NAUI Cave I course?

[The Chairman]

I dove with one of Chris' classes. I was pretty impressed with their understanding and skill. Chris is a good guy for someone who lives in Georgia!

 

[Moonglow]

NAUI Cave 1 is normally 6-7 days (it excludes the stand alone Cavern Course but includes the cavern material); though, it is recommended that one have taken Cavern, and Intro to Tech. NAUI Cave 1 teaches the diver to just beyond the NACD/NSS-CDS Basic level. NAUI Cave 2 takes the diver to just beyond the NACD/NSS-CDS Full Cave level.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

The standards appear to be:

NDL
2 navigational decisions (jumps or tees, I guess?)
Up to 1/3 of gas

I would call that more in between Intro and Apprentice, based on the standards..

 

[CaveMD]

I would call that more in between Intro and Apprentice, based on the standards..

I may have gotten something mixed up, I thought apprentice was 1/3, NDL, no jumps. and Intro was 1/6, no jumps, ndl. Which leaves cave I as apprentice to cave + 2 jumps

 

[The Chairman]

That was my understanding as well.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I may have gotten something mixed up, I thought apprentice was 1/3, NDL, no jumps. and Intro was 1/6, no jumps, ndl. Which leaves cave I as apprentice to cave + 2 jumps

Apprentice allows limited decompression and simple jumps and gaps.

 

[wjefferis]

To me the NAUI Cave I sounds like a lot off rush on skills. In one class you are already using 1/3rds and making navigational decisions. I think that training organizations like the NACD, NSS-CDS (who are cave diving specific) gradually present skills to give students a chance to learn. I think that NAUI may have missed the point more knowledgable training organizations on cave diving have made. I have no doubt that NAUI Cave I is intense, but I think it gives inexperienced divers too much, too soon. After one class it is conceivable that these students have the ability to get 2000'p in a cave and make navigational decisions. This just doesn't seem the be a good idea to me. I am getting ready to take my intro to cave class on October 23rd-24th. If I pass the class I plan on making many intro level cave dives to give myself the proper time and ability to gain experience. I will need this experience to become a better/safer cave diver. It will also allow me to go further with my training if I choose to go to apprentice in the future. When it comes to cave diving I think slow and steady is far better than rushing.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Yeah, Apprentice allows deco and some navigational decisions, and up to 1/3rd your gas for penetration.




In FL, most of the tourist caves will limit your dives by NDL before you reach 1/3rds. Definately sounds like NAUI Cave 1 is between Intro and Apprentice to me. Not only do they not allow decompression at that level, but your penetration will be limited in most places in order not to break that provision.

 

[kalik]

I knew this would be a good thread

 

[sskasser]

To me the NAUI Cave I sounds like a lot off rush on skills. In one class you are already using 1/3rds and making navigational decisions. I think that training organizations like the NACD, NSS-CDS (who are cave diving specific) gradually present skills to give students a chance to learn. I think that NAUI may have missed the point more knowledgable training organizations on cave diving have made. I have no doubt that NAUI Cave I is intense, but I think it gives inexperienced divers too much, too soon. After one class it is conceivable that these students have the ability to get 2000'p in a cave and make navigational decisions. This just doesn't seem the be a good idea to me. I am getting ready to take my intro to cave class on October 23rd-24th. If I pass the class I plan on making many intro level cave dives to give myself the proper time and ability to gain experience. I will need this experience to become a better/safer cave diver. It will also allow me to go further with my training if I choose to go to apprentice in the future. When it comes to cave diving I think slow and steady is far better than rushing.

I'm not aware of anything preventing an instructor for these agencies from presenting the comparable coursework in the comparable number of days...ie Zero to Hero course are allowed by those agencies.