SkimFisher
Contributor
I have a PADI Cavern card. All my training materials were NSSCDS though. The requirements on the PADI site are pretty spot on. This course very much comes down to the instructor though so make sure you've got a good one.
Cavern Diving (PADI)
- Thread starter B Lo
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
With regards to IANTD, Mr Rutkowski did not want to found his own training agency; he wanted the existing training agencies to train divers in the use of EANx, for the safety of all divers.
Since the existing agencies at that time all hid from the voodoo gas he started IANTD to give divers the training to use EANx, and to shame the existing agencies into using EANx. He most certainly did not do it with profit as a motive! If Dick lives a nice life it is due to his Hyperbaric Chamber training of Nurses, Doctors, NAVY Dive Officers and the like.
Is it not possible that the IANTD Cave program was started for similar reasons? IANTD was founded in '85 and started cave training after Tom Mount joined him in '91. When did cave agencies start using EANx?
Only relatively recently have they mandated using their own training publications, and their slim profit margins are probably just barely above costs.
Since the existing agencies at that time all hid from the voodoo gas he started IANTD to give divers the training to use EANx, and to shame the existing agencies into using EANx. He most certainly did not do it with profit as a motive! If Dick lives a nice life it is due to his Hyperbaric Chamber training of Nurses, Doctors, NAVY Dive Officers and the like.
Is it not possible that the IANTD Cave program was started for similar reasons? IANTD was founded in '85 and started cave training after Tom Mount joined him in '91. When did cave agencies start using EANx?
Only relatively recently have they mandated using their own training publications, and their slim profit margins are probably just barely above costs.
Mark Michaud SELAUSAR
Contributor
I am pretty sure I observed a Padi cavern class at a popular Florida panhandle spring two weekends ago. It was an utter catastrophe. There was a line from open water, in the way of everyone, and down past the daylight zone to about 90'. The trim of the instructor, and I guess d/m, was horrible to say the least. It was definitely not NSS/CDS, NACD or GUE. Fins were dragging, there was a failure to move for exiting divers, and the line was well beyond the daylight limits. The line placement was pretty poor. I am not here to bash the instructors here, but to make a point.......
Having said this, the students have no idea that their training is very poor. I personally beleive there are a few Padi instructors, who can teach the cavern course well. I also believe that the ones, that do, teach for the above named agencies as well. I believe time will prove that Padi's standards for obtaining a Cavern Instructor Rating will produce poor divers with even poorer skills and poor instructors. One of the main issues between cave diving organization's instructors and recreational diving instructors, is that the cave agencies require their instructors to dive, what they teach, outside of classes. I know at least a dozen Padi instructors and a few Naui instructors. Most, that I know, dive rarely when not teaching. This is not about Padi, except that this thread is.
Pick an instructor who has many dives at a full cave level, if that instructor teaches cavern. If you are paying, get your money's worth, not just a card.
Having said this, the students have no idea that their training is very poor. I personally beleive there are a few Padi instructors, who can teach the cavern course well. I also believe that the ones, that do, teach for the above named agencies as well. I believe time will prove that Padi's standards for obtaining a Cavern Instructor Rating will produce poor divers with even poorer skills and poor instructors. One of the main issues between cave diving organization's instructors and recreational diving instructors, is that the cave agencies require their instructors to dive, what they teach, outside of classes. I know at least a dozen Padi instructors and a few Naui instructors. Most, that I know, dive rarely when not teaching. This is not about Padi, except that this thread is.
Pick an instructor who has many dives at a full cave level, if that instructor teaches cavern. If you are paying, get your money's worth, not just a card.
B Lo - I'm not sure if you are finding this thread much use any more? If you do need specific questions regarding the requirements for the PADI Cavern course, please feel free to send me a PM.
Whilst I am not a Cavern instructor, my two business partners are. I also have a copy of the instructor guide, so can give you the same answer as you would get from PADI themselves.
Whilst I am not a Cavern instructor, my two business partners are. I also have a copy of the instructor guide, so can give you the same answer as you would get from PADI themselves.
Sas
Contributor
I'm interested in the standards, equipment required and so on if you don't mind posting them, I looked around but couldn't find much on their website. Just curious as I have heard a few people (that I respect) say the standards really are quite good as they have improved it a lot but PADI seems to have a bad reputation on the net mostly... Probably because people see it as a rec diving agency? Also they have any cave training beyond Cavern?
A ScubaBoard Staff Message...
The entire off-topic argument that started with the satement that PADI and others are not involved in cave conservation and/or exploration has been removed.
The OP wasn't asking about cave conservation. He was asking about cavern courses.
If you wish to discuss cave conservation, then please do, but show some respect for the OP and start a new thread instead of hijacking this one.
Thanks once agan to all who responded. I ended up emailing PADI and my response was verbatim as follows:
Thank you for your email. With respect to your question, the PADI Course requires standard recreational equipment including a dive tool/knife capable of cutting guideline quickly. A primary reel must be used during the course (one per team) and each diver should have a smaller safety reel as well, however, this is not part of the required equipment for the student. It is highly recommended you have this equipment, however, if you plan on doing cavern dives without your PADI Cavern Instructor.
Two lights must also be carried by the diver during training dives, however, these may be rented. Again, it is recommended that you purchase these if you plan on doing cavern dives. Longer hoses are not required since at no time should you be passing through any type of restriction. The course is recreational and does not allow for restrictions of any type. A longer hose on either the primary or octopus (or both) is a good idea however and not very expensive.
Thank you for your email. With respect to your question, the PADI Course requires standard recreational equipment including a dive tool/knife capable of cutting guideline quickly. A primary reel must be used during the course (one per team) and each diver should have a smaller safety reel as well, however, this is not part of the required equipment for the student. It is highly recommended you have this equipment, however, if you plan on doing cavern dives without your PADI Cavern Instructor.
Two lights must also be carried by the diver during training dives, however, these may be rented. Again, it is recommended that you purchase these if you plan on doing cavern dives. Longer hoses are not required since at no time should you be passing through any type of restriction. The course is recreational and does not allow for restrictions of any type. A longer hose on either the primary or octopus (or both) is a good idea however and not very expensive.
If you look at their web site they might claim the phone number is 1-800-SAY-PADI. It just so happens that the number 7 is pqrs.
ianr33
Contributor
So by PADI standards its OK to do cavern dives without a safety reel ? 
SkimFisher
Contributor
Maybe rather than completely quelling the conversation the thread could have been split? Who wants to go back and retype all that? 
Similar threads
