How to choose a cave instructor or training provider

Reading is no substitute for supervised training, and this article recommends no instructor, dive centre or agency. It sets out questions a prospective student can ask, using what the agencies themselves publish as the yardstick.

Start with the agency and its standard

Every cave course belongs to an agency, and the agency's standard defines prerequisites, minimum dives and what a graduate may do afterwards. How much of that is public varies. GUE posts excerpts of its standards for each cave course, including ratios and gas rules ^[1]. CMAS publishes its Cave Diver 2 standard and syllabus ^[2][3]. The FFESSM publishes a competency document for each of its cave levels ^[4]. TDI, SSI, IANTD and the NSS-CDS publish course pages with prerequisites and headline limits ^[5][6][7][8]. Where the standard is not public, it is reasonable to ask the instructor to show the current version.

Useful questions at this stage:

• Which agency and which exact course is this, and which version of the standard applies?
• What will I be allowed to do after certification, and what not? For example, TDI's Intro to Cave allows single-guideline dives within the rule of thirds and 40 m ^[5], while GUE Cave 1 allows navigation past one permanent intersection and no required decompression ^[1].
• Is this course a step toward a full cave card, or a stand-alone? The NSS-CDS cavern course, for instance, does not count toward cave certification ^[9].

Check the instructor's status with the agency

Most agencies run an online directory, and it is worth checking there rather than relying only on what an instructor says.

• The NSS-CDS instructor listing states that everyone on it is in active status, and shows which levels each instructor can teach; only those rated Cave Instructor or higher can take students to full Cave Diver ^[10].
• IANTD's Professional Locator says the people it lists are in active teaching status and good standing for the current year, and that anyone not listed is either not an IANTD professional or inactive ^[11].
• GUE's instructor search can be filtered by course, such as Cave Diver 1, and by country and language ^[12].
• UTD's instructor search lists instructors by type, including Cave instructors, and by region ^[13].
• The NACD publishes an instructor directory with specialities ^[14], and the CDAA lists its approved instructors on each of its course pages ^[15].

Directories have limits. Not every directory says when it was updated, and the GUE and UTD pages do not show an explicit active or inactive flag ^[12][13]. If in doubt, contact the agency and confirm that the instructor is currently authorised to teach the specific course you want.

Ratios, time in the water and teaching sites

Published minimums give a baseline; ask how the course you are offered compares.

• Ratios. GUE limits in-water ratios to three students per instructor for Cave 1 and Cave 2, and two per instructor for DPV Cave and Underwater Cave Survey ^[1][16][17]. CMAS sets a maximum of three students per instructor in normal conditions for Cave Diver 2 ^[2].
• Dives and bottom time. The NSS-CDS sets at least 360 minutes of bottom time over at least eight dives for both Apprentice Cave and Cave Diver ^[8][18]. GUE Cave 1 requires at least twelve dives, ten of them in caves, and at least 48 hours of instruction ^[1].
• Variety of sites. GUE requires Cave 1 cave dives in at least three different cave systems ^[1], CMAS requires Cave Diver 2 dives in at least two systems ^[3], and the AAUS scientific diving manual prefers cave training at four sites with differing conditions ^[19].

Ask where the training dives will take place, why those sites suit the level being taught, and what the plan is if flow, visibility or weather make them unsuitable on the day.

Equipment configuration

Ask which configuration the course uses and whether it matches what you intend to dive afterwards. The NSS-CDS restructured its programme partly so that students train longer in the configuration they will actually use, citing the growth of sidemount and teams that mix sidemount, backmount and rebreathers ^[20]. Some courses require specific earlier training: NSS-CDS Apprentice Cave asks for technical sidemount or a recognised technical basics course, or equivalent doubles or sidemount experience ^[18]; GUE requires its Technical Fundamentals course before Cave 1 ^[1]; and UTD requires its Essentials of Tech course or equivalent skills before cave training ^[21].

What if I am not ready?

Cave courses are performance-based, so it is fair to ask how the instructor handles a student who does not meet the standard in the time available. Some agencies build an answer into their structure. UTD issues its restricted Cave 1 card at the instructor's discretion when the full Cave 2 cannot be completed ^[21]. The Cave Diving Group grants Qualified Diver status only when a majority of a section's Qualified Divers agree, and says passing tests does not guarantee it ^[22]. GUE requires Rescue Primer or an equivalent before Cave 1 certification ^[1].

Crossing between systems

If you plan to dive in a region with its own system, ask early how your training will be recognised. The CDAA offers crossover training under its own policy for divers already certified elsewhere ^[15]. The FFESSM assesses divers from other organisations against its own criteria where no equivalence is recognised ^[4]. Many agency pages accept another agency's card 'or equivalent' as a prerequisite ^[5][7]; that is a judgement made by the receiving agency or instructor, not a statement that the courses are the same.

Local access

Training does not confer access. Ask whether the training sites need permits, memberships or landowner agreements, and who arranges them. The CDAA, for instance, arranges access to many Australian sites and offers certified visiting cave divers a three-month permit ^[23]. TDI's survey course includes landowner relations and local access requirements in its syllabus ^[24], a reminder that access is part of cave diving, not an afterthought.

A short checklist

• The agency, course and standard version, and the limits that will apply afterwards.
• The instructor's current status and rating for that course, confirmed with the agency.
• Ratios, number of dives, total time underwater and number of different sites.
• The equipment configuration, and whether it matches your plans.
• What happens if you need more time.
• Who arranges site access, and what it requires.