Cavern Diving
| Cavern and cave diving
are not for everyone. Nevertheless, if you are comfortable and relaxed in the water,
possess above-average buoyancy control skills and -- most importantly -- have a genuine
interest in exploring natural overhead environments as safely and as conscientiously as
possible, then these may be appropriate and enjoyable activities for you. |
|
This section of Ginnie Springs
Outdoors' website is designed to accomplish a number of goals. Among them: - It answers
several of the most frequently asked questions
regarding cavern and cave diving. - It provides comprehensive information about Ginnie
Springs Outdoors' Cavern and Intro to Cave Diver courses, including how to enroll in such
training. With this information, you will be better prepared to determine whether cavern
or cave diving may be right for you, and how to take advantage of Ginnie Springs'
comprehensive training opportunities to learn to cavern or cave dive as safely as
possible.
Important:
Cavern and Introduction to cave diving
courses are available from Independent Instructors at Ginnie Springs
Outdoors. All of the instructors are Independent Contractors, and the
terms of each course are established directly between you and the
instructor. Because none of the instructors are its employees, Ginnie
Springs Outdoors is not responsible to you for the actions of any
instructor. |
| CAVERN DIVER COURSE The Cavern Diver course prepares divers to, as
safely as possible, explore that portion of a cave system that is within direct sight of
daylight. It functions as either the first step in a comprehensive program of
overhead-environment training, leading to full Cave Diver certification, or as a separate
course in and of itself.
Duration: Two days, four dives
|
Class Schedule
Prerequisites:
Although NSS-CDS training standards do not require students to have any more training or
experience than is represented by an entry-level, Open Water Diver card, most experts
recommend that, before enrolling in any form of overhead-environment training, divers
must:
- Be certified to at least the Advanced Open
Water Diver level, or have equivalent training/experience.
- Possess above-average buoyancy-control
skills.
- Be extremely comfortable and relaxed in the
water -- even without a mask.
- Own most or all of their personal dive
equipment, and be thoroughly familiar with its function and use (see required equipment
list).
- Have logged a number of dives, particularly
in the months just prior to participating in overhead environment training.
Although most divers will benefit from
Cavern Diver training, students who meet these recommendations will not only get more from
the course, they will also be the ones most likely to complete the course successfully and
receive an NSS-CDS Cavern Diver Training Completion Card.
Topics: The Cavern Diver course incorporates academic learning, dry-land exercises and
in-water training. Academic topics include:
- Cavern Diver training: Intent and
limitations
- Cave conservation, landowner relations
- Accident analysis and corresponding safety
rules
- Cavern/cave formation and terminology
- Cave and cavern entrance types
- General and specific hazards of the overhead
environment
- Equipment requirements and modification
- Cavern/cave diving techniques overview
- Cavern/cave dive planning procedures
- Standard cavern/cave diving communications
- Psychological aspects of cavern/cave diving;
stress management
Problem solving and emergency procedures.
Dry-land exercises cover:
- Equipment modification
- Basic reel use
- Guideline deployment, including tie-offs and
wraps
- Guideline retrieval, including team member
role responsibilities
- Guideline following under adverse
conditions/touch-contact communication
- Gas sharing while maintaining guideline
contact In-water training includes repetition of all dry-land drills, plus:
- Anti-silting propulsion techniques
- Simulated loss-of-visibility and
loss-of-breathing-gas emergencies
- Multiple practice cavern dives
Cavern Diver course
fees include all instruction, (2) days admission to Ginnie Springs Outdoors and all air
fills. The NSS-CDS Training Completion Card fee is an additional $25.00. Equipment rental
or modification items are not included in the course fee. NACD and/ or PADI Cavern Diver
certification may also be available, for an additional fee of $25.00
Please note: The new NSS-CDS
Student Workbook is not included in the course fee but may be purchased in advance from
Ginnie Springs Outdoors for $29.95 (please add $5.00 for shipping if you want it shipped
to you).
- To check availability or reserve
your space, call 386-454-7188 between the hours of 8am to 6pm. You
can also email
rose@ginniespringsoutdoors.com Be sure to discuss deposit
refund policy with your instructor.
|
Price Per
Student |
|
Course with 3 or more students |
$225.00 |
|
Course with 2 students |
$275.00 |
|
Course with 1 student |
$325.00 |
|
Intro to Cave Diving Course
The Intro to Cave Diver course prepares divers to, as safely as possible, conduct
limited exploration of popular cave systems, beyond sight of daylight. The limitations of
training restrict course graduates to:
- Linear penetration and return along a
single, permanent guideline or primary reel.
- Dives that do not entail mandatory stage
decompression.
- Use of single cylinders (unless under
instructor supervision).
- Intro to Cave Diver certification is an
important prerequisite to further Cave Diver training.
Duration: Two days, five dives.
Prerequisites:
In addition to meeting the recommendations
previously outlined for Cavern Diver Training , Intro to Cave students must possess an
NSS-CDS Training Completion Card or NACD Cavern Diver certification or it's equivalent.
Students who possess this certification, but who lack recent cavern diving experience,
should talk to one of Ginnie Springs Outdoors' staff instructors prior to enrollment in
the Intro to Cave course.
Topics/Skills:
The Intro to Cave Diver course covers the same academic topics and in-water skills as the
Cavern Diver course, but in greater depth. Additionally, it introduces students to several
new topics and skills, including those needed to access and use permanent cave system
guidelines, and extensive practice of lost-diver and other emergency procedures.
Course Fees:
Intro to Cave Diver course fees include all instruction, (2) days admission to
Ginnie Springs Outdoors and all air fills. The NSS-CDS Training Completion Card fee is an
additional $25.00. Equipment rental or modification items are not included in the course
fee. NACD Intro to Cave Diver certification may also be available, for an additional fee
of $25.00
Please note: The new NSS-CDS Student
Workbook is not included in the course fee but may be purchased in advance from Ginnie
Springs Outdoors for $29.95 (please add $5.00 for shipping if you want it shipped to you).
- To check availability or
reserve your space, call 386-454-7188 between the hours of 8am
to 6pm. You can also email
rose@ginniespringsoutdoors.com Be sure to discuss
deposit refund policy with your instructor.
|
Price Per
Student |
|
Course with 3 or more students |
$225.00 |
|
Course with 2 students |
$275.00 |
|
Course with 1 student |
$325.00 |
|
|
Equipment Requirements
Here is the equipment you need to supply to take part in Ginnie Springs Outdoors'
Cavern or Intro to Cave Diver courses:
 |
|
7' Second Stage
hose |
• |
• |
|
• = Required
º= Recommended |
Important:
We strongly encourage you to discuss the
suitability of the equipment you own with a member of the Ginnie Springs Outdoors
instructional staff before bringing it to class. Equally important, do not purchase any
new equipment for Cavern or Cave Diver training without discussing it with us first.
Equipment that isn't right can detract from your enjoyment of cavern and cave diving and
interfere with your learning process. In some cases it can actually be unsafe.
Unfortunately, it is easy to be misled.
We've seen a number of equipment catalogs that advertise items as being "perfect for
cave diving", when in fact no self-respecting cave diver would be caught dead in
them. Even the staff at your local dive store, who provided such expert advice when
helping you select your open water gear, will not be able to provide sound guidance on
purchasing equipment for cave diving; unless they, themselves are active, certified cave
divers. This is what we here at Ginnie Springs Outdoors do. We are abreast of all current
thinking on equipment configuration.
The bottom line is that you will most
likely save money and make the right purchase the first time if you seek out our advice at
the onset.
Students! We have special deals with major
savings for you! Please give us the opportunity to quote your equipment needs.
Check our latest dive package specials in our Online
Catalog!
