COURSE TITLE: ANDI Cavern Diver Training

CERTIFICATION TITLE: ANDI Certified Cavern Diver (CVN)

NOTE: Cavern diving programs require a great deal of instructor attention and evaluation. Instructors conducting this course are at the apex of instructor ability and experience. 

ROLE DEFINITION:

The Cavern Diver Training course helps to develop the minimum skills and knowledge required to dive in the overhead environment safely, while not exceeding the specified standards set forth by ANDI. The course explains the dangers and risks involved while diving in the overhead environment. The ANDI Cavern course in no way is intended to provide instruction for cave diving.

The course develops and establishes minimum skills, tasks loading, problem solving, knowledge, and the ability to safely cavern dive. Problem solving in the cavern course includes, but is not limited to emergency procedures, buoyancy control, propulsion techniques and body positioning. ANDI feels that this course will have a significant safety benefit for all active divers, even if they decide never have the opportunity to cavern dive again after the course

LIMITATIONS:
This training follows the scope of a Level 2 program. This program prepares the student to enter a cavern with in the day light zone not exceeding a maximum depth of 30 msw (100 fsw). There is a minimum bottom time of 160 minutes and run time of 200 minutes. For all dives conducted as part of this training program 1.45 Bar / ata PO2 will be considered the bottom mix limit with the maximum exposure to Oxygen for at-rest / light work activities is 1.6 Bar /ata PO2 . All dive profiles are within the NSR limits. Students must be able to swim side by side at all times. All dives must be done on the primary line.

CAVERN COURSE OVERVIEW:
The ANDI Cavern Level 2 Course consist of (3) parts performed in sequence.
1) Theory Session
2) Land skills
3) 4 Cavern Dives.

Part I – Theory
1) Minimum theory time is 5 – 8 hours. This includes general Cavern
Diving information.
2) There are no limits to the number of students that may participate in
this aspect other than what the instructor is personally able to handle.
3) There will be a written test covering Cavern diving aspects. The
student must score an 80% or better in order to pass the exam.

Part II – Land Skills Training:
1) For new Cavern Diver’s, One Hour minimum covering the skills in
Land Skills Development section of this document.
2) Instructor to student ratio is 1:4.

Part III – Openwater Training (Parts I & II must be complete before
openwater):

Part 3 is comprised of the following practical application topics or exercises
to be supervised and evaluated by the ANDI instructor:
a) Gas analysis and record keeping.
b) Dive planning skills
c) For Level 2 Cavern, Four or more Cavern dives must be
conducted.
d) No more than two dives may count towards certification
on any given day.
e) For Level 2 Cavern divers, a minimum of 160 minutes of
bottom and 200 minutes bottom time must be logged during
the Cavern diving course.
f) In order for a dive to count towards certification, a dive
must be at least 30 minutes bottom time.
g) Instructor to student ratio for Level 2 Cavern is 1:3 and is
obviously conditions dependent.