Cavern divers will swim away from the comfort of the open water under the hard ceiling and potential hazards proper to the cave and cavern environment. Direct and vertical ascent to the surface is now impossible and we must learn how to solve problems on the spot, or alternatively how to “isolate” them and exit safely back to the surface. This is a new way of thinking for open water divers usually performing no-stop dives. This means divers must develop a high level of awareness in all fields. Preparedness and mind control become paramount in this kind of diving. Divers will have to show a conservative mindset, for their safety and for protecting the integrity of the fragile cave/cavern environments. Cavern divers will lay a line from the open water into the cavern area. Cave ceilings and bottoms are often covered with thin sediment that can lower visibility quickly. Refined propulsion techniques and close-to-perfect buoyancy control and trim are now paramount to avoid silt-outs and disorientation. Divers at that level must know their equipment and its configuration to a much higher level than previously, in order to solve problems quickly and rationally, without losing any of the fundamental skills such as buoyancy, trim, position, and orientation. Therefore, the training at a basic level (Sidemount or Intro to Tech) must be of high level and of quality. As divers swim away from the open water, the psychological aspects are of much higher importance. Knowing oneself, coupled with healthy non-egoic motivations and a high level of preparedness are extremely important mind-skills and character traits of a good and safe Cavern diver. The TDI Cavern Diver course provides you with simple, efficient protocols and helps you develop a clear mindset coupled with sound judgement in stressful situations.