You’re about to make a giant leap in your scuba diving experience – one that will allow you to make your way into the earth’s deepest, darkest, most mysterious places – and one that will open even more doors to future training opportunities. Whether you’ve already signed up for an introductory cave diving course or are in the decision making process, you may soon find yourself learning basic cave diving skills.
Courses Geared Toward Recreational Divers
Introductory cave diving courses are geared toward recreational scuba divers rather than experienced technical divers. In fact, you may emerge certified as a cavern diver rather than a cave diver. What’s the distinction between the two? Cavern divers never enter the full dark zone of a cave, while cave divers have the skills required to penetrate beyond the light zone.
Because cave divers use specialized equipment and encounter unique hazards, cave diver certification training can be intense. The courses are designed to teach you the skills required for planning a successful cave dive, carrying out preparations correctly, and solving problems that commonly occur in cave diving. In addition, you’ll work on the following skills:
- Mastering buoyancy control so you can hover motionless in one place
- Special finning techniques designed to prevent silt-out
- Cave diving equipment basics, including reel and line use
- Cave diving awareness with regard to the environment
Most cave diving courses for beginners take place over the course of two days or longer, and classroom time is included, along with an average of four cave dives. If the course you are taking is not a cavern diver course, you may be required to hold a cavern diver certification or the equivalent. You may be asked to show proficiency in various diving skills, and you will be required to take part in a number of exercises designed to increase your chances of successful self-rescue in the event of an emergency. These exercises are likely to include the following:
- Lost diver drills
- Lost buddy drills
- Low light exit drills
- Air sharing exit drills
- No-lights exit drills
- Air-sharing and no-lights exit drills
Many divers who were previously considering cave diving find that the idea of these drills alone is too frightening to move forward. Don’t be embarrassed if this is true for you – cave and cavern diving are not for everyone! In the event you do feel like moving forward and seeking training, ensure that you have the right equipment for the course. While requirements will vary from one place to the next, some common equipment requirements are listed below:
- Tank with dual orifice Y or H valve
- 2 first stage and 2 second stage regulators
- Line arrows
- 3 dive lights, usually between 30 and 50 watts each
- Safety reel with at least 75 feet of line
- Primary cave diving reel with about 350 feet of line
- Submersible dive tables, slate, and pencil
- Exposure suit and other standard SCUBA equipment
Keep in mind that introductory cave diving courses vary from one place to another. You may need to meet more prerequisites in some places simply because of the nature of the caves available for diver training. In any case, the more experience you have, the more places you will ultimately be able to dive and signing up for a cave diver course of any kind is certain to allow you to expand your underwater horizons in a completely new way.