TDI CAVERN DIVER COURSE
DURATION
4 days
IN A NUTSHELL
The TDI Cavern Diver program lays the foundation for diving in overhead environments, covering essential principles critical to the cave diving curriculum. Students will master the art of "laying line" while honing fundamental skills and situational awareness, ultimately developing multi-tasking abilities. This demanding and challenging course, when approached seriously, sets the stage for future cave diving endeavors, leaving no room for shortcuts.
Venturing away from open water, students will swim under a natural, hard ceiling that impeaches direct vertical ascent. They will learn new aspects such as placement (according to team, line, and surrounding environment), positioning, and light communication. The course dramatically raises all levels of awareness, decision-making, and task-loading management. Students will also learn to plan simple overhead dives.
In essence, the TDI Cavern Diver Course equips divers with the skills and knowledge to navigate cavern environments safely and confidently.
PRE-REQUISITES
Students must be 18 years old, and
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Certified as a TDI Intro to Tech diver (or equivalent or proven experience), if training in a backmount configuration
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Certified as a TDI Sidemount diver (or equivalent or proven experience), if training in a sidemount configuration
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Certified as a TDI Nitrox diver (or equivalent), as we use Nitrox32 as a standard breathing gas
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Have a minimum of 50 logged dives
SKILLS & CHALLENGES AHEAD
The Cavern Diver Course is your first step into the overhead environment. You’ll build on previous training while learning how to manage the specific challenges of diving beyond the reach of a direct ascent.
In-water training includes:
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Refining fundamental diving skills.
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Laying out and following a continuous guideline as a team.
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Team communication using lights and hand signals.
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Advanced propulsion techniques for precision and control.
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Touch contact communication in low visibility.
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Problem-solving under an overhead (equipment failures, leaks, light or mask problems).
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Lost line and lost diver procedures adapted to the cavern environment.
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Team separation drills.
Land-based training covers:
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Laying a line and connecting to permanent guidelines.
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Lost line and lost diver scenarios.
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Team separation simulations.
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Thorough briefings and debriefings for each exercise.
Classroom presentations and discussions explore:
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Gas management strategies (rule of sixths, conservatism).
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The cavern zone and its limits.
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Hazards unique to the overhead environment.
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Cavern diving etiquette and best practices.
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Bottom and ceiling awareness to prevent silting.
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Psychological and physiological considerations.
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Stress recognition, self-control, and mindset management.
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Conservation and protection of cavern and cave environments.
The challenge of Cavern diving:
Moving away from open water comfort into an overhead space requires a new way of thinking. You’ll learn to solve problems on the spot or manage them long enough to exit safely, all while maintaining buoyancy, trim, and control.
You’ll also develop refined propulsion, awareness, and equipment handling to prevent disorientation and environmental damage. Beyond technical skills, cavern diving demands mental preparedness, humility, and non-egoic motivation.
By the end of this course, you’ll be equipped with simple, efficient protocols and the mindset to make safe, responsible dives into the cavern environment.
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TDI Cavern = 4 days
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TDI Intro to Tech + TDI Cavern = 7 days
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TDI Sidemount + TDI Cavern = 8 days
Divers who have not trained with CDT Mexico at previous levels must complete a day of review for a skills assessment. This also applies if: - You have not dived the previous level in over 3 months. - Your previous course with us was more than 12 months ago.
