Things You'll Need:
- Scuba certification
- Physical fitness
- Cave diving association
- Cave diving instructor
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Step 1
Get scuba certified if you are not already. You may find that you are perfectly happy at 60 feet looking at all the pretty fish and that you have no interest in pursuing cave diving. There is nothing wrong with this, since you should never ever dive beyond your comfort level.
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Step 2
Work on increasing your physical fitness. All diving is physically demanding, but none as much as cave diving. Cave divers have to carry extra equipment, have stronger propulsion techniques underwater and maintain buoyancy control at all times. You simply will not have the same margin of error that an open water diver will enjoy. Get yourself into the best shape possible and maintain that level for as long as you cave dive.
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Step 3
Contact a cave diving association. You will have better luck finding one in a big city or in Florida, which is one of the world's best places to cave dive. They can be a terrific resource for information about dive operators and dive locations. Plus, you might learn something from the veterans that will make your future dives go more smoothly.
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Step 4
Ask for recommendations for a cave diving instructor. Choose an instructor who specializes in the field. An open water instructor generally does not have the expertise or training to teach cave diving techniques or safety.
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Step 5
Assemble the specialized gear needed to cave dive. Your cave diving instructor will let you know what kind of additional gear you will need to complete the course. Do not be surprised if you cannot use much, if any, of your regular diving equipment when you cave dive. Your normal equipment may not be up to the pressure or may stir up too much silt from the bottom.
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Step 6
Pay close attention to your instructor. Cave diving is inherently risky and any goofy, stupid maneuver on your part could cause your death or the death of someone else. Assume there is no margin for fudging the rules. Remember that the rules your instructor gives you are there because, in most cases, someone died violating those principles.
