Question TDI vs IANTD on cave diving course

[rainunderwater]

not sure whether to choose TDI or IANTD in terms of starting cave diving. I know it's about the instructor not the organization but TDI seems to have better material but IANTD more recognized(?) on cave sites. Is this true?

edit: I'm not starting cave anytime soon, just planning a road map. PADI AOW is next on list and then TDI Nitrox

 

[Lorenzoid]

Is this true?

No. You know what to do: choose an instructor.

 

[LFMarm]

Choose the instructor. Both agencies are recognized everywhere in my experience.

 

[jadairiii]

Cave training is not about "materials", its about in-water instruction, and lots of it. Dive, dive, dive.....and more diving. You could teach a whole cave class with a couple of big pictures and a whiteboard.

 

[J-Vo]

The best cave diving manual I have seen is not from an of the agencies : https://stratiskas.com/books/.

 

[scottgrizzard]

Instructor is most important, and I echo and endorse all of those sentiments.

That said: I have an IANTD technical cave card, and I have never had an issue with diving caves on it. I have had issues getting O2 fills with it.

IANTD has too many levels of certification which include too many things, while TDI is much simpler. My one IANTD card covers what TDI calls "advanced nitrox, Decompression procedures, cavern, intro to cave, full cave, and extended range." (Asterisk on extended range: tdi is 180ft, while iantd is 170ft). However, there are other iantd cave cards that do not cover all of this.

Why is this important? Because I used to have to sit there and explain what my card covers, and wait for them to call their agency for equivalence. In the end, I went back to my cave instructor and asked for an advanced nitrox card so I could get O2 fills. I still sometimes have trouble with boats saying I am only trained to do deco in caves (not true).

TDI makes life a little easier. Why? Want to do an open water deco dive off a boat?... whip out your ANDP cards. Want to pay cave price at Ginnie...whip out the full cave card. Everyone knows what they mean.

Also, TDI's elearning for Decompression Procedures is top notch (cannot speak for all the others).

 

[Lorenzoid]

I can elaborate on what I said above. My intro instructor taught for multiple agencies, but in the water he did exactly the same no matter what agency name you preferred on your card. Do not confuse a card with the instruction itself.

IANTD’s written materials sucked at the time, and may still. Do not be concerned. My instructor never referenced the materials directly. I am fairly certain he taught the same course in substance no matter which agency was presumably behind it. You’re learning to cave dive, and every agency requires pretty much the same things be taught—even GUE. I took GUE after IANTD. Before all that, I had taken Cavern via TDI. It’s all the same. The difference, if any, is the instructor.

 

[BoltSnap]

every agency requires pretty much the same things be taught—even GUE. I took GUE after IANTD. Before all that, I had taken Cavern via TDI. It’s all the same.

@Lorenzoid Let me ask you differently: If somebody took the entire cave training program from a top-notch instructor from any of TDI/NAUI/IANTD, is there a reason for him to take a GUE Cave diving training? In other words, is there any extra information/skills/knowledge/competence going through the whole GUE cave diver training curriculum after he has completed the entire program through any of the other agencies?

 

[Rilelen]

As several people have already said, I could name several top-notch cave instructors who teach for both TDI and IANTD, and could offer cards for either. It’s the instructor, not the agency.

 

[34109411]

not sure whether to choose TDI or IANTD in terms of starting cave diving. I know it's about the instructor not the organization but TDI seems to have better material but IANTD more recognized(?) on cave sites. Is this true?

edit: I'm not starting cave anytime soon, just planning a road map. PADI AOW is next on list and then TDI Nitrox

Back in the days it was NACD but i lost track of what happen with this agency i think it shut down or merge with another one. I did start cave diving course with IANTD did couple of book stuff and dive and than i went with NACD.

I did find the IATD class where a lot focus on academic stuff in the book and lots of calculation regarding gas management but maybe that change this was 20 years ago. It seem NACD was more leaning on in water class on the second day. If i recall with IANTD i was more in class.

Unfortunately didn't complete the cave diving class due to schedule and work.

Like Lorenzoid said find an instructor see you get along and go !

Be safe