A cave diver at the exit of an underwater cave

Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5

CaveTDI

TDI Stage Cave

Official course standards ↗Last updated September 7, 2026

Stage Cave (officially 'Stage Overhead Diver' in TDI Part 2 standards) teaches cave divers to extend their range using stage cylinders—auxiliary gas bottles clipped along the guideline to supplement back gas beyond what a single tank configuration allows. This course is designed for Full Cave Divers seeking to push deeper or longer into cave systems, teaching stage-cylinder management, gas planning for extended penetrations, and the specific procedures for clipping, unclipping, and switching to stage bottles mid-dive in overhead environments.

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.

One centre publishes a price in US Dollar.

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)Mexico
    Stage Cave
    1 student$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum
    $300
    per day
  • Under The JungleMexico
    Stage Cave
    private$345/day→ $1,725 for the 5-day minimum
    per diver in a group$295/day→ $1,475 for the 5-day minimum each
    $345
    per day
  • Go Dive MexicoMexico
    Stage cave
    private$330/day→ $1,650 for the 5-day minimum
    2+ divers$300/day→ $1,500 for the 5-day minimum each
    $330
    per day
  • Cave Diving AdventuresMexico
    Stage Cave
    $400/day
    $400
    per day

Same training under a different agency

4 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.

One centre publishes a price in US Dollar.
  • Speleo ZoneMexico
    Stage Cave DiverIANTD
    2 students$1,000
    3 students$900
    $1,000
    total

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

One centre publishes a price in Euro.
  • Sulawesi Dive TrekIndonesia
    IANTD Advanced Cave – Stage/Multi-Stage DiverIANTD
    €1,000
    total

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.

One centre publishes a price in US Dollar.

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Protec MexicoMexico
    Stage Cave
    1 student$440/day→ $1,760 for the 4-day minimum
    2+ students$390/day→ $1,560 for the 4-day minimum each
    $440
    per day
  • Protec MexicoMexico
    Multi Stage Cave
    1 student$470/day→ $2,820 for the 6-day minimum
    2+ students$420/day→ $2,520 for the 6-day minimum each
    $470
    per 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

Minimum age 18. Certified TDI Full Cave Diver. At least 50+ logged cave dives (standard progression assumes real cave experience beyond certification dives).

Standards

What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.

Students complete 3 or more cave dives (each 90+ minutes) across 2 different dive sites, demonstrating mastery of: stage-cylinder rigging and deployment, complex gas planning for extended bottom time, stage bottle clipping and unclipping at depth, emergency procedures with stages, safe stage handling under task-loading, and proper decompression protocols with stage support.

Instructors Teaching This Course

Dive Centres 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 TDI Stage Cave

How much does TDI Stage Cave cost?

One centre in the TecDiveTools directory publishes a whole-course price for TDI Stage Cave: Deep Dark Diving, at $825. 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 Stage Cave take?

Between 3 and 5 days, based on the durations 4 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 Stage Cave?

TDI's standards require: Minimum age 18. Certified TDI Full Cave Diver. At least 50+ logged cave dives (standard progression assumes real cave experience beyond certification dives).

What is the minimum age for TDI Stage Cave?

TDI's standards state: Minimum age 18.

What does TDI Stage Cave training involve?

According to TDI's published standards: Students complete 3 or more cave dives (each 90+ minutes) across 2 different dive sites, demonstrating mastery of: stage-cylinder rigging and deployment, complex gas planning for extended bottom time, stage bottle clipping and unclipping at depth, emergency procedures with stages, safe stage handling under task-loading, and proper decompression protocols with stage support.

What is the equivalent of TDI Stage Cave in other agencies?

At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage Diver and NSS-CDS Stage 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.

IANTD Adv. Cave - Stage/Multi-Stage DiverNSS-CDS Stage Cave Diver

Where can I take TDI Stage Cave?

61 dive centres and 77 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach TDI Stage Cave across 6 countries, most in Mexico, the United States, Thailand and Malta. Each is listed further up this page.

Does the price of TDI Stage 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.

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