Cavern diver certification

[knfmn]

Hello, all! I hope it's ok to post this here, even though it's not technically a cave diving question. I'm a relatively new diver, but when I was in Mexico with my wife in January I had a chance to dive in the cenotes and fell in love with them. I've set myself the goal of getting my cavern diver certification so I can repeat that experience anytime I'm in Florida or Mexico. To attain this goal I'm working on my AOW course and diving as much as I can in Massachusetts while working on my skills.
The question I have is this: There are a ton of different agencies offering cavern certifications and it's hard to figure out which one seems to be the best. Do you have any suggestions of who to go with? What would be the best skills to truly hone before I attempt this course? Do you guys (and girls!! sorry!) have any suggestions for good agencies in North Florida or the Playa Del Carmen area to contact for the cert?

Thanks so much,

Kristopher

 

[azchipka]

Kristopher,

Its going to be more about the Instructor teaching the course then the agency. Most instructors who teach cavern, tech, cave courses all have the ability to issue the certifications under multiple agencies. In the big picture the agency you select is going to only effect the course slightly mostly just in the terms of the course materials and the exams you take. The skills required are basically the same for all agencies.

Feel free to PM me if you need any additional information.

 

[kwinter]

If you are serious about liking the peace and beauty of caves, get some more dive experience first. Mastering buoyancy control is essential and is only acquired through diving a lot.

Then when you're ready, do a combination course of Cavern/Intro Cave. It will give you a real taste of the underworld environment. NACD and NSS-CDS both specialize in cave training and preserving our caves.

In general it's better to learn in Florida and then dive in Mexico.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Kristopher, there are some differences in agencies. The major differences occur in how they train and make instructors. Of the most common agencies, NACD and NSS-CDS, the 2 cave diving agencies, have the most stringent requirements. Both require 3 internships at each level with 3 different instructors followed by a separate instructor exam for each level with 2 more instructors. The technical dive agencies only require 2 internships, which can be done with the same instructor, and an IE, which can also be done with the same instructor. The recreational agencies only require proof of number of dives (only 20 dives required to become a cavern instructor). There are also some agencies that may issue instructor ratings based on who you know. That being said, azchipka is correct that most instructors can issue certifications through different agencies. I issue NACD, NSS-CDS, IANTD, and TDI. This is not uncommon in North Florida. My recommendation is to look at the NACD and NSS-CDS web sites and contact instructors listed on those sites.

As for skills, the main thing you'll want to work on is maintaining horizontal trim and neutral buoyancy while task loaded. If you can do that, the rest is easy. Don't try to practice any cavern specific skills until they are taught to you properly. You might want to consider taking an Intro to Tech course. However, make sure you interview potential instructors and get into a course that is more like a fundamentals of diving course rather than an discover tech course.

 

[TSandM]

Congratulations on acquiring the cave bug! (And this was a very appropriate post for this forum -- after all, a cavern cert is the first step to an expensive, long-term obsession )

It is my belief, having gone through my own educational process into the caves, that one should learn as much as possible in open water before trying to learn in the overhead. To that end, I would HIGHLY recommend finding a GUE primer or GUE Fundamentals class in the northeast. Do it in a single tank, and get some good feedback on your buoyancy and trim, and an introduction to cave-type emergency procedures. Then do a lot of fun diving, until you can easily perform the basic skills (mask clear, mask replacement, and air-sharing) without losing buoyancy or trim. THEN go do your cavern class -- you'll be well prepared to focus on the cavern-specific things of line running, lost line and lost buddy drills, and lights-out exits.

Hope to see you in a Mexican cavern in the near future!

 

[knfmn]

Thank you all for the advice. It seems like a NSS-CDS course is the way to go. I'm trying to dive as often as I can to improve my basic skills and, as I mentioned, will be doing my AOW course later this summer to continue improving. I figure if nothing else, diving in the 45 degree water up here with all the necessary gear will prepare me to begin my journey into the caverns. Now I just have to convince my wife that this is something I need...lol. She mentioned the other day how expensive this hobby is. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had a feeling that we'd only hit the tip of the iceberg....lol.

Kristopher

 

[TSandM]

Just a small point, but a lot of instructors cross-certify just so they can offer you the card you want. When you get to this level of instruction, it really IS the instructor and not the agency. Some instructors are lenient and will let you through without really insisting on a standard of performance, and others are far more demanding. For going into caves, you want to be held to high skills. Caves aren't going to make any concessions to your lack of knowledge or skill.

 

[kwinter]

Thank you all for the advice. It seems like a NSS-CDS course is the way to go. I'm trying to dive as often as I can to improve my basic skills and, as I mentioned, will be doing my AOW course later this summer to continue improving. I figure if nothing else, diving in the 45 degree water up here with all the necessary gear will prepare me to begin my journey into the caverns. Now I just have to convince my wife that this is something I need...lol. She mentioned the other day how expensive this hobby is. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had a feeling that we'd only hit the tip of the iceberg....lol.

Kristopher

Tell her the best way to explore caves is with a rebreather. That will go over well. It will set you on a course to spend some real money.

 

[knfmn]

Tell her the best way to explore caves is with a rebreather. That will go over well. It will set you on a course to spend some real money.

I'm not even at the point of *needing* a rebreather yet...lol. They are stunningly expensive. I would be hard pressed to tell her I need something that costs as much as a good used car so I can dive longer and deeper. I'm thinking that would lead to some serious dog house time...lol.

Kristopher

 

[boulderjohn]

The recreational agencies only require proof of number of dives (only 20 dives required to become a cavern instructor).

I can't speak for all recreational agencies, but this is not true for PADI. To be a PADI cavern instructor, an instructor must have full cave certification from one of the recognized agencies, like NACD or NSS-CDS.

If the only thing you ever want to do is poke around in the cavern zone, a cavern certification from a recreational agency will do--the required skills are about the same as for the other agencies. On the other hand, if you have any thoughts of following a path to full certification, I recommend going with one of the agencies that specializes in cave instruction.