Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
DPV Cave
DPV Cave covers safe use of a diver propulsion vehicle (scooter) inside a cave system: planning around the reduced gas reserves that increased range creates, scooter-specific emergency procedures, and team scootering technique in an overhead environment. It's for certified cave divers who want to extend their range well beyond what finning allows, for exploration or long-line cave dives. It requires real cave experience first — TDI wants divers comfortable in the cave environment before adding a scooter to the mix. It's taught with the diver's own scooter inside a cave system, over 3 dives of at least 90 minutes each, and it's a natural pairing with Stage Cave Diver for divers pushing into deep cave systems. No fixed depth — cave dives are limited by gas planning and distance from the exit rather than a stated maximum depth.
Centres that teach this course
5 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.
- $1,100total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- Under The JungleMexicoCave DPV (previous DPV experience)private$345/day→ $1,380 for the 4-day minimumper diver in a group$295/day→ $1,180 for the 4-day minimum each$345per day
- $375per day
- $300per day
- Under The JungleMexicoCave DPV (no previous DPV experience)private$345/day→ $2,070 for the 6-day minimumper diver in a group$295/day→ $1,770 for the 6-day minimum each$345per day
- $400per day
Same training under a different agency
3 centres
A separate set of centres, teaching Cave DPV 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.
- $1,500total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $275per day
- $295per day
Same tier, agency not stated
2 centres
These centres publish a price for Cave DPV, 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.
- $900total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- Protec MexicoMexicoOverhead DPV1 student$440/day→ $1,760 for the 4-day minimum2+ students$390/day→ $1,560 for the 4-day minimum each$440per 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
TDI Full Cave Diver plus 25 non-training full cave dives, minimum age 18.
Instructors Teaching This Course
Mexico
United States
Philippines
Malta
Dive Centres Offering This Course
Mexico
United States
Philippines
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 TDI DPV Cave
How much does TDI DPV Cave cost?
One centre in the TecDiveTools directory publishes a whole-course price for TDI DPV Cave: Deep Dark Diving, at $1,100. 4 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 TDI DPV Cave take?
Between 3 and 6 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 TDI DPV Cave?
TDI's standards require: TDI Full Cave Diver plus 25 non-training full cave dives, minimum age 18.
What is the minimum age for TDI DPV Cave?
TDI's standards state: Minimum age 18.
How many dives do I need before starting TDI DPV Cave?
TDI's standards state: TDI Full Cave Diver plus 25 non-training full cave dives.
What is the equivalent of TDI DPV Cave in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: IANTD Adv. Cave - DPV Diver and NSS-CDS DPV 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 TDI DPV Cave?
44 dive centres and 58 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach TDI DPV Cave, in Mexico, the United States, Thailand, the Philippines and Malta. Each is listed further up this page.
Does the price of TDI DPV Cave 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.