Cave I Diver Training
NAUI Cave I Diver is a technical overhead course for divers ready to move beyond cavern limits into limited-penetration, simple-navigation cave diving. The official NAUI page states that the course prepares divers for cave dives not exceeding 30 meters or 100 feet and remaining within a 10-minute decompression limit. The training emphasizes risk reduction, guideline discipline, gas planning, light handling, communication, team procedures, and the judgment to stay within the exact environment and navigation complexity trained.
This course is for divers who already have a technical foundation and meaningful dive experience. NAUI lists Introduction to Technical Diving or equivalent as a prerequisite, requires proof of at least 75 logged dives, and sets the minimum age at 18. The instructor must also verify student knowledge and capability before overhead training, including a skill evaluation dive when appropriate. A suitable student should already be stable, precise, and serious about overhead limits.
Training normally includes academic development, land or confined-water line work, emergency drills, and cave dives focused on simple navigation and controlled penetration. In High Springs, Florida, Cave I Diver is a major step into the local cave-diving pathway. The expected outcome is a diver who can plan and conduct basic cave dives within limits, while respecting the difference between having access to a cave and being ready for complex cave exploration.
