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CAVERN DIVER

Entry-level overhead environment training
In a Nutshell

The Cavern Diver course introduces divers to overhead environments while remaining within the natural light zone. It focuses on fundamental skills, awareness, and discipline required to safely manage a ceiling overhead while maintaining a clear visual reference to the exit.
 

This course is not about penetration distance. It is about learning control: buoyancy, trim, propulsion, communication, and situational awareness. Cavern training establishes the foundation upon which all cave and technical diving skills are built.
 

Minimum course duration: 4 days.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for recreational divers who want to safely explore cavern environments and for divers planning to progress toward cave diving.
 

You do not need prior overhead experience, but you must be willing to:

  • Slow down

  • Accept precision over speed

  • Receive detailed feedback

  • Rework fundamentals that may feel “good enough” in open water
     

Cavern training often reveals habits that must be corrected before moving deeper into overhead environments.

Prerequisites

  • Minimum age: 18

  • SDI Open Water Diver (or equivalent)

  • TDI Nitrox (Nitrox 32 used as standard gas)

  • Appropriate configuration certification (Backmount or Sidemount)

  • Minimum 25 logged dives

Skills & Challenges Ahead

Cavern diving introduces:
 

  • Overhead ceilings

  • Reduced ambient light

  • Increased task loading

  • Line-based navigation

  • New psychological stressors
     

Training emphasizes awareness, discipline, and control while maintaining a direct visual reference to the exit at all times.

Training Content (overview)

In-water training includes:

  • Buoyancy, trim, and propulsion refinement

  • Primary reel deployment and retrieval

  • Guideline following as a team

  • Gas management and team awareness

  • Light communication protocols

  • Emergency procedures within the cavern zone

  • Simulated loss of visibility while maintaining exit reference

  • Simulated loss of gas with and without visibility

Land-based training covers:

  • Cavern environment awareness

  • Guideline theory, placement, and handling

  • Team positioning and communication

  • Structured briefings and debriefings for every dive

Academic presentations explore:

  • Gas management strategies (rule of sixths, conservatism)

  • Cave environments and navigation awareness

  • Psychological and physiological stress factors

  • Decision-making under pressure

  • Cave etiquette and conservation

Course Combinations
 

Minimum durations shown

Cavern

4 days

Intro to Tech + Cavern

7days

Sidemount + Cavern

8 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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