Diver Standards

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CAVERN DIVER PROGRAM

1. Purpose

This course is designed to safely train students in the established procedures and protocols to dive in an overhead environment while remaining within the light zone at all times, without incurring any decompression obligations and within course limits outlined below.

1. Candidate Prerequisites

• Be a minimum of 18 years old.
• Be a certified diver for at least 3 months.
• Must have logged 20 hours underwater or 25 dives using open circuit.
• Be certified as a RAID Deep 40 or equivalent or RAID Explorer 30 or equivalent should any training dives to be conducted deeper than 18 meters / 60 feet.
• Must be certified as a sidemount diver or twinset diver if using that configuration.

III. Student to instructor Ratios

• Confined Water or Pool Training: Maximum ratio: 6:1 with a maximum depth of 6m/20ft
• Overhead Training: – Maximum ratio: 4:1
• It is highly recommended that a certified RAID assistant be utilized. The use of a certified RAID assistant does not affect ratios but is recommended as a contingency “buddy” in the cave environment. Ratios should be reduced if conditions are less than ideal.

1. Depth Limitations During Training

Training dive depth limits are outlined in the Cavern training materials. Training dives must not exceed the maximum depth 6 meters / 20 feet in confined water and a maximum of 40 meters / 130 feet in open water, core level certification applies.

IVa. Visual Limitations During Training

Training dives must be conducted in conditions where the starting visibility is a minimum of 10 meters / 30 feet. Primary lights must have a manufacturer’s recommended burn time a minimum of one hour more than the duration of planned dives.

IVb. Gas Limitations During Training

Cylinders must be filled to 200bar/3000psi and the minimum cylinder size is 11.1 liters/80 cubic feet.

Students may use a maximum of one third of starting pressure of a single cylinder for penetration into the overhead. Calculation of thirds must allow a generous additional gas reserve. Students using twinset or sidemount configuration will be limited to 1/6 of their available gas supply.

Students may use air or nitrox for bottom mix calculated at maximum of 1.4 PO₂ in deepest cave passage. (N.B. Trimix may be used if students (and instructor) are certified. The END / EAD for trimix must not exceed 30 meters / 100 feet and deliver a maximum PO₂ of 1.4 bar.

IVc. Penetration Limitations During Training

Dives must follow a permanent guideline.
No passages or restrictions through which divers are required to swim in single file.
No jumps allowed
Maximum penetration of 60 linear meters / 200 feet from the surface.

All cavern training dives must be conducted during daylight hours and may not be started 90 minutes before sunset.

1. Supervision

A certified RAID Cavern instructor or Cave 1 instructor or higher.

A Cavern instructor wishing to teach students in sidemount, must be a RAID Sidemount instructor.

A Cavern instructor wishing to teach students in twinset, must be a RAID Twinset Instructor.

The instructor must always be present and in direct supervision of ALL segments of training during this course.

A certified assistant must be a RAID divemaster or higher who is also certified as a RAID Cave 1 diver or higher but does not affect ratios.

1. Equipment Requirements

Single cylinder (with or without H or Y valve) of adequate capacity for the planned dive. A minimum of an 11.1 liters / 80 cubic feet cylinder is highly recommended.

• A DIN First stage with:
  • One primary regulator with 2m / 7ft hose, including piston clip for clipping off regulator.
  • One low-pressure inflator hose for BCD, an additional hose for Dry suit if applicable.
  • One backup regulator with standard hose fitted with neck bungee.
  • One SPG with piston clip for attaching to D Ring when stowed.

OR

A standard recreational regulator setup:

• Fitted with a 2m / 7ft hose fitted to the primary regulator.
• Buoyancy Compensator
• Standard BCD or backplate and wing with harness with adequate lift for the environment.

Twinset Configuration
Refer to Twinset Equipment Configuration in the Equipment section.

Sidemount configuration
Refer to the Sidemount Equipment Configuration in the Equipment section

NOTE: Students using twinset or sidemount configuration will be limited to 1/6 of their available gas supply.

Additional required cavern specific equipment per student (unless noted):

• One cutting device.
• Primary dive light (with burn time at least one hour longer than planned dive time.)
• One fully charged backup lights, each with a manufacturer’s burn time at least one hour.
• A minimum of 3 Personalized Directional markers (Arrows), two marked for lost buddy scenario.
• A minimum of 3 personalized non-directional markers (Cookies or REMs).
• One personal safety spool (to be carried by each student at all times)
• One jump spool or cavern reel per student
• One primary reel per student team
• Spare mask

VII. Course Requirements

To earn certification, the student must fulfil the following requirements.

All Quizzes and exams are completed and passed.

All confined and Open Water skills are completed and signed off through the RAID Website by both the instructor and student.

The student has logged all their training dives online in their personal RAID eLogbook.

The RAID Dive Centre has confirmed certification online through the RAID website.

VIII. In-Water Training

Dive times for the DIVER course are a minimum of:

• Confined water: Adequate time to show mastery of all skills.
• Overhead: A minimum of 4 hours (240 minutes) in the overhead environment.
• A minimum of at least four penetrations in the overhead environment.
• A minimum of 3 hours of land drills, dryland instruction, kit configuration and dive debriefing.

NOTE: No student may be allowed to enter the overhead until he/she has demonstrated control of buoyancy (hover within plus or minus 50 centimeters / 20 inches) and mastery of non-silt propulsion techniques and backwards kick.

1. Certification

This certification allows divers to safely and efficiently conduct dives with a similarly certified buddy within the limits of their core level certification and experience in an overhead cavern environment within the light zone to a maximum penetration of 60 linear meters / 200 feet from the surface.

TWINSET DIVER

1. Purpose

To train divers to use a twinset configuration. This program may be combined with other approved RAID diver programs.

1. Student prerequisites

A student taking this course must:

• Be a minimum of 15 years old.
  • Obtain guardian permission if a minor.
• Be certified as an Open Water 20 or equivalent.
• Complete the registration process, including all mandatory paperwork.

III. Student to Instructor Ratios

• • 6 Students:1 instructor – Confined Water
  • 6 Students:1 instructor – Open Water

1. Depth limitations during training

Maximum depth within the limits of student’s core level certifications.

1. Supervision

All training must be conducted by a RAID Twinset instructor. The instructor must be physically present and in direct supervision of all segments of training. Using matching equipment through the duration of the course.

A certified assistant must be a divemaster or higher, with certification as a twinset specialty diver or higher.

1. Equipment Requirements

Refer to “Equipment Requirements” in the RGDS.

VII. Course Requirements

To earn certification, the student must fulfil the following requirements.

1. Complete the online academic modules, quizzes, and exam
2. The student has logged all the training dives online, in their personal “Logbook”
3. All confined and open water skills have been completed and signed off by both the instructor and the student, through the RAID Website.
4. Complete all dives as outlined in section VIII.
5. The RAID Dive Centre has confirmed certification online, through the RAID website.

VIII. In-Water Training

As a standalone, this program may be signed off by completing:

• Confined water: Adequate time to show mastery of all skills.
• Minimum of 2 open water dives with at least 3 hours of underwater training.

When combined with another program, the total underwater training must be cumulative and ALL skills for both programs must be demonstrated and mastered. When combined with another course open water time may be reduced to 2 hours.

Note: the RAID twinset course is a not a decompression or overhead program

1. Certification

This certification enables divers to conduct twinset dives safely and efficiently, within the limits of their core level certifications.

* This course may be credited towards the Master Diver rating.