CCR Cave Diver training line exercise at Cenote Eden / Ponderosa in Puerto Aventuras area, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

CCR Cave Diver Training

The basic CCR Diver course completion is a prerequisite in order to enroll into a CCR Cave Diver training program. Additionally you need to have accumulated a minimum of 30 hours on your CCR in open water prior enrolling into the CCR Cave Diver training program.

For the CCR Cave Diver course a minimum of seven full training days must be completed in order to develope the skills nececary to cave dive with your CCR. The training can be done here in our beautifull caves in Mexico or elsewhere on the planet.

The following training levels can be completed with us using your CCR:

CCR Cave Diver
CCR Normoxic Trimix Cave Diver
CCR Survey and Cartography
CCR DPV Cave Diver

Note* Depending on training agency there is training available for CCR Cavern and CCR Cave diving but not for the level of CCR Intro to Cave diving.

If have completed previously an open circuit cave diver program and want to go cave diving with you CCR you can do a cross over program that will give you credit for your open circuit cave training.

Below is a sample description of a o/c Cave Diver training program. Training standards may change without prior notice. Prior to course start latest verion of standards must be consulted.

Note* All CCR relevant emergency drills have to be performed in the openwater as well as in the cave environment during the course to insure propper reaction and procedures during rebreather problems are followed.

Complete rapid swims for student comfort and system understanding

Students are to swim at various depth and adjust counterlung volume

Introduce and maintain minimum counterlung volume, have student swim unit using - minimum lung volume technique

Allow time for technique practice, readjustment, trim and configuring of unit

Practice OC bail out

Demonstrate, practice and perform hypoxia drill

Demonstrate, practice and perform hyperoxia drill

Demonstrate, practice and perform failed solenoid drill in open and closed position drill

Demonstrate, practice and perform hypercapnia drill

Demonstrate, practice and perform flooding drill partially flooded partial loop and flooded complete canister

Controlling the unit manually

SCR operation on CCR

Internal and external boom scenarios

Paperwork

Verify that student has the IANTD Cave Diver training manual or the NSS-CDS Student Workbook.

Complete IANTD or NSS-CDS liability release, NSS-CDS Overhead liability release

Complete medical statement, if in doubt require medical examination by Hyperbaric physician

Verify that student understands the financial obligation resulting in his or her training, refer to actual training location price list. We emphasize to have full payments done before the course starts or is completed

The Instructor is required to fill out the IANTD student performance track sheets

Lectures and Training dives

Most lectures can be done during the first day where the most critical lectures have to be completed in order to commence diving operations during confined water training and training day two and three

The use of the IANTD Cavern – Intro to Cave Diver course PowerPoint presentation is required to guide the Instructor through the lectures

Students are encouraged to own their personal CCR and dive equipment such as regulators, backplate with harness, wing, reel, slate, line arrows, z-knife, two backup lights, one primary light, submersible dive tables, chronometer, wrist mounted computer, mask, suit and fins

Verify enough tanks are available for training dives and duration. Verify all tanks are full and analyzed, verify you have enough wing nuts. Prepare paperwork the evening before class starts

Verify that you have emergency oxygen, a first aid kit and emergency phone numbers ready and available for all diving days to be part of your standards emergency response gear

Verify the day before the course starts that you have enough expense money to go through the whole course and be able to pay for gasoline, entrance and air fills

Training limits

Maximum Po2 1.4 at the bottom

No- decompression diving during the Cavern – Intro to Cave Diver course

No dives deeper then 100 feet – 30 meters

Total in-water time minimum 180 minutes. The combined Cavern and Intro to Cave course includes a minimum of 8 dives

On all dives a 3 minute safety stop at 15 feet – 4.5 meters must be made

A confined water session must be made before any overhead environment training dives

No overhead environment diving without a continuous guideline leading back to the surface. The primary tie off must be made in openwater

Co2 absorbent turn time and Oxygen turn time calculation

Day 1

Lectures approximately 2 hours of lecture including:

Introduction, paperwork, structure of course and layout, settle financial issues

Limits – no decompression, no restriction, day light zone, dark zone, penetration distance, depth, starting viz, starting minimum volumes

Techniques and procedures – trim, weights, propulsion, tanks, bcd

Communication – light, hand, slate, touch contact, command signals

Dive planning – pre planning, site evaluation, team leader responsability, team members responsibility, air limits and turn pressure calculation, rule of 1/3, siphon and spring diving

Emergency procedures – ok the line, self rescue, buddy rescue, team rescue, various levels of emergencies from immediate to delayed, air supply emergencies with use of K, Y, H and manifold valves, identification of problems and solutions, redundancy, navigational emergencies

Guidelines – variety of reels, variety of lines and materials, variety of tie offs, placements, rules for laying line, directional and non-directional line markers

Continuing training after Cavern and Intro to cave course

No complex navigation at this level of training

Equipment workshop approximately 2 hours including:

Explanation, demonstration and assembly of CCR, regulator set up, back plate, harness set up, wing, mask, fins, reels, line markers, backup lights, primary light, dive computer, chronometer, slate, knife and submersible decompression tables

Assemble all student gear at the training location and transport assembled to training dive site. Care has to taken not to break the equipment in transport

Land Drill line drills on land:

Primary tie off, secondary tie off, placements, tie offs and wraps

Students are to walk the distance of line with eyes open and normal walk speed, take time for completion

Explain and demonstrate how to navigate tie offs in zero viz including cross over the line procedure

Students are to practice the distance of line with eyes closed navigating tie offs, take time for completion

Explain and demonstrate how to share air in zero viz and in touch contact asa team while navigating tie offs in zero viz including cross over the line procedure

Students are to practice the distance of line with eyes closed navigating tie offs in touch contact simulating sharing air including cross over the line procedure, take time for completion

Explain and demonstrate how to find, locate and bring back a lost diver to the line including procedure what to do if diver is not found

Explain and demonstrate how to find and locate a lost line and what to do if line is either found or not found

Explain and demonstrate how to tie into a permanent cave line

Explain and demonstrate the procedure of entering a cave with one or multiple existing guide lines installed by previous dive teams

Confined water training approximately 2 hours including:

Briefing on site

Get students in the water, allow ample time for students to adjust to environment and double tanks. If at a Cenote explain to students that they can not enter the overhead environment or the course will be over

Install a line circuit in open water approximately 200 feet – 60 meter long

Practice modified flutter, modified dolphin, frog, pull and glide, backward kick and motionless horizontal hovering along the line circuit

Demonstrate and practice Predive drill

Bubble check

Gear matching

S-drill including valve shut down drill

Dive plan review

Turn around pressure calculation

Have students during one of the drills swim the circuit without mask and eyes closed

Practice touch contact with eyes closed for one full line distance

Practice touch contact sharing air, eyes closed for one full line distance

Practice line and reel manipulation

Dive 1 cavern dive, depth range 30 – 70 feet / 9 – 21 meters, sufficient bailout

Recommended bottom time at depth 30 – 40 minutes, watch no-decompression time limits

Analyze all tanks if Eanx is used, all Eanx mixtures have to be logged into the fill log, all tanks have to be marked properly with content label

Brief students on how to get to the dive site, how to enter the water, special issues about particular dive site or bottom composition in entrance area

Verify that all students have no-decompression profile on slate and that all no-deco schedules are the same within the team

Before entering the water verify that all valves are open, that all wings and BCD’s are inflated

Commence pre-dive drill

Bubble check

Gear matching

S-drill including valve shut down drill

Dive plan review

Turn around pressure calculation

State that anyone can call the dive at any time for any reason, no questions asked

Instructor is to be team leader on the first demonstration dive with demonstration of primary tie off, reel and light holding techniques, secondary tie off and either running the reel through cavern or tie into existing permanent line

Call the dive one minute before planned termination time, penetration distance, penetration limit, just before turn around pressure or any other reason to allow team collection and team turn around

During ascent a safety stop has to be performed at 15 feet – 4.5 meters for 3 minutes

After completing safety stop team is to rest before leaving the water

During surface rest, or out of water and resting de-brief, offer solutions for student problems, and decide if a second dive can be made. Rehydrate.

Upon return to training location drop tanks at fill station, if not organize refill, log dives with students, explain to students the events on next training day, fill out IANTD student performance track chart

Day 2

Lectures approximately 1 1/2 hours of lecture including:

General hazards - water, ceiling, limited space, darkness or combination

Specific hazards - loss of visibility, halocline, tannic acid, hydrogen sulfide, percolation, w flow, restrictions, air pockets and line traps

Cave formation – coral, sea, ocean, lava, glacier and dissolution caves. Karst, sumps, inline sink, offline sink, sink holes, vadose and phreatic zones, formations

Entrance descriptions – spring, siphon, sinkhole, blue holes

Psychological aspect – motivations, awareness, stress, physical exertion, task load, panic cycle and reaction to it, cold, equipment stress, buoyancy

Emergency procedures –

Remember level of training -continue practicing skills after course

Loss of visibility due to silt – ok line first, turn and exit in touch contact

Primary light failure – stop, ok line first, backup light on, communicate to team, exit the cavern or cave, smallest light in the middle or in front

Loss of vision – loss of mask, ok the line first, secure spare ask or locate mask, communicate with team, exit if needed

Entanglement – attempt to free yourself one time, signal team for help if unsuccessful, if line need to be cut complete team has to be on exit time of the cut, line repair procedure

Deep areas – avoid altogether, nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity, gas volume consumption, deco stress

Dive 1 cavern or cave dive, depth range 30 – 70 feet / 9 – 21 meters, doubles or singles

Recommended bottom time at depth 30 – 60 minutes, watch

no-decompression time limits

Analyze all tanks if Eanx is used, all Eanx mixtures have to be logged into the fill log, all tanks have to be marked properly with content label

Brief students on how to get to the dive site, how to enter the water, special issues about particular dive site or bottom composition in entrance area

Verify that all students have no-decompression profile on slate and that all no-deco schedules are the same within the team

Before entering the water verify that all valves are open, that all wings and BCD’s are inflated

Commence pre-dive drill

Bubble check

Gear matching

S-drill including valve shut down drill

Dive plan review

Turn around pressure calculation

State that anyone can call the dive at any time for any reason, no questions asked

Instructor is not part of the team ( only exception is one to one course )team leader to practice primary tie off, reel and light holding techniques, secondary tie off and either running the reel through cavern or tie into existing permanent line

Call the dive one minute before planned termination time, penetration distance, penetration limit, just before turn around pressure or any other reason to allow team collection and team turn around

On outbound side of dive practice backup light exit drill

During ascent a safety stop has to be performed at 15 feet – 4.5 meters for 3 minutes

After completing safety stop team is to rest before leaving the water

During surface rest or out of water and resting de-brief, offer solutions for student problems, and decide if a second dive can be made. Rehydrate.

Dive 2 cavern or cave dive, depth range 30 – 70 feet / 9 – 21 meters, sufficient bailout

Recommended bottom time at depth 30 – 60 minutes, watch no-decompression time limits

Analyze all tanks if Eanx is used, all Eanx mixtures have to be logged into the fill log, all tanks have to be marked properly with content label

Brief students on how to get to the dive site, how to enter the water, special issues about particular dive site or bottom composition in entrance area

Verify that all students have no-decompression profile on slate and that all no-deco schedules are the same within the team

Before entering the water verify that all valves are open, that all wings and BCD’s are inflated

Commence pre-dive drill

Bubble check

Gear matching

S-drill including valve shut down drill

Dive plan review

Turn around pressure calculation

State that anyone can call the dive at any time for any reason, no questions asked

Instructor is not part of the team (only exception is one to one course ) team leader to practice primary tie off, reel and light holding techniques, secondary tie off and either running the reel through cavern or tie into existing permanent line

Call the dive one minute before planned termination time, penetration distance, penetration limit, just before turn around pressure or any other reason to allow team collection and team turn around

On outbound side of dive practice touch contact, closed eyes but not sharing air drill

During ascent a safety stop has to be performed at 15 feet – 4.5 meters for 3 minutes

After completing safety stop team is to rest before leaving the water

During surface rest, or out of water and resting de-brief, offer solutions for student problems, and decide if a second dive can be made. Rehydrate.

Dive 3 optional if time and gas and absorbent permits

Repeat as on dive 2

Upon return to training location drop tanks at fill station, if not organize refill, log dives with students, explain to students the events on next training day, fill out IANTD student performance track chart

Day 3

Lectures approximately 2 hours of lecture including:

Cave conservation – awareness and responsibility

Land owner relations – no un-owned land, good relations and permit to dive

Problem solving – lost diver and lost line

Accident analysis

Dissimilar tank turnaround procedure – explain need and procedure, explain SAC rate and RMV and how it applies to cavern and cave diving

Briefing for the training dives to come

Dive 1 cave dive, depth range 30 – 100 feet / 9 – 30 meters, sufficient bailout

Recommended bottom time at depth 30 – 60 minutes, watch no-decompression time limits

Analyze all tanks if Eanx is used, all Eanx mixtures have to be logged into the fill log, all tanks have to be marked properly with content label

Brief students on how to get to the dive site, how to enter the water, special issues about particular dive site or bottom composition in entrance area

Verify that all students have no-decompression profile on slate and that all no-deco schedules are the same within the team

Before entering the water verify that all valves are open, that all wings and BCD’s are inflated

Commence pre-dive drill

Bubble check

Gear matching

S-drill including valve shut down drill

Dive plan review

Turn around pressure calculation

State that anyone can call the dive at any time for any reason, no questions asked

Call the dive one minute before planned termination time, penetration distance, penetration limit, just before turn around pressure or any other reason to allow team collection and team turn around

On outbound side of dive practice lost line drill

During ascent a safety stop has to be performed at 15 feet – 4.5 meters for 3 minutes

After completing safety stop team is to rest before leaving the water

During surface rest or out of water and resting de-brief, offer solutions for student problems, and decide if a second dive can be made. Rehydrate.

Dive 2 cave dive, depth range 30 – 100 feet / 9 – 30 meters, sufficient bailout

Recommended bottom time at depth 30 – 40 minutes, watch no-decompression time limits

Analyze all tanks if Eanx is used, all Eanx mixtures have to be logged into the fill log, all tanks have to be marked properly with content label

Brief students on how to get to the dive site, how to enter the water, special issues about particular dive site or bottom composition in entrance area

Verify that all students have no-decompression profile on slate and that all no-deco schedules are the same within the team

Before entering the water verify that all valves are open, that all wings and BCD’s are inflated

Commence pre-dive drill

Bubble check

Gear matching

S-drill including valve shut down drill

Dive plan review

Turn around pressure calculation

State that anyone can call the dive at any time for any reason, no questions asked

Call the dive one minute before planned termination time, penetration distance, penetration limit, just before turn around pressure or any other reason to allow team collection and team turn around

On outbound side of dive practice touch contact, closed eyes including sharing air drill

During ascent a safety stop has to be performed at 15 feet – 4.5 meters for 3 minutes

After completing safety stop team is to rest before leaving the water

During surface rest, or out of water and resting de-brief, offer solutions for student problems, and decide if a second dive can be made. Rehydrate

Dive 3 optional if time and gas and Co2 absorbent permits

Repeat as on dive 2

Day 4

Lectures approximately 2 hour including:

Written exam review and solving of any questions that may remain

Review dive plans on dive plan sheet to verify no mistakes have been done. Correct any mistakes and restate importance of proper dive planning

Briefing for the training dives to come

Dive 1 cave dive, depth range 30 – 100 feet / 9 – 30 meters, sufficient bailout

Recommended bottom time at depth 30 – 40 minutes, watch no-decompression time limits

Analyze all tanks if Eanx is used, all Eanx mixtures have to be logged into the fill log, all tanks have to be marked properly with content label

Brief students on how to get to the dive site, how to enter the water, special issues about particular dive site or bottom composition in entrance area

Verify that all students have no-decompression profile on slate and that all no-deco schedules are the same within the team

Before entering the water verify that all valves are open, that all wings and BCD’s are inflated

Commence pre-dive drill

Bubble check

Gear matching

S-drill including valve shut down drill

Dive plan review

Turn around time calculation

State that anyone can call the dive at any time for any reason, no questions asked

Call the dive one minute before planned termination time, penetration distance, penetration limit, just before turn around pressure or any other reason to allow team collection and team turn around

On outbound side of dive practice lost diver drill