TDI Full Cave???

[CCRMichael]

Can anyone tell me exactly what are the limits for TDI's Cave classes up to full cave are?

normally i compare certification limits to the NSS classes
http://www.nsscds.org/trainingprograms

i was wondering as i cant find to much on it and from looking up info on the forms and people i get conflicting info like limits are 1/3s, no-deco, and 40m max depth, unlimited jumps. and others that say the its a deco class rated to what ever depth your tech rated to :/

im trying to figure out whats what as one of the instructors im looking at taking cave with in a while teaches TDI

it seems they only do intro to cave and full cave as 2 separate classes which feels like there going to cram in alot of stuff if its equivalent to the NSS

Upon successful completion of this
course, graduates may engage in cave diving activities without direct
supervision provided the graduates adhere to the following limits:
1. Penetration is limited to the 1/3 air rule
2. 40 metres / 130 feet maximum depth
3. No equipment removal in cave
4.Safety and decompression stops as
appropriate or necessary if trained as TDI Decompression Procedures
Diver or Equivalent
5. Maintain a continuous guideline
6. Proper cave diving equipment is used

[fno]

The reality of this discussion is that there is the students point of view and the instructors point of view. I have met some prospective and current divers that did think a one shot Cavern to Cave Diver course makes sense. Many invariably had time issues and or ill conceived notion that they would be expert cave divers after a long week of overload learning under water. That's not an opinion, just an observation. Now for the opinion part. I believe that a cave course should be broken up into 2 or 3 sessions with a time period in between for improving the skills learned in between those sessions. How it's broken up is determined by whichever alphabet soup one chooses. The second aspect that I recommend is using two or more instructors during this process. This usually results in learning more than the basics and typically leads to more opportunities for learning and mentorship after certification as a cave diver. At the end of the day, the quality of the learning is determined more by the quality of the instructor and the skills and mind set of the student before, during, and after the class ends.

Frank Ohidy, finally unaffiliated with any training organizations.

[MikeT]

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...ning-Questions

I got a lot of great advice and suggestions in this thread so I thought I would share. As an aside, my Cavern course will be through TDI.

Mike

[RN]

TDI Intro is the same as NSS-CDS Intro but allows 40m max depth instead of 30m.
TDI Full combines NSS-CDS Apprentice and Full, with the same number of days and dives (8), and the same graduation limits.
NACD is another option, more like NSS-CDS than TDI in having three levels. But the NACD Apprentice (middle) level is only good for a year....it is an expiring, training level to allow you to practice for a year before doing Full.
Do any of them all the way through and you get the same thing and same limits. Stop part way and there are differences.
It is about the instructor, not the agency.

NSS-CDS Apprentice is also only good for a year.

[tursiops]

NSS-CDS Apprentice is also only good for a year.

Thanks, good to know that. It is not mentioned at http://www.nsscds.org/trainingprograms. I can see the full details for TDI (I'm an instructor) but have to go by the websites for NACD and NSS-CDS.

[fishinmaniac]

The difference is in the instructor not so much the agency through which they teach IMO.

[RN]

Thanks, good to know that. It is not mentioned at http://www.nsscds.org/trainingprograms. I can see the full details for TDI (I'm an instructor) but have to go by the websites for NACD and NSS-CDS.

NACD and NSS-CDS are the only agencies that have expiring certifications, AFAIK (GUE aside). As I understand it, the expiring certifications are there to try to keep divers from diving beyond their training limits. Historically, there was only one training level - Cave. This was eventually broken up to different levels. While I do teach standalone Apprentice classes I prefer not to. I prefer to use Apprentice as a provisional type off certification for cave. The temptation to do more than simple navigation at the apprentice level can be too much for some divers. What's one more jump? Or, it's just a short circuit? One of the things I stress in my apprentice classes is the limitation of simple navigation, which means one navigational decision.

[tursiops]

NACD and NSS-CDS are the only agencies that have expiring certifications, AFAIK (GUE aside). As I understand it, the expiring certifications are there to try to keep divers from diving beyond their training limits. Historically, there was only one training level - Cave. This was eventually broken up to different levels. While I do teach standalone Apprentice classes I prefer not to. I prefer to use Apprentice as a provisional type off certification for cave. The temptation to do more than simple navigation at the apprentice level can be too much for some divers. What's one more jump? Or, it's just a short circuit? One of the things I stress in my apprentice classes is the limitation of simple navigation, which means one navigational decision.

I think fixed-term certifications are good for many things, for example all diving certs! Rescue ought to expire, for example. It could be renewed by helping out with another Rescue class.
My original ham radio license had a one-year expiration, thus good incentive to upgrade.

I dived Apprentice for a year, got a lot of practice, but still took Full before I felt ready....and in fact I was not ready. Re-up'ed the Apprentice, then finally was ready.
During my Apprentice dives, the restrictions were mostly adhered to...
One comment, for those of us who have to integrate diving with work, and travel a fair distance to get to caves, one year is not much time or many dives.

[SlowDiver]

I have a question and I know I could ask a TDI instructor but thought others might like to know the answer also. When a diver takes full cave using a rebreather will the card they receive be unit specific?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DL348]

NACD and NSS-CDS are the only agencies that have expiring certifications, AFAIK (GUE aside).

I believe PSAI Apprentice Cave expires also.