Cave Diving Training Agencies

[zerogravity89]

I am a PADI Instructor working in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. While I am here I thought it would be a great opportunity to take my cave course. I have never done any technical diving before, all I did lots of wreck penetration where I last worked and I enjoy the challenge presented by overhead environments. The cenotes here are stunning and I think a perfect place to learn cave diving.
Now being new to the whole technical thing I was wondering how big the difference was between different training agencies. Looking around a bit it seems there is a lot of IANTD and TDI. What are the differences between the organisations? Are there otehr organisations I should be considering? I'm sure there are people on this forum with lots of experience with perhaps more than one organisation who could tell me what they think, or just give me the opinion of the one you took it with.
Obviously being a recreational diving instructor myself i realise that a lot depends on the quality of the instructor, often more so than on course content. But I would just like general opinions on the different organisations.

Thanks

 

[john long]

Don't overlook the NSS-CDS and the NACD

 

[rjack321]

Right down the road from you in Puerto Aventuras
http://www.zerogravity.com.mx/

 

[daniel f aleman]

OP, don't waste time or money - two of the best cave instructors working are right in your town, Andreas Matthes and Scott Carnahan. They are affiliated with all the main cave training agencies and can offer you the info that you need.

ProTec - Playa del Carmen, Mexico

 

[TSandM]

I did a TDI cavern and Intro class in Mexico, and then I did GUE Cave 1. I can tell you that there is no comparison -- none -- between the two classes. For objective data, my TDI class began at about 10 am and finished up no later than four. My GUE class began at 7:30 am, and we were often rolling into the condo after 9 pm. The instructor, when told about how much shorter the hours were in my prior class, looked at me in bewilderment and said, "I don't know what I could leave OUT!"

We did more book work, more lecture, more land drills, more attention to detail, and much more complex and challenging diving. When I came out of the first class, I was nervous and insecure about diving in caves, and the dives I did after that I made sure I had experienced people with me. When I finished Cave 1, I felt FAR better prepared to go off with my classmates and do a Cave 1 level dive in a cave where we hadn't been before. And we did -- for a week -- and had a ball.

Now, I do not want to cast aspersions on my original instructor at all. He was exactly what I needed and wanted at the time. He was patient and kind and cheerful, and he covered all the basic information and skills, and I like him enormously and still dive with him. It's just that the second class was so much MORE.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Like anything else, find an instructor that works for you. There are good and bad instructors in all agencies. However, I did choose NSS-CDS and NACD when I began my instructor search years ago because they are the only agencies that teach nothing but cave.

 

[daniel f aleman]

I did a TDI cavern and Intro class in Mexico, and then I did GUE Cave 1. I can tell you that there is no comparison -- none -- between the two classes.

I sure hope so!

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To the OP:

Cave agency curricula are so similar that the differences amount to choice of instructor and the dive sites dived. Learning to cave dive in the Maya is easier than in most North Florida caves.

But to compare, study the syllabus of each: TDI Cave, GUE 1, IANTD Cave Diver, NAUI Cave Level 1, NACD Full Cave, and NSS-CDS Cave.

I assisted on four NAUI Cave Level 1 classes and two NACD Full Cave classes when I was down in Cozumel over the Spring. Both courses were held over eight days, sun up to sun down.


Daniel

 

[TSandM]

I think the NAUI cave curriculum actually makes the most sense, the way they divide things up and what they teach at each level. But I don't think there are as many NAUI cave instructors as there are for some of the other agencies.

 

[ucfdiver]

I have taken intro/basic under two different NACD instructors, and the difference between them was night and day (teaching methods, I'm not saying one was any better or worse than the other). You really need to do your homework in choosing an instructor for you.

There are some differences between GUE NACD NSS-CDS and NAUI intro/basic/cave1 courses. Things including navigation (naui allows 2 jumps), penetration (1/6 NACD/NSS-CDS or 1/3 NAUI of total gas), and I don't think any allow deco at the basic/cave1/intro level. Also some allow "zero to hero" where you get trained cavern through full cave all at once.

I'm a n00b and don't have the experience to give an opinion on any of them, but there are obvious differences that you'll see when you review course curriculum.

 

[stairman]

I agree the instructor is more important than the organization.My opinion would be NSS-CDS or NACD.I hold cave cards for both agencies.I cant comment on the others except maybe GUE.Im sure they are top notch,but youll have to start from scratch with a fundies course and log quite a few dives before proceeding on to cave1.They are more expensive and are more picky with gear brands and setup.Since a few instructors were mentioned above Ill list my two favorites,Jill and Paul Heinerth.