Rebreather Full Cave Diver Course

Are you a Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) diver who is a serious adventure seeker wishing to explore overhead environments? Sign up for the TDI Full Cave Diver Course!

This course is the third stage of overhead environment training in the series of TDI’s Rebreather Full Cave Diver Development Program. Advanced rebreather cave dive planning, the practical execution of different types of cave systems and scenarios divers encounter are presented. This cave diving course is not intended to prepare divers for evaluating all facets of cave diving. The objective of this course is to expand and critique previous skills accomplished in the TDI Rebreather Cavern and Introductory Cave Diving Programs. Emphasis is placed upon dive planning, bailout range requirements, and skill perfection through actual cave penetration.

Who this course is for

The certified TDI Rebreather Introductory Cave Diver (or equivalent), who has interest in moving forward with overhead environment diving and expanding their diving techniques, capabilities, range, and more!

Course prerequisites:
- Minimum age 18
- Certified TDI CCR Air Diluent Decompression Procedures Diver certification or equivalent
- Provide proof of a minimum of 50 logged dives and 50 hours on the rebreather unit used in training
- Provide proof of certification as a:
- TDI Rebreather Introductory Cave Diver or equivalent

OR

- TDI Full Cave Diver or equivalent

What you can expect to learn

The TDI Rebreather Full 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
Use referencing as back-up navigation
Demonstrate adequate anti-silting techniques
Simulate a primary light failure, and use back light to exit the cave
Demonstrate lost line drills using instrumentation lighting only
Demonstrate lost diver drills
Demonstrate to use of reels to perform jumps and gaps required in circuits and traverses to maintain a continuous guideline to open water
Exit the cave flying the rebreather in SCR mode
Exit the cave simulating solenoid failure (if applicable)

Demonstrate advanced navigation techniques including a minimum of:

4 jumps
2 circuits

Demonstrate rebreather unit specific skills in compliance with current level of rebreather certification as outlined in the TDI course curriculum

*Note: At NO point during the TDI Rebreather Full Cave Diver Development Program should the diver be unable to monitor their PO2 while on their rebreather. Zero visibility drills must be performed in a realistic way, allowing the student the ability to monitor their handset or heads up display.

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
- Planned dives do not exceed diver’s current certification level
- Diver must maintain a continuous guideline
- Proper cave diving equipment must be used
- Safety and decompression stops as appropriate or necessary
- No equipment removal in cave

TDI Rebreather Full 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

Would you like to see more? Go to the page Cave Diving Courses.