Become a Technical, Cavern or Cave Diver

We have recently partnered with an experienced dive instructor to provide Technical Dive training to those of you looking for dive deeper, longer and pursue cave diving. Our instructor is an SDI/TDI, PADI & PSAI-certified technical, cave and cavern diving expert.

Become a Technical Diver

What is Technical Diving?

Technical (tec) diving pushes beyond recreational limits, allowing for deeper, longer, and more advanced dives. Originating in cave and deep diving, tec diving requires specialized training, additional equipment, and strong buoyancy and trim control.

For those who thrive on challenges, tec diving offers access to deep wrecks, ocean walls, and caves beyond recreational limits, including:

Depths beyond 130 feet (40 meters)
Accelerated decompression with gas mixes up to 100% oxygen
Overhead environments beyond 200 feet from the surface

Training & Equipment

Tec divers must plan for contingencies, use redundant equipment, and master critical skills since the surface is not an immediate exit option. Training programs include:

TDI/PSAI Courses: Advanced Nitrox (130’), Decompression Procedures (150’), Extended Range (180’), and Trimix for deeper dives
PADI TecRec: Tec 40, Tec 45, and Tec 50 programs

Standard equipment includes back-mounted doubles or sidemount tanks, multiple gas computers, dive lights, reels, and lift bags/DSMBs.

Prerequisites

✔ 18+ years old with a physician’s release
✔ Advanced Open Water certification
✔ Prerequisite nitrox dives at appropriate depths

Explore Florida’s breathtaking springs and beyond with professional training in cavern and cave diving. This challenging but rewarding experience will enhance your skills, improve buoyancy and trim, and open new opportunities for underwater exploration.

Cavern Diver

Perfect for divers looking to begin their overhead environment training while staying within the daylight zone.

Key Skills & Limits:

✔ Overhead gas planning and emergency procedures
✔ Air sharing, disorientation recovery, and silt-out drills
✔ Buoyancy, trim, and silt prevention techniques
✔ Limited to 200 feet linear penetration in the daylight zone

Equipment Requirements:

Standard Open Water BC (with minor gear modifications) OR a sidemount/back-mounted doubles setup
Long hose for gas sharing
Large capacity tank (minimum HP 100 steel or AL 80)

Intro to Cave Diver

Expanding beyond the daylight zone, this course requires additional redundancy and prepares divers to follow the main line deeper into the system.

Key Skills:

✔ Advanced buoyancy & trim for cave navigation
✔ Redundant air supply & gas management
✔ Emergency procedures & problem-solving

Equipment Requirements:

Sidemount or back-mounted doubles with dual regulator stages
Primary and backup dive lights
Safety reel & line markers

Apprentice Cave & Full Cave Diver

These advanced levels build on Intro to Cave Diver with:
✔ Circuit & traverse navigation
✔ Line entanglement, repair, and emergency procedures
✔ Advanced gas management and decompression considerations

Equipment Standards for Cave Training

While Cavern training can be done with a high-capacity tank and OW BC, cave courses require:
Back-mounted doubles or sidemount configuration
Primary & backup dive lights
Reels, spools, and line markers
Multi-gas dive computer

Prerequisites

✔ 18 years old & medically fit (physician’s release may be required)
✔ Advanced Open Water (or higher)
✔ Logged Nitrox dives at appropriate depths

Get Certified with Discovery Dive World!

We have recently opened accounts with Hollis, Shearwater and Dive Rite to ensure you can get the gear that you need to enable technical, cave and cavern diving.