Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
Cave Diving
Learn the fundamentals of cave penetration diving with training focused on single-navigation-choice cave systems and daylight-zone exploration. This course teaches cave-specific equipment configuration, line-following techniques, emergency procedures, and the discipline required for overhead environments where direct ascent is impossible. Cave Diving certification prepares you for the technical demands of cave exploration and serves as the essential foundation for advanced cave training.
What it costs
No centre in the directory publishes a price for this exact certification yet. What follows is what the same training costs elsewhere.
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
- €2,000total
- €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
Extended Range Cavern Diving certification, no minimum logged dives beyond those required for Extended Range Cavern Diving.
No instructors or dive centres found offering this course.
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 SSI XR Cave Diving
What are the prerequisites for SSI XR Cave Diving?
SSI XR's standards require: Extended Range Cavern Diving certification, no minimum logged dives beyond those required for Extended Range Cavern Diving.
What is the equivalent of SSI XR Cave Diving in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: NSS-CDS Apprentice Cave Diver, RAID Cave 1, 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.
What course comes after SSI XR Cave Diving?
The next step in SSI XR's progression is SSI XR Full Cave Diving.