Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
Cave 1
A technical cave diving course introducing basic cave-zone skills and advanced line work in overhead environments. Students learn proper finning techniques to minimize silt, guideline navigation, entanglement rescue, and emergency procedures specific to cave diving. The course emphasizes non-silt propulsion, proper weighting, and buoyancy control essential for confined underwater passages where ascent to the surface is not an option. This intermediate overhead course builds on cavern training to develop divers capable of deeper cave exploration with enhanced technical skills.
Centres that teach this course
1 dive centre 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.
- €2,000total
Same training under a different agency
28 centres
A separate set of centres, teaching Intro to 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.
- $1,050total
- $1,320total
- $800total
- $1,000total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $275per day
- Protec MexicoMexicoIntro to CavePSAI1 student$420/day→ $2,520 for the 6-day minimum2+ students$370/day→ $2,220 for the 6-day minimum each$420per day
- $295per day
- Cave AdventurersUnited StatesIntro to CaveTDIPrivate class$450/day→ $900 for the 2-day minimumGroup class$350/day→ $700 for the 2-day minimum each$450per day
- $325per day
- CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)MexicoIntro to CaveTDI1 student$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum$300per day
- Under The JungleMexicoIntro to Cave (TDI)TDIprivate$345/day→ $1,035 for the 3-day minimumper diver in a group$295/day→ $885 for the 3-day minimum each$345per day
- Go Dive MexicoMexicoIntro to caveTDIprivate$330/day→ $990 for the 3-day minimum2+ divers$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum each$330per day
- $350per day
- $235per day
- $330per day
- $300per day
- ByMoMoDiveMexicoIntroductory to Cave DiverIANTD1 student$245/day→ $980 for the 4-day minimum3 students$205/day→ $820 for the 4-day minimum each$245per day
- THB 39,000total
- THB 39,000total
- THB 30,000total
- THB 39,000total
- THB 25,000total
- €1,000total
- €800total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- €300per day
- MX$9,500total
- MX$20,000total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- Air Dive AlorIndonesiaIntro to CaveTDI1 student, privateIDR 3,200,000/day→ IDR 9,600,000 for the 3-day minimum3 studentsIDR 2,400,000/day→ IDR 7,200,000 for the 3-day minimum eachIDR 3,200,000per day
Same tier, agency not stated
5 centres
These centres publish a price for Intro to 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.
- $1,500total
- $900total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $280per day
- Cave AdventurersUnited StatesApprentice CavePrivate class$450/day→ $900 for the 2-day minimumGroup class$350/day→ $700 for the 2-day minimum each$450per day
- THB 35,000total
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
Completion of RAID Cavern Course or equivalent; significant cavern training and overhead environment experience required. Contact RAID Dive Center for complete prerequisite details and minimum dive experience.
Standards
What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.
Demonstrate advanced buoyancy control with precision hovering, non-silt propulsion techniques, guideline navigation and reel management, entanglement rescue procedures, buddy communication in overhead environments, and emergency response in confined spaces.
Instructors Teaching This Course
Dive Centres Offering This Course
Indonesia
Mexico
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 RAID Cave 1
How much does RAID Cave 1 cost?
One centre in the TecDiveTools directory publishes a whole-course price for RAID Cave 1: Sulawesi Dive Trek, at €2,000. 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 RAID Cave 1 take?
8 days, based on the durations 1 centre publishes 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 RAID Cave 1?
RAID's standards require: Completion of RAID Cavern Course or equivalent; significant cavern training and overhead environment experience required. Contact RAID Dive Center for complete prerequisite details and minimum dive experience.
What does RAID Cave 1 training involve?
According to RAID's published standards: Demonstrate advanced buoyancy control with precision hovering, non-silt propulsion techniques, guideline navigation and reel management, entanglement rescue procedures, buddy communication in overhead environments, and emergency response in confined spaces.
What is the equivalent of RAID Cave 1 in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: NSS-CDS Apprentice Cave Diver, SSI XR Cave Diving, ANDI Intro to Cave, TDI Intro to Cave, PSAI Intro to Cave Diver and IANTD Introductory Cave Diver. 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 RAID Cave 1?
4 dive centres and 4 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach RAID Cave 1, in Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico. Each is listed further up this page.
Does the price of RAID Cave 1 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.