NSS-CDS Courses

National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section

Courses selected to offer you the highest level of education  for cavern or cave exploration.

Single Tank Cavern Diver;

This course develops the minimum skills and knowledge for cavern diving, and describes the dangers involved with cave diving. Planning, environment, procedures, techniques, problem solving, and other specialized needs of cavern diving are covered. Problem solving in cavern diving includes, but is not limited to: body positioning (trim), buoyancy control, emergency procedures, line following, and propulsion techniques. Accident analysis forms the basis of this learning experience. Special emphasis on the unique environment includes silting, entanglement, disorientation, and equipment modifications. The Single Tank Cavern Diver Course is in no way intended to provide instruction for cave diving. This course level is an entry level program for those interested in cave diving, and is also a safety program for open water divers. It can be combined with the Single Tank Introduction to Cave Diver course.

Single Tank Introduction to Cave Diver;

This course covers the basic principles of actual cave diving. Accident analysis forms the basis of the training. Introduction to Cave Diver follows the Single Tank Cavern Diver course as the Cave Diving Section's second step in the development of safe techniques for cave diving. The basis of this course is aimed at perfecting basic skills and the mastering of techniques and procedures required for the most elementary of cave dives. Cave dives are planned around very limited penetrations so that the diver may progress into cave diving at a conservative pace. The Single Tank Introduction to Cave Diver course is not intended to train divers for all facets of cave diving. This course develops the minimum skills and knowledge required for limited penetration cave diving. Dive planning, cave environment, procedures, techniques, problem solving, and other specialized needs of cavern/cave diving are covered. This course level can also be combined with the Single Tank Cavern Diver course.

Apprentice Cave Diver;

This is the third in a series of cave diver development training courses. Emphasis is upon dive planning and skill perfection through actual cave dives. Techniques learned through the earlier Introduction to Cave Diver and Cavern Diver courses are critiqued and expanded. Exposure to different cave-diving scenarios is the foundation of this training. The Apprentice Cave Diver course level represents the first half of the training ultimately required to complete the Cave Diver level, and is not intended to prepare divers for evaluating all facets of cave diving; a time-limited training card is issued upon completion. It is intended to expose students to basic fundamental principles of cave diving. Students are encouraged to move on to the next level of training before attempting to plan and execute complex cave dives. The Apprentice Cave Diver course can be combined with the Cave Diver course.

Cave Diver;

This is the fourth in a series of cave diver development training courses. Exposure to more sophisticated cave-diving scenarios is the foundation of this training. Complex cave dive planning and execution is emphasized. Techniques learned during the previous training levels are refined in more challenging cave diving environments. The basics of underwater cave surveying are introduced. This course level can also be combined with the Apprentice Cave Diver course.

Stage Diving;

A specialty course level. This course is intended to help develop the participant's skills and knowledge in extended penetration diving with the use of a stage cylinder. Longer decompression and more complex navigation concerns are covered.

DPV Pilot;

A specialty course level. The purpose of the DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) Pilot specialty course is to expose the trained cave diver to the basic fundamentals of the safe operation of diver propulsion vehicles in underwater caves while under the direct supervision of a qualified DPV Pilot Instructor. The student is able to build practical experience in the field under controlled conditions. Safety practices, procedures and techniques common to most DPV's used in the unique environment of a cave are covered. Conservation considerations such as low-impact operation are emphasized. Potential emergency situations are simulated and practiced.

Introduction to Sidemount Diving;

A specialty course level. This course is designed to expose the experienced cave diver to alternative cylinder and harness configurations when back-mounted cylinders are not appropriate or available.

Basic U/W Cave Surveying;

A specialty course level. This course is designed to provide the participants with the fundamentals of surveying underwater caves. It is intended to motivate more divers to survey caves, to encourage the use of cave maps in dive planning, and to increase the quantity of published cave maps. Additionally, this program is to promote standardization for all survey projects.

Introduction to Cartography;

A specialty program. This is a data management-oriented program and is designed to introduce the basics of underwater cave map presentations. The goal of this program is to develop an ability to complete the surveying and map-making process and actually produce a map.

Recovery Specialist;

A specialty program. The Recovery Specialist Program is a management-oriented program designed to introduce cave divers to the fundamentals of conducting and investigating a cave-diving related fatality and recovery. Participants receive information as to how the Recovery Team is organized, deployed to an accident scene and interacts with local law enforcement officers, the responsibilities at the accident scene, information gathering, organizing a search, determining equipment and diver needs for recovery, dealing with the media and completing necessary accident-investigation reports.

Recovery Diver;

A specialty program. The Recovery Diver Program is a two-part program. The first part is a management-oriented program as described in the Recovery Specialist. The second part introduces Procedures, Techniques, and Equipment required for the extraction or rescue of a diver/divers lost in a cave. This program requires land drills and in-water training.

Extended Range Diver;

A specialty program. This course is meant to further the development and training of the cave diver. A primary focus in this course is to expand on previously learned skills and to introduce complex navigation, safe execution of circuits and/or traverses, decompression theory, oxygen management, accelerated decompression, Hypoxic Trimix and/or Trimix theory, multiple cylinder gas management and surveying. The use of stage cylinders for extended penetration is introduced.

Research Diver;

A specialty program. This course is meant to train cave divers to collect scientific information and/or specimens from underwater caves. A primary focus in this course involves utilizing previously learned cave diving skills to conduct photographic and video documentation, record data and observations, map artifacts or habitats, identify organisms, collect biological specimens, collect water samples and measure water quality.