Introduction to Cave Diving

[JerseyJames]

I'm looking at undergoing a cave diving course (entry level) in the UK next year. I'm a (non teaching) PADI instructor with over 20 years experience of diving. I'm also a qualified Tec diver.

I've been doing my research on instructors and establishments in the UK but would be very interested to hear the views and recommendations of fellow cave divers in the UK also along with any recommended reading.

Many thanks!

 

[rivers]

I would pop over to The Dive Forum and ask there. It's more of a UK centric forum, and UK cave diving isn't like the caves in Florida, Mexico, or France

 

[Redshift]

I think there are two main ways to start cave diving in the UK.

You can go via the Cave Diving Group and take a caving-first approach and then reach the diving part. This will take some time and the focus is more on reaching somewhere than on diving Cave Diving Group
Coming from that approach, but where you can just go and do the courses, you have Martyn Farr, an extremely experienced guy Farrworld Cave Diving Courses, Harnesses, Caving Equipment, Books Martyn Farr

Then you can go to instructors who are teaching more from the diving perspective and in a similar style to how it's taught in other countries (also because they are following international agencies).
Guy Wallis at DeepTech - Cave (TDI) is experienced and a really nice person. Will present you some ways of doing things in the UK, but also the differences to Florida et al.
Phil Short Phil Short Technical - Consultant to the Diving Industry, he's quite a celebrity and involved in many projects, don't know how available he is and the times I noticed him offering courses, I think they went down to France.

There is a possible third way, the GUE way, which will also offer you very solid training, but I don't know if they teach cave in the UK.

 

[karstdvr]

Give some consideration to Martin Robson Martin Robson Tec Diving - UK cave diving, wreck diving and rebreather diving Instructor Martin Robson.