PADI Cavern vrs....

[DogDiver]

A wise suggestion would be to train with NSS-CDS or NACD for any cave/cavern training. As a NAUI OW instructor, I would recommend either of those agency's.

 

[CamG]

All cave instructors I have trained with or around require a skill evaluation dive or two to get an idea of where the students strengths and weaknesses are.
From that point on then they set the pace of training with specific goals.
I found this to be very easy to follow.

Agencies have some different criteria and instructors can require different skills.
Personally I found this to be awesome!
I can not stress the necessity of diving, water time mastering skills.
I wanted to finish Full or Cave training but it took me a years worth of cave dives and or training mastering the skills then a washed out schedule forced more experience dives in between.
I was very disappointed that I had to put the training on hold, however when I did get to take the class I found that my experience dives were a big help and all the time spent running reels above and below water, countless hours of reading three agencies training manuals, studying video, working with other divers in the quarries back home.

It gave me time to select just what agency I wanted to finish with and what instructor.
How one starts the journey is one small part of the entire training but mixing it up a bit proved to be massively beneficial for me.
SDI/TDI, NSS-CDS, NACD,etc. great agencies when talking cave.
Enjoy your training seek out the best and do not settle for being just good enough but desire mastery of skills!

CamG

 

[USFpsychDiver]

My Cavern and Cave I certs were through NAUI. NAUI cave I is roughly equivalent to Apprentice (dive to 1/3rds, two jumps) except NAUI Cave I is no deco and Apprentice allows limited deco. I think NACD and NSS-CDS intro are both 4 dives and apprentice is 4 dives; NAUI Cave I is 10 dives. Apprentice also expires in a year; NAUI Cave I does not. The friend I took NAUI Cave I shortly after has gone on to take full Cave, through NSS-CDS I believe, and her instructor accepted NAUI Cave I as Apprentice, although, as others have mentioned here, I'm sure it was skill level, not ownership of a cert card that was the deciding factor. I'm diving for a year or 15 months at NAUI Cave I before I take my next training, which I expect to be Cave, probably from a NSS-CDS instructor. There's a lot of cave to see within the 1/3rds of doubles and two jumps limitation -- in fact, my first couple of months of diving after certification I didn't leave the gold line -- just because my card said I could do it didn't mean I had to. I've also had the good fortune to dive with a number of very experienced cave divers who have been very generous with their time and knowledge; I will be much more prepared for my next class because of this informal mentoring/training/experience. I do plan to use a different instructor for my next class, not because there's anything wrong with my original instructor, but because each instructor, while teaching the same basic skills, has their own way of doing things, and seeing things done multiple ways is helpful. I've been a snow skier for many years and take lessons every year and every year I use a different instructor because, while they all teach the same skills, they all do it in a different way, and multiple perspectives help me learn. So don't worry about the issuing agency, get a good instructor.

I am not advocating NAUI here; it's just worked well for me and I think makes a good comparison case for PADI Cave training. No one has yet refused to dive with me because my card has NAUI on it.

 

[rjack321]

A wise suggestion would be to train with NSS-CDS or NACD for any cave/cavern training. As a NAUI OW instructor, I would recommend either of those agency's.

Seriously?

New flash! There are some really sheety instructors out there. OW through full cave. And there are crappy instructors with every agency.

 

[karstdvr]

I think the big issue of the PADI cavern certification is how instructors are made. At one time (and could still be) inorder to be a PADI cavern instructor the only requirement was be a PADI instructor,hold an intro cert,proof of 25 (?) cave dives at that level,and pay the fee to PADI to teach the course. NSS-CDS and NACD require instructors to be full cave,completed 100 cave dives,and go through intership with an instructor institute. Does all this guarantee one cavern instructor is better than another-No,but if presented with the same credentials who would you chose.

 

[Superlyte27]

Karst, you are correct. The PADI route to cavern instructor hasn't changed.

Also, I've not seen an NSS-CDS, NACD or IANTD instructor teach an intro to cave class that was only 4 dives.

---------- Post added February 1st, 2013 at 08:49 AM ----------

I would enjoy the critique, thanks. BTW, very nice website.

Thank you.

 

[ucfdiver]

Also, I've not seen an NSS-CDS, NACD or IANTD instructor teach an intro to cave class that was only 4 dives.

I've taken one that was 4 dives from a NACD instructor.

 

[LiteHedded]

I dont remember exactly how many dives my iantd intro class was. but it wasn't a bunch

 

[USFpsychDiver]

Also, I've not seen an NSS-CDS, NACD or IANTD instructor teach an intro to cave class that was only 4 dives.

I was just going by the minimum requirements as posted by the agencies:
NACD: "The Introduction to Cave Diving course is taught in a minimum of two days and includes and a minimum of four single tank cave dives"
That's from the NACD website. I also thought Intro was taught in doubles exclusively.

From the NSS-CDS website at NSS-CDS Training Programs | National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section it says 2 days/4 dives each for Intro and Apprentice.

NAUI doesn't post the number of dives required on their web site, but I've seen the requirements posted several places including this course description:

NAUI Cave Diver Level I

which says 4 days and 10 dives, which is what my course was. May well be that no one actually teaches to the minimum. My point wasn't so much the exact number of dives, but rather that different agencies organize the skills into different 'bundles' and that this organization is worth considering. Opinions may vary on which way of organizing is better; there are good arguments that limiting the beginning cave diver to penetration that can be reached on 1/6ths; but you can't see that much cave on 1/6ths, so I personally wouldn't want to hang out at that level long. On the other hand, the NAUI training says 'no deco' and I can't do a single dive to 1/3rds at Ginnie or Little River, much less repetitive dives, without incurring some deco obligation.

When I cave dive with a new buddy or talk to someone about further training I tell them my training level, my instructor, and my best personal assessment of my skill level. No one has yet refused to dive with me or said I'd have to start training over.

 

[TSandM]

My Intro class was two days and four dives, done in doubles. I got a TDI card for it.