  I owe Lamar and |
Cavern and Cave Diving
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Do You Have What it Takes to be a Cave Diver?
No, this is not a challenge to your manhood. In fact, if you thought it was, we can pretty much guarantee that cave diving is not for you. Nevertheless, the fact remains that cave diving is clearly not for every diver. If you think it might be for you, here are some questions you need to ask.
- What is your current level of certification? While you don’t necessarily have to be an instructor, you should have instructor-level knowledge and skills. On the recreational side, successful cave diving candidates are typically certified to at least the Rescue Diver level or equivalent.
- Do you have prior tech diver training and experience? Again, this is not an absolute prerequisite…but it arguably should be. Prior technical diver training means you have at least some level of familiarity with not only decompression procedures, but with the equipment and skills you will need as a cave diver. (You also pose less of a risk to the fragile cave environment.)
- What is your overall level of diving experience? The fact you’ve been diving for 20 years won’t cut it if all that has been is two decades of once-a-year vacation dives. You need to have logged at least 100 dives in the past five years and several dozen over the past few months.
- How are you at buoyancy control? There is only one acceptable answer here, and that is “exceptional.”
Nine out of ten divers who read this list will most likely realize they have a ways to go before they are ready for Cave Diver training. If you are that one in ten, you may want to read more about what is involved.
We’re Your Sidemounting Headquarters
If your mother knew you were still backmounting, she’d worry about you. She’d worry about you causing long-term injury to your back. She’d worry about what you’d do in the event of a catastrophic manifold failure. She’d worry about you getting stuck in tight places.
Do your mom a favor. Discover sidemounting — the “other white meat” of cave diving configurations. If you can do it in backmount, you can do it in sidemount — and with a lot less risk of injury.
At Cave Diver Harry’s, we’re sidemounting experts, and experts in the revolutionary Dive Rite Nomad, the most versatile and configurable sidemount harness anywhere.
We can help show you how to get the Nomad set up in a way that works best for you. Our one-day Sidemount Orientation Program is a great place to start.
If there are any questions we can answer, please contact us.
Courses »
Here’s a good story that explains why you need Cave Diver training
Another reason to get
your Cave Diver cert: Going with Connie to Mexico
Our recommendation
for manatee tours
Own a dive store? You should be reading this
