Cavern, Cave, and Minediver Courses
Diving in underwater caves or flooded mines is one of the most fascinating and challenging types of technical diving. Diving in an environment where it is always dark and not possible to ascend directly to the surface is not without risks and requires a solid basic diving education and a stable psyche. But then, the encounter with the underworld and one's own self is one of the most fascinating experiences a technical diver can have.
What is cave diving? What is mine diving? What is the difference between cave and mine diving?
The diving environment is different.
- Mines are man-made and therefore designed for human dimensions
- Natural caves are not subject to human laws; they can be large or narrow, with a lot of current or none at all
What is the difference between a Cave Diver and a Mine Diver?
- Mine Diver training exclusively in mines
- The Mine Diver may only dive in mines
- The Cave Diver is also trained in a natural cave environment
- Crossover or upgrade from Mine Diver to Cave Diver is easily possible
How do I find the right Mine / Cave Instructor?
Instructors who teach technical diving courses should also live it themselves and have at least 5-6 years of experience as a technical diver.
Stefan Pape has been cave diving for over 12 years and brings a wealth of experience from extreme cave dives, as well as many first explorations, to his training.
Good training is especially important in cave diving; read the articles in our blog:
Cave Diving, the Lost Line drill
Here's a short video to get you in the mood for our last record-breaking dive in Namibia:
What are the prerequisites for cave diving?
What are the prerequisites for mine diving?
Important are a good basic education from a recognized technical diving association and a good training level.
- IANTD Essentials Diver
- IANTD Advanced Nitrox Diver
For all Tec diving courses, in addition to the appropriate equipment, you will need the following documents:
Diving medical certificate (no older than 1 year), insurance (DAN, Aquamed etc.)
Is cave/mine diving dangerous?
A dive in an overhead environment (with a ceiling above you) is not without risk. It is important that you are confident in handling your diving equipment, have made accurate preparations (equipment preparation, e.g., full tanks, fresh absorbent, etc.), performed a pre-dive check, etc., and also that you can maintain good buoyancy and do not stir up silt. - Should any of these not be the case, we always have the right and the duty to abort the dive to bring all divers safely back to the surface. Every diver has the right to abort the dive at any time!
