Are you ready to pick up where you left off in the TDI Rebreather Cavern Diver Course? Are you looking to expand upon the skills developed in your previous overhead environment training? Sign up for the TDI Rebreather Intro to Cave Diver Course!This course introduces the basic principles of rebreather cave diving utilizing a single primary guide line. The TDI Rebreather Introductory Cave Diver is the second level in the development of safe techniques for rebreather cave diving, directly building upon the TDI Rebreather Cavern Diver Course. This introduction to cave diving is not intended to train divers for all facets of rebreather cave diving. The objective of this course is the perfection of skills taught in the TDI Rebreather Cavern Diver Program, in addition to the adoption of additional techniques and procedures required for elementary rebreather cave dives

Who this course is for:

• The certified TDI Rebreather Cavern Diver or equivalent who has interest in moving forward with overhead environment diving and expanding their diving techniques, capabilities, and more!

Course prerequisites:

• Minimum age 18
• Minimum certification requirement: TDI CCR Air Diluent Diver, or equivalent
• Provide proof of certification as a:
  • TDI Rebreather Cavern Diver or equivalent

OR

• TDI Introductory Cave Diver or equivalent
• Provide proof of a minimum of 50 logged dives and 30 hours on the rebreather unit used in training

What you can expect to learn:

The TDI Rebreather Intro to Cave Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• Policies for rebreather cavern diving
• Psychological considerations
• Equipment considerations
  • Bailout cylinder options
  • Rebreather configuration options
  • Scrubber options
  • Buoyancy compensator device (BCD) / harness options
  • Reel options
  • Proper weighting
  • Equipment configurations
• Communication
  • Hand signals
  • Light signals
  • Touch contact signals
• Swimming techniques
  • Body posture / trim
  • Buoyancy control and rebreather weighting
  • Line following techniques
  • Propulsion techniques
• Physiology
  • Breathing techniques
  • Stress management
• Cave environment
  • Geology
  • Local access requirements
  • Land owner relations
• Conservation
• Problem solving
  • Equipment failure
  • Silting conditions
• Accident analysis
• Review of dive tables and decompression theory
• Cavern diving with Open Circuit (OC) divers
  • Bailout configuration requirements
  • Out of gas emergencies
• Cavern diving etiquette

Some of the in-water skills include all of the following and more:

• How to properly:
  • Deploy a guideline
  • Follow a guideline
  • Conduct bailout exit including bottle swapping while following a guideline
  • Conduct bailout exit including bottle swapping simulating zero visibility and using touch contact while following a guideline
• Use of safety reel in:
  • Lost diver procedures
  • Lost line drill
• S-drills to be performed on all dives
• Demonstrate adequate pre-dive planning
• Equipment check and equipment matching
• Demonstrate:
  • Specialized propulsion techniques in varying types of flow
  • Proper buoyancy control, body posture, stress analysis, oxygen partial pressure management, and overall rebreather instruments analysis
• Remove and replace mask while in contact with the guideline
• Demonstrate light / hand signals and touch contact
• Execute conservation and awareness techniques
• Explore Cavern
• Use referencing as back-up navigation
• Demonstrate adequate anti-silting techniques
• Simulate a primary light failure, and use back light to exit the cavern
• Demonstrate rebreather unit specific skills in compliance with current level of rebreather certification as outlined in the TDI course curriculum

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in single guideline rebreather cave diving activities without direct supervision provided the graduates adhere to the following requirements:

• Diver carries adequate bailout to safely exit from the furthest point of penetration and complete and decompression stops using a minimum SAC rating of 30 litres per minute / 1 cubic foot per minute OR the students calculated elevated SAC rate to account for a CO2 event, whichever is greater
• The diving activities approximate those of training
• No decompression cave diving
• Proper cave diving equipment must be used
• Maintain a continuous guideline, no jumps or gaps permitted.
• No equipment removal in cave
• Upon successful completion of this course, graduates are qualified to progress on to the next level of overhead environment training: the TDI Rebreather Full Cave Diver course!

TDI Rebreather Intro to Cave Diver minimum requirements:

• Satisfactorily complete the written examination with an 80% passing grade, followed by 100% remediation by the Instructor
• Perform all land drills and cave dive requirements efficiently
• Demonstrate mature, sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution
• Maintain an appropriate level of awareness and respect for the environment
• Log all training dives