Copyright ©2006 by IAND, Inc. / IANTD All Rights Reserved 83 "The Leader in Diving Education"

2. A. Purpose

1. 2. 1. This Program is designed to train divers in safe cave diving while using a CCR.
2. B. Prerequisites
   
   2. 1. If entering through modular route, must be qualified as Introductory Cave Diver with proof of a minimum of 50 logged dives.
      
   3. 2. If not qualified as introductory cave diver must have proof of 100 dives or sufficient experience doing technical dives to satisfy the instructor that the student has the ability and knowledge to continue into this level of training.
      
   4. 3. Must have 20 dives and 30 hours of dive time on the CCR to be used in the cave course.
      
   5. 4. Must be a minimum of 18 years of age.
3. C. Program Content
   
   2. 1. All lectures completed with IANTD Course-specific Slides pertaining to the theory in the IANTD Cave Diver Student Kit and IANTD CCR Normoxic Trimix Diver Student Kit.
      
   3. 2. This Program must include a minimum of 600 minutes of cave bottom time completed within at least 10 cave dives.
      
   4. 3. For students already qualified as Introductory Cave Diver or IANTD Advanced /Technical Wreck Diver, this Program must include a minimum of 500 minutes of cave bottom time within a minimum of 8 cave dives.

NOTE: The combined cave bottom time from Introductory Cave Diver and Cave Diver Programs must total at least 600 minutes, even if the bottom time is met first. A minimum of 8 cave dives using CCR must be logged. Instructors are not required to give credit for experience or other qualification levels and should do so only if the skill level of the diver meets the Instructor’s satisfaction.

2. 4. For those who are already OC Cave Divers this Program must include a confined water session and a minimum of 400 minutes of cave bottom time, completed within at least 4 cave dives. All CCR cave specific skills must be completed.
   
3. 5. Environmental conditions allowing, a minimum of three different caves must be included in a Cave Program. In event of flooding and other special circumstances, the three-cave requirement may be waived if approved by IAND, Inc./IANTD World Headquarters or the local Licensee of the Region the Program is conducted in.
   
4. 6. To complete the course within the minimum specified dives, students must have an average of 8 out of 10 points on the watermanship evaluations. With 2 or more additional dives, the student may graduate from the course with an overall average score of 6 points.
   
5. 7. Land drills:
   1. a. Use of lines / line arrows.
   2. b. Blacked out drills.
      
   3. c. Lost diver drills / broken lines / line gaps.

2. D. Equipment Requirements
   2. 1. IANTD Cave Diver Student Kit and IANTD CCR Normoxic Trimix Diver Student Kit.
      
   3. 2. All students must be taught the concept of gas matching based on oxygen metabolism.
      
   4. 3. Bailout adequate to allow 1 ½ divers to exit the cave on OC must be carried by the dive team.
      
   5. 4. A stage decompression cylinder containing oxygen is recommended for deco as a back up to the system.
      
   6. 5. Bailout stages must be configured to ensure easy hand off to an out of gas diver. A 5 foot 1.5 meter hose is recommended.
      
   7. 6. Each gas source must have its own dedicated submersible pressure gauge.
      
   8. 7. A primary BCD is required. Back flotation is recommended.
      
   9. 8. Dive tables, depth gauge and dive timer or a dive computer.
      
   10. 9. Two reels: one Primary (cave) guide reel and one (cavern or gap) safety reel.
       
   11. 10. One Primary light with adequate lighting characteristic to meet the accepted standard in cave diving and two secondary lights (flashlight type).
       
   12. 11. Three (3) line arrows.
       
   13. 12. A backup cutting tool is recommended.
3. E. Program Limits
   
   2. 1. There may be no more than 3 students per Instructor on any dives and no more than 2 students per Instructor on dives conducted to depths greater than 130 fsw (39 msw).
      
   3. 2. In most cases, no dives may be conducted to depths greater than 130 fsw (39 msw). When conditions warrant it, Cave Diver Programs may be conducted to a maximum depth of 200 fsw (60 msw), provided the students are qualified as CCR Normoxic

Revision Da Copyright ©2006 by IAND, Inc. / IANTD All Rights Reserved 84 "The Leader in Diving Education"

1. 1. te 12/1/2006 Trimix Divers and have equivalent experience of at least 25 CCR dives to depths between 160 fsw (48 msw) and 200 fsw (60 msw).
   2. 3. When appropriate conditions are available (i.e., depths between 130 fsw [39 msw] and 200 fsw [60 msw]), the Normoxic Trimix Program may be taught in combination with the Cave course, provided all cave dives deeper than 130 fsw (39 msw) are conducted using mixtures specified in the Normoxic Trimix Program. Qualified Normoxic Trimix Divers may be trained in caves at depths between 100 fsw (30 msw) and 200 fsw (60 msw). Qualified Trimix Divers may be trained in caves on Trimix at depths between 130 fsw (39 msw) and 300 fsw / 91 msw provided there are no alternative locations.

NOTE: On training dives below 130 fsw (39 msw), written permission must be given by the IANTD Headquarters Training Director.

1. 4. Oxygen partial pressure may not exceed 1.30 ATA during the working portion of the dives, nor exceed 1.40 ATA during the decompression portion of the dives.
2. 5. All dives must be completed within both the IANTD oxygen CNS% and OTU limits.
3. 6. All appropriate safety or required decompression stops must be performed.

1. F. Water Skills Development
   1. 1. A confined water session must be completed before conducting any cave dives.
   2. 2. Swim with equipment to be used in Program until comfortable with it.
   3. 3. Demonstrate an ability to respond to a single-bladder BCD failure by the two methods listed below. (Students using gear configurations that prevent accomplishment of these two skills will be required to wear a redundant BCD. Students who already have a redundant BCD or dry suit may use one of these alternates after attempting perform the methods without the use of the alternative.)
   4. a. Completely deflate BCD and swim while maintaining buoyancy control for at least two minutes.
   5. b. Completely deflate BCD, ascend safely to the surface, and remain afloat for at least three minutes.

NOTE: If at any time the student starts to over-exert, or if it is obvious that the skill cannot be accomplished, the instructor is to ensure that the BCD is inflated.

1. 5. Perform a pre-dive "S" (safety) drill prior to starting dive. Check all equipment for proper function. Check equipment of each dive buddy. Ascertain each team member is familiar with use and location of dive system components.
2. 6. Perform an in-water "S" (safety) drill.
   1. a. Leak-check each team member’s equipment.
   2. b. Breathe underwater from the CCR and the bailout stage (s) / all regulators to ensure proper functioning.
   3. c. Perform light checks.
   4. d. Perform valve shutdowns combined with switches to bailout cylinder, including handing off bailout cylinders at least once each day as part of the S drills.
   5. e. Buddies should check that all valves are back in proper position at end of drill.
   6. f. On a first dive with a new partner, perform a gas sharing drill by handing off stages.
3. 7. Communicate the oxygen gas turn around point.
   
4. 8. Confined or OW: Swim 60 feet (18 meters) while simulating an out-of-gas situation, then switch to bailout cylinder, remain at rest for three breaths, and swim for 10 minutes at a normal swim rate of approximately 75 feet (23 meters) a minute (static water swim rate).
   
5. 9. Perform all skills other than direct ascents from the CCR Normoxic water skills all CCR emergency skills must be preformed in cave in addition to confined water
   
6. 10. Repeat above skill with divers handing off bailout stage cylinder.
   
7. 11. Confined or OW: Two divers 50 feet (15 meters) apart must swim along a line circuit with eyes closed not taking a breath, while slowly exhaling until they meet. Upon meeting switch to the bailout stage combined with touch contact is to be performed until the line circuit is completed.
   
8. 12. Repeat above with diver handing off bailout cylinder.
   
9. 13. Develop proficiency in a variety of propulsion techniques including cave frog kick, modified flutter kick, shuffle kick, and pull and glide technique.
   
10. 14. Demonstrate proficiency in use of reels and lines.
    
11. 15. During a cave dive, at a point after turning the dive, perform a gas bailout drill exiting the cave for a reasonable distance / time. Exercise is to commence with Instructor at some point randomly selecting the out-of-gas diver, who must then go to his bailout stage cylinder, then at some point have the buddies exchange bailout cylinders simulating that the diver who had bailed out had used 50% of the bailout stage cylinder. This drill is to be repeated on different dives until all students have performed the drill.

Copyright ©2006 by IAND, Inc. / IANTD All Rights Reserved 85 "The Leader in Diving Education"

1. 1985-2006 "21 Years of Excellence" 16. On a cave dive, with eyes closed or lights off simulate blacked out cave conditions maintaining contact with buddy and dive line using touch communications.
2. 17. Repeat previous drill, except at some point the Instructor will choose one of the divers to simulate a loop failure. The diver with the failed loop must communicate the problem to a buddy via touch contact, and switch to his/her bailout cylinder. This skill must be performed for a reasonable distance. Repeat this skill until all students have been the diver with the loop failure.
3. 18. Perform lost diver drills.
4. 19. Perform lost line drills. All emergency drills are to be repeated until the students are proficient and the instructor is satisfied with the performance.
5. 20. Demonstrate either on a cave dive or confined water the ability to drop and recover a stage cylinder. This may be the tank used as a decompression tank or an actual penetration stage cylinder.
6. 21. Conduct a traverse, gap and circuit dive. If conditions do not allow this possibility then it is to be simulated.
7. 22. It is recommended that the student attempt to exit the cave with eyes closed or lights off without the use of a line. Instructor must prevent the student from getting into a silt-out away from the line or any other adverse situation during this drill.
8. 23. On at least three dives, the student must simulate a solenoid failure and, take corrective action.
9. 24. On at least three (3) occasions, a loop failure drill must be completed and on at least one drill the diver must remain on the bailout stage cylinder for a minimum of 10 minutes. The student is to note the bailout gas used and distance covered. At the end of the dive compute how far under the same conditions could the diver have traveled on the bailout cylinder. Also how much total gas it would take to bailout to the exit point of the cave. Then compute how much oxygen and or other gas would be needed to complete the decompression
10. 25. Perform a SCR bailout for at least 10 minutes while on a cave dive.
11. 26. Repeat all drills and skills from the CCR Skills tables while on cave dives.