he “IANTD Intro to Cave Diver” program (International Association of Technical Divers and Nitrox) is a specialized training course that allows cavern divers to get acquainted with cave diving. Unlike cavern diving, cave diving involves the exploration of areas far from the natural light zone with no direct access to the surface. This requires advanced technical skills and specific training.

Here is an explanation of the typical content of the “Intro to Cave Diver” course from IANTD:

Prerequisites: Before enrolling in the “Intro to Cave Diver” course, you must be qualified as a cavern diver (or equivalent). However, if your level allows, you can take cavern diving and intro to cave diving courses consecutively.

Advanced Theory: The “Intro to Cave Diver” course includes comprehensive theoretical training on specific aspects of cave diving. This includes understanding the safety rules specific to cave diving, cave dive planning, navigation techniques in underground environments, advanced team communication protocols, emergency and rescue procedures in confined environments, as well as considerations related to reduced visibility.

Confined Water Exercises: Part of the course may include confined water exercises to reinforce skills specific to cave diving, such as propulsion in tight spaces, the use of guideline, spools, and reels, and tactile communication with your buddy in zero visibility situations.

Cave Dives: You will then conduct several cave dives that will familiarize you with the underground environment and involve “critical” exercises such as line loss, buddy separation, line breakage, etc. You will also work on repositioning, group communication, and much more.

Environmental Awareness: An essential part of the “Intro to Cave Diver” training is learning how to preserve the fragile cave environment. You will learn how to minimize the impact of divers on rock formations, marine fauna, and flora while exploring these unique environments safely and efficiently.

Certification Limits: It is important to note that the “Intro to Cave Diver” course does not allow divers to explore deep caves and/or conduct complex navigation. Intro to cave divers must stay on the main line and are not permitted to perform jumps or gaps, as is the case at the next level (Cave Diver).