Photo by Mikhail Vedyokhin · CC BY-SA 2.5
Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver
Technical nitrox training combined with cave decompression procedures and mixed-gas fundamentals for transitioning into technical overhead diving. This course bridges recreational and technical diving by teaching advanced nitrox use, staged decompression theory, and gas-switching procedures specific to cave diving. Students develop the oxygen management and decompression planning foundation needed before advancing to trimix or deeper mixed-gas 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
13 centres
A separate set of centres, teaching Technical Cave / Cave Decompression 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.
- $600total
- $1,100total
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $275per day
- Protec MexicoMexicoCave DecompressionPSAI1 student$470/day→ $1,880 for the 4-day minimum2+ students$420/day→ $1,680 for the 4-day minimum each$470per day
- $295per day
- $330per day
- $330per day
- CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)MexicoCave Deco (already deco)TDI1 student$300/day→ $1,200 for the 4-day minimum$300per day
- CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)MexicoCave Deco (new to deco)TDI1 student$300/day→ $1,800 for the 6-day minimum$300per day
- $400per day
- THB 59,000total
- THB 59,000total
- THB 59,000total
- €1,000total
Same tier, agency not stated
1 centre
These centres publish a price for Technical Cave / Cave Decompression, 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.
Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:
- $280per 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
Cavern Diver or Apprentice Cave Diver training in progress, entry-level Nitrox Diver certification (concurrent acceptable), minimum 50 logged dives total. Minimum 18 years old.
Standards
What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.
Demonstrate knowledge of technical nitrox including oxygen toxicity calculations, equivalent air depth, decompression theory, staged gas switching procedures, proper gas labeling and analysis for multiple mixes, decompression obligation planning, emergency procedures for decompression dives, and all foundational cave skills adapted to technical procedures. Understand basics of mixed-gas diving as foundation for future trimix training. Training focuses on nitrox-based decompression procedures rather than helium-based deep training.
Instructors Teaching This Course
United States
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 NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver
What are the prerequisites for NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver?
NSS-CDS's standards require: Cavern Diver or Apprentice Cave Diver training in progress, entry-level Nitrox Diver certification (concurrent acceptable), minimum 50 logged dives total. Minimum 18 years old.
What is the minimum age for NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver?
NSS-CDS's standards state: Minimum 18 years old.
How many dives do I need before starting NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver?
NSS-CDS's standards state: Minimum 50 logged dives total.
What does NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver training involve?
According to NSS-CDS's published standards: Demonstrate knowledge of technical nitrox including oxygen toxicity calculations, equivalent air depth, decompression theory, staged gas switching procedures, proper gas labeling and analysis for multiple mixes, decompression obligation planning, emergency procedures for decompression dives, and all foundational cave skills adapted to technical procedures. Understand basics of mixed-gas diving as foundation for future trimix training. Training focuses on nitrox-based decompression procedures rather than helium-based deep training.
What is the equivalent of NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver in other agencies?
At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: TDI Cave Decompression, PSAI Cave Decompression Diver and IANTD Technical 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 NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver?
2 dive centres and 4 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach NSS-CDS Tech Nitrox and Cave Decompression Diver, in Mexico and the United States. Each is listed further up this page.