Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver
This advanced cave specialization teaches Technical Cave Divers to safely deploy and manage multiple stage cylinders (bailout and decompression bottles) within cave systems, substantially extending cave penetration range and enabling deep technical dives beyond single-stage capability. You'll master stage clipping procedures, precise gas accounting across multiple stages, and contingency protocols for stage loss or runaway consumption. This certification is essential for deep cave projects and technical expeditions and forms a critical bridge to Elite Technical Cave certification.
Centres that teach this course
4 dive centres in the directory publish a price for this exact certification, checked Sep 2026. Each centre's own wording is shown beneath its name. Ranges cover whole-course prices only — where a centre charges per day or per dive, its rate is listed separately below, since a daily figure is not comparable with a course total.
- $1,000total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $275per day
- $295per day
- $295per day
- €1,000total
Same training under a different agency
5 centres
A separate set of centres, teaching Stage Cave under a different agency. These are not the same certification — the standards and the card differ — but they cover the same depth and scope, which is why centres price them alike. Every row here names whose rating it is, and none of them is counted above.
- $825total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $300per day
- Under The JungleMexicoStage CaveTDIprivate$345/day→ $1,725 for the 5-day minimumper diver in a group$295/day→ $1,475 for the 5-day minimum each$345per day
- Go Dive MexicoMexicoStage caveTDIprivate$330/day→ $1,650 for the 5-day minimum2+ divers$300/day→ $1,500 for the 5-day minimum each$330per day
- $400per day
Same tier, agency not stated
2 centres
These centres publish a price for Stage Cave, but their own wording does not say which agency's certification it buys — many teach several and name the card only once you enquire, and some price one course for either agency. The figure is comparable; the certification is not identified, so we do not guess at one.
- $600total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- Protec MexicoMexicoStage Cave1 student$440/day→ $1,760 for the 4-day minimum2+ students$390/day→ $1,560 for the 4-day minimum each$440per day
- Protec MexicoMexicoMulti Stage Cave1 student$470/day→ $2,820 for the 6-day minimum2+ students$420/day→ $2,520 for the 6-day minimum each$470per day
These prices are not like-for-like. Two centres can charge very differently for the same certification because they include different things. One price may cover twinsets, stages, deco gas and cylinder rental for every training dive, a dedicated classroom for the theory, boat or transport to the site, and the agency's registration and materials; another may be tuition only, with all of that charged separately — or the other way round, with a centre bundling in extras the first leaves out. Class size, whether the course is one-to-one, and how many days are allowed for it move the figure too. Check what each centre's price includes before comparing them, and confirm with the centre before booking.
Consumables are usually extra. Sorb, helium, O₂ and other fills, park and cenote fees, certification fees and rental are commonly charged on top.
Packages combining several certifications, upgrades from an existing one, and open-ended day rates are excluded — none of them is the standalone price of this course, and including them would move the figures away from what a new student can actually book.
Prerequisites
IANTD Technical Cave Diver (or equivalent), minimum 25 logged cave dives, minimum 18 years old. Training depth limited by current cave depth certification.
Instructors Teaching This Course
Mexico
United States
Indonesia
Dive Centres Offering This Course
Mexico
United States
Indonesia
We're still building out the directory country by country, so this list isn't every instructor or dive centre teaching it in the world — more locations are coming soon.
Common questions about IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver
How much does IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver cost?
Published prices for IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver range across 2 centres in the TecDiveTools directory — roughly US$1,000 to US$1,150 at current exchange rates. In each centre's own currency: $1,000 (1 centre) and €1,000 (1 centre). 2 centres charge by the day instead, which is not comparable with a course total. Prices differ mainly in what they include, so compare the inclusions before comparing the numbers. Prices were last checked in September 2026.
How long does IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver take?
Between 3 and 4 days, based on the durations 5 centres publish for it. The time depends on the centre's schedule, weather, and how quickly the required skills are demonstrated — agencies set a minimum number of dives, not a fixed number of days.
What are the prerequisites for IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver?
IANTD's standards require: IANTD Technical Cave Diver (or equivalent), minimum 25 logged cave dives, minimum 18 years old. Training depth limited by current cave depth certification.
What is the minimum age for IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver?
IANTD's standards state: Minimum 18 years old.
How many dives do I need before starting IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver?
IANTD's standards state: Minimum 25 logged cave dives.
What is the equivalent of IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: NSS-CDS Stage Cave Diver and TDI Stage Cave. They cover comparable training, but each agency sets its own standards, depth limits and certification card, so they are comparable rather than interchangeable — check which one your next course accepts.
Where can I take IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver?
20 dive centres and 32 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver, in Mexico, the United States, Thailand and Indonesia. Each is listed further up this page.
Does the price of IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver include gas and equipment?
Not always — it varies by centre. Certification fees, equipment rental and boat or site fees are commonly charged on top of the course price. Each centre's price list on TecDiveTools shows what it notes as included.