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I know many of us have made fun of PADI's cavern course. But it looks like PADI is taking steps to make this a more legitimate course preparing students for further overhead training. Starting in Q1 of this year, there are new changes to the standards for this course.
1) Out of Air drills: OOA drills must be practiced in open water prior to entering an overhead environment. OOA drills are now performed on cavern dives 3 and 4 in an overhead environment.
Previous standard: No OOA drills in an overhead environment.
2) Gas management: Divers must now use the rule of thirds for planning their overhead dives.
Previous standard: Divers must independently calculate turn pressures.
3) Restrictions: Places to narrow to allow divers to pass side by side or piggyback are prohibited.
Previous standard: Nothing about restrictions
4) Cavern Instructor Prerequisite: Instructors must now be FULL cave certified from a cave diving training agency. No word if PADI will accept a GUE Cave 2 card or not.
Previous standard: Cavern instructors only had to be Into to Cave trained
5) Instructor equipment: Cavern instructors must now wear full cave diving equipment including doubles and long hose.
Previous standard: Same equipment as student.
6) Equipment recommendations: Students are highly encouraged to wear BP/W and a long hose. Students are still not permitted to use doubles for the class.
So I think this is a good step in the right direction for PADI, but I don't think it quite matches up with NACD or the CDS. Still doesn't come close to GUE. I really hope this is not in preparation for a PADI full cave course.
1) Out of Air drills: OOA drills must be practiced in open water prior to entering an overhead environment. OOA drills are now performed on cavern dives 3 and 4 in an overhead environment.
Previous standard: No OOA drills in an overhead environment.
2) Gas management: Divers must now use the rule of thirds for planning their overhead dives.
Previous standard: Divers must independently calculate turn pressures.
3) Restrictions: Places to narrow to allow divers to pass side by side or piggyback are prohibited.
Previous standard: Nothing about restrictions
4) Cavern Instructor Prerequisite: Instructors must now be FULL cave certified from a cave diving training agency. No word if PADI will accept a GUE Cave 2 card or not.
Previous standard: Cavern instructors only had to be Into to Cave trained
5) Instructor equipment: Cavern instructors must now wear full cave diving equipment including doubles and long hose.
Previous standard: Same equipment as student.
6) Equipment recommendations: Students are highly encouraged to wear BP/W and a long hose. Students are still not permitted to use doubles for the class.
So I think this is a good step in the right direction for PADI, but I don't think it quite matches up with NACD or the CDS. Still doesn't come close to GUE. I really hope this is not in preparation for a PADI full cave course.