The RAID Cave 1 course takes you into caves beyond the daylight zone. You learn to plan and carry out dives in an environment where you cannot swim straight up to the surface. That calls for solid control of your equipment and buoyancy, precise navigation and good teamwork.
Cave 1 gives you the foundation to dive caves within your certification limits, on a twinset or in sidemount. The course asks for a strong diving background and a willingness to keep working on your skills, including when a dive does not go to plan.
What will you learn in Cave 1?
Topics include:
- Planning a cave dive and managing your gas supply.
- Laying and following a guideline so you always have a clear route back to the exit.
- Navigation, communication and working as a team.
- Trim, buoyancy and finning techniques that keep your impact on the cave to a minimum.
- Emergency procedures for low visibility, line problems or a teammate in trouble.
You practise these skills as part of real dives, including when things change unexpectedly. That is how you build the calm and control a cave demands.
How does the course work?
You cover the theory through RAID's online modules. You then spend plenty of time on dry land practising procedures, running line drills, fine tuning your configuration and debriefing each step.
Confined water skills can be practised in Belgium, either in the Temse swimming pool or in the shallow area of the Put van Ekeren. The cave dives themselves take place in France, Spain or Mexico. Before you enter the cave, you need precise buoyancy control and a finning technique that does not stir up silt, including the back kick.
Who is this course for?
To join Cave 1, you need to meet the RAID prerequisites:
- You are at least 18 years old.
- You have held an Open Water certification or equivalent for at least three months.
- You are certified as a RAID Nitrox Diver or equivalent.
- You have logged 50 hours underwater or 75 dives.
- You hold a RAID Sidemount certification if you dive sidemount, or RAID Twinset if you dive a twinset (or an equivalent).
We go through your experience and certifications with you beforehand, so it is clear whether you are ready and whether any extra preparation would help.
What are the Cave 1 limits?
As a Cave 1 diver you follow a permanent main line up to 300 metres from the entrance. You may pass one T intersection, but jumps and gaps to other lines are not part of Cave 1, and neither are restrictions you can only pass in single file. For gas, you use no more than a third of your starting supply for the way in, plus an extra reserve.
A certification limit is not a target for every dive. The route, your gas supply, the conditions and the experience of the team decide what is sensible.
What comes after Cave 1?
Once certified, you build experience on your own within the Cave 1 limits. When you are ready to plan more complex routes with jumps, gaps and more involved line procedures, the RAID Cave 2 course is the next step. It requires your Cave 1 certification plus at least ten Cave 1 dives outside of training.
RAID Cave 1 FAQ
Can I take Cave 1 in sidemount?
Yes. You decide whether to train in sidemount or on a twinset, as long as you are certified for that configuration. If you take Cave 1 in sidemount, your instructor will also be a RAID Sidemount Instructor.
What equipment do I need for Cave 1?
On top of your full configuration you carry two cutting tools, a primary light and two backup lights, a spare mask, line markers (arrows and cookies), a safety spool and a jump spool. Each team also carries a primary reel. Your primary cylinders need to hold at least 2800 litres of gas between them.
How deep can I dive with a Cave 1 certification?
Cave 1 has no depth limit of its own. After certification you stay within the depth limit of your existing certifications. During the course, open water training dives do not go deeper than 40 metres.
Do I need decompression training for Cave 1?
No. Cave 1 is not a decompression course, so you plan your cave dives without mandatory decompression stops. RAID does recommend ending every dive with a safety stop of at least three minutes between 6 and 3 metres.
