will be additional fees for additional training dives.

   

Equipment needed for the class

• Mask, low volume preferred
• Power fins with straps taped, spring straps preferred.
• 72 cubic foot cylinder, minimum. Cylinder with dual valve orifice preferred.
• Single hose regulator with octopus as alternate air source & an SPG.
• Wet or dry suit.
• BCD with power inflator.
• Submersible dive tables or computer.
• Knife or line cutter.
• Slate & pencil.
• Watch and depth gauge if no computer is being used.
• Weight system (If needed) approved by the instructor.
• 2 dive lights minimum.
• One safety reel per diver.
• One primary reel per team.

Certification Requirements

• Perform all skills listed.
• Perform the minimum # of dives.
• Maintain appropriate awareness of safety procedures and protection of the cavern zone. An improper attitude may constitute grounds for denying certification, regardless of proficency.
• Pass a written exam with a minimum score of 80%.

Call Jim at 353-363-0013

E-mail Jim@cavediveflorida.com