Cave Diving Certifications

[skip]

I just read NAUI's list for cavern/cave diving I and was surprised to see that level I includes two jumps. They even teach the cavern class in doubles (with thirds rule), and include a stage cylinder. I am more familiar with no jumps at intro level (NAUI has cave diver II and III), sixths on thirds (unless doubles and waived) 30 feet of viz or more, etc.

What are the rules of different agencies? anyone else know of them? or am I wrong about this and NAUI is more in line with NSS-CDS and NACD and TDI?

-skip

[chimie007]

I started my cave training by doing Cave 1. It was 6 days and assumed you were proficient in doubles to start with. Not an easy course. In the end I compared it to apprentice or so. Following the class we were diving 1/3 of 104s, doing 2000'+ feet dives, two navigational decisions (so 2 jumps, unlimited gaps). The only part missing to make it a full cave course is deco and circuit/traverse. I crossed over to NACD and did full cave with Larry Green earlier this year. Larry said our class wasn't typical at all since we had different training than the usual incoming full cave student.

From Charles "Scooter" Sellers

NAUI offers the following courses:
Cavern
Cave Level 1
Cave Level 2
Cave Level 3

There are no direct corelations to any other training agency's courses, they all overlap in one area or another. We had no intention of copying anyone else's course. Rather, try to take a completely different approach to cave training progression that would fit the needs or demands of todays diver.

The cavern course is a stand alone course designed as a primer for those divers who want to learn the basics of process & procedures for entering into an overhead environment, but are not committed to become a cave diver. It is a single tank course for certification. It is NOT a prerequisite for Cave 1.

The Cave Level 1 course starts at the beginning and teaches you how to cave dive. The prerequisites include:
18 Yrs of age.
Certification for introduction to technical diving.
Minimum of 75 logged dives
It's limitations include:
No-decompression
100' of depth
No major restrictions
No complex navigation (1 or 2 jumps)
It is done in double tanks exclusively, within the rule of 1/3's and covers:
Diving limitations and Policies
Cave formations & terminology
Conservation & land owner relations
Accident analysis
Guidelines & communications
Cave navigation & the use of maps
Dive planning, limitations & prep
Hazards associated with cave diving
NTEC gear requirements, Trim & propulsion
Problem solving & emergency planning

Cave Level 2 is the next step and continues your training after you have gained some experience at level 1. Cave level 2 goes beyond the traditional "Full Cave" certification to include stage diving. The prerequisites are:
Certified as a level 1 cave diver
Certified as a decompression and helitrox diver,
20 logged cave dives after level one
It covers the following:
A review of:
Course Limitations & Diving Policies
Accident Analysis
Cave Communications
Problem solving & emergency planning
NTEC for staging
Staging & the rule of thirds
Complex cave navigation & the use of maps
Decompression cave diving
Cave survey techniques and cave maps


Cave Level 3 is designed for the accomplished cave diver. It is a multistage, mixed gas, DPV course in which the use of backgas is reserved for emergency use.

[PerroneFord]

I thought NAUI's course offerings mirrored those of GUE. Names are the same, course outline looks the same, etc.

[Dan Thoms]

Very good observation..... 8)

[chimie007]

I thought NAUI's course offerings mirrored those of GUE. Names are the same, course outline looks the same, etc.

They pretty much do in the Tech curriculum. Tech 1 for both NAUI/GUE are pretty much normoxic trimix to 150'ish with one deco gas.

NAUI Cave 1 is significantly different with the 1/3 rule on doubles and multiples jumps. GUE Cave 1 is much more like "intro" with no jump and diving 1/6 of double (officially is less of 500 PSI or 1/3).

[rjack]

NAUI Cave1 does not = GUE Cave1

GUE Cave1 limits:
Doubles required but does not allow 1/3rds. Its 1/6th or 500 psi whichever is greater 100cf min to start a dive, which sometimes means you are diving ~1/4s.
No jumps
One T is allowed
Unlimited gaps if they transit open water (the definition of which is a bit nebulous)
<100ft depth
>30ft vis
no restrictions (although in practice this is pretty snug)
no deco
no stages
no DPVs
no exploration

GUE Cave1 is much more like cavern+intro in doubles while NAUI Cave1 is more like apprentice but without the time limits. GUE's is 5 days while NAUI's is typically 5 or 6 from what I've heard - depending on instructor.

[DogDiver]

As a NAUI Instructor.....the NAUI Tec Director is very!!!!!!! close to the GUE profile. I looked at the criteria that NAUI was using and some of the teaching aids at DEMA. With that said, when and if I choose to teach cave diving, it will be with CDS and NACD.....Ken

[DogDiver]

Page 1 of 2
NAUI Technical Equipment Configuration (NTEC)
for Open Circuit Technical Diver Training
For purposes of safety, uniformity of instruction and functionality, gear configurations for water
work and training exercises must be the same for instructors and students. Standardized rigging
of bottom and stage cylinders, isolation manifolds, cylinder gauges, inflators, primary regulators,
and backup regulators is crucial to the safety, success and effectiveness of technical diver
training. NTEC specific configurations of technical diving equipment, that is, its organization
and placement on the diver, are presented here for use in technical diver training courses.
Twin primary cylinders connected by a dual-port manifold with an isolation valve are required
for all training that will involve actual or simulated decompression stops. For training that does
not involve decompression, a single primary cylinder with an “H” or a “Y” valve is acceptable.
The primary regulator is to be mounted on the right valve port with its hose oriented to the right.
The hose should be of sufficient length appropriate to ease of gas sharing (5-8 feet/1.5-2.5 meters
for a normal adult). The hose is run straight down behind the right wing of the buoyancy
compensator, then across the chest area and looped from left to right around the neck and into the
mouth. The secondary regulator is to be mounted to the left valve port with its hose also oriented
to the right. The secondary-regulator hose is to be short, with the second stage hung from the
neck on a necklace (such as bungee cord or surgical tubing) for immediate accessibility.
The submersible pressure gauge is to be run from the left port’s first stage down the left side and
clipped to a left-side harness d-ring. The hose should be short enough to stay out of the
slipstream.
A wing-style buoyancy compensator is required and may be mounted to either a hard backplate
harness or a soft harness. (The hard backplate is highly recommended, and students who choose
to use a soft harness are to be advised that a hard-plate system is far more stable and secure.)
Decompression and/or stage cylinders must be used for any training that involves actual or
simulated decompression. There should be no “metal-to- metal” connection on any part of the rig;
that is, there must be at least one link in any connection that can be easily severed with a knife or
other cutting tool. Stage cylinders must be marked with their maximum operating depth in bold
numerals at least two inches (5 cm) high, placed along the cylinder’s longitudinal axis and
positioned so as to be readily visible to other team members. Similarly, oxygen cylinders must be
labeled with the word “oxygen” (or its equivalent in the dominant language) in bold letters at
least two inches (5 cm) high placed along the cylinder’s longitudinal axis.
Page 2 of 2
Each diver shall also be equipped with the following:
· Depth gauge, and timing device, i.e., dive computer or bottom recorder.
· Compass
· Slate or waterproof paper and pencil.
· Dive knife/tool.
· Emergency signaling device.
· Waterproof dive tables
· Minimum of one 50 lb/23 kg lift bag and one line reel.
· Cylinders and regulators properly cleaned and labeled as required for the breathing gas
mixtures involved, with a separate submersible pressure gauge for each gas system used.
Also, for primary cylinder(s), cylinder capacities must be appropriate for the planned dives
and all students’ breathing gas consumption rates. The decompression mix cylinder(s) and
cylinder capacities must also be appropriate for the planned dive and student breathing gas
consumption rates. Each decompression cylinder is to be equipped with a submersible
pressure gauge and prepared for side- mounting to a harness using bolt snaps. All high FO2
gas regulators will have a cover, band or other device that allows quick recognition of the
regulator as a supplier of oxygen-rich gas. Primary and backup regulators are required on all
primary scuba systems.

Note, there is no mention of reels or lights....and what do we do with a lift bag and compass in a cave.....lol Ken

[Line Squirrel]

Note, there is no mention of reels or lights....and what do we do with a lift bag and compass in a cave.....lol Ken

It's not a cave class. I did not see the word "overhead" or "cave" anywhere in that description. It's an openwater technical gear config outline.

[chimie007]

NAUI NTEC is a framework for both OW tech training and cave training. Since it is a framework (as opposed to a set config like GUE) it is modified according to the environment (ie. cave vs open water).

As for a compass into a cave, I can see many use for it.