Cave Diver Course

The TDI Full Cave Diver course is the final step in the overhead environment training pathway, designed for divers who have completed Intro to Cave and are ready to master advanced cave diving techniques. This course focuses on complex navigation, advanced planning, and emergency procedures in challenging cave systems—developing the highest level of proficiency and confidence in true overhead diving.

The course will be conducted in world-class cave systems like Tajma Ha, Minotauro, and Chan Hol in the Riviera Maya, offering the perfect environment for advanced cave diver training with real-world conditions and breathtaking formations.

Course Topics Include:

  • Complex cave dive planning and advanced gas management (e.g., thirds and sixths rules)

  • Navigation techniques involving T's, jumps, circuits, and traverses

  • Advanced guideline work and directional marker usage

  • Dealing with equipment failures, air-sharing, and team problem-solving in the cave zone

  • Advanced propulsion techniques for silt management in tight or fragile environments

  • Environmental awareness, conservation, and best practices for minimal impact cave diving

Course Structure:

  • Academic Sessions: Focused on advanced cave dive theory, team procedures, emergency scenarios, and dive planning

  • Cave Dives: Typically 6–8 dives (depending on progression) including complex navigation, extended penetrations, and full cave dive scenarios with problem-solving and contingency training

Prerequisites:

  • Minimum age: 18 years old

  • Minimum certification: TDI Intro to Cave Diver or equivalent

  • Minimum of 100 logged dives recommended (with experience in overhead environments)

Certification Outcome:
Upon successful completion, divers will earn the TDI Full Cave Diver certification, allowing them to conduct complex and extended cave dives beyond the daylight zone, including traverses and circuits, using a continuous guideline. This certification represents the highest level of overhead environment training and opens the door to further exploration, survey, or technical diving projects in underwater cave systems.