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CAVE SURVEYING DIVER

Documenting underwater cave systems
In a Nutshell

The TDI Cave Survey Course provides the skills required to accurately document and map underwater cave systems.
 

Surveying plays a key role in exploration, safety, and conservation, offering reliable navigation references and contributing to scientific and cartographic work. This course introduces structured survey techniques applicable to a wide range of cave environments.
 

Training covers survey methods ranging from basic line measurements to more advanced data recording and map creation, while maintaining precise buoyancy, trim, and situational awareness in an overhead environment.
 

Ultimately, the Cave Survey course prepares divers to plan, execute, and interpret accurate cave surveys, improving understanding of cave systems and contributing meaningful data to the diving community.
 

Minimum course duration: 4 days.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for certified cave divers who want to develop the skills required to survey and document underwater caves.
 

You should already be comfortable with:

  • Full cave skills and procedures

  • Guideline work and navigation

  • Team coordination and communication

  • Buoyancy, trim, and propulsion control

  • Gas planning and emergency procedures
     

This course refines existing cave skills while adding survey-specific task loading.

Prerequisites

  • Minimum age: 18

  • TDI Full Cave (or equivalent)

  • TDI Nitrox (Nitrox 32 used as standard gas)

  • Minimum 50 logged cave dives

Skills & Challenges Ahead

Surveying a cave is more than just collecting data—it’s about understanding the environment and ensuring safe exploration for future divers. Accurate maps improve navigation, support conservation efforts, and contribute to scientific research. However, performing surveys in an overhead environment requires advanced multitasking, situational awareness, and precision.

Maintaining buoyancy while gathering data, managing tools, and coordinating with a team can be challenging. Errors in measurements or misinterpretation of data can lead to navigation issues or misinformation. This course will teach you to overcome these challenges, refine your skills, and contribute valuable information to the cave diving community.

The TDI Cave Survey Diver Course develops your ability to document underwater caves with precision, improving your navigation skills and deepening your understanding of cave systems. This is a key step for those looking to engage in exploration, research, or conservation efforts.

Training Content (overview)

In-water training includes:

  • Surveying techniques for cave exploration

  • Use of compass, slate, and digital tools for data collection

  • Line survey methods: azimuth, depth, and distance recording

  • Maintaining precise buoyancy and trim while surveying

  • Communication and teamwork during survey dives

  • Navigation and marking of reference points

Land-based training covers:

  • Survey tool setup and calibration

  • Land-based practice of survey procedures

  • Data interpretation and plotting techniques

  • Sketching and creation of cave maps from collected data

  • Review of collected data

  • Refinement of surveying techniques and workflow

  • Thorough briefings and debriefings to reinforce every exercise

Academic presentations explore:

  • The role of cave mapping in safety, exploration, and conservation

  • Planning and execution of structured cave surveys

  • Data accuracy, error management, and best practices

  • Psychological and physiological factors affecting survey efficiency

  • Cave conservation ethics and responsible mapping

  • Gas management considerations specific to cave surveying

Course Duration
 

Minimum durations shown

Cave Survey

4 days

Divers who have not trained with CDT Mexico previously, or who have been inactive beyond defined timeframes, may require a 1-day skills assessment.

Get Ready

Training is not about collecting a card.
It’s about earning real autonomy, safety, and confidence.
The objective: divers who can plan and execute dives independently.

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