quot;Dedicated To Safe Cave Diving"
The National Association for Cave Diving (NACD) is dedicated to promoting a greater
appreciation and understanding of the unique underwater environment of overhead diving.
The NACD offers specialized training and certification programs, regular seminars and
workshops, and a variety of educational publications. NACD programs meet the needs of
the recreational cave diver and the technical explorer alike.
ORIGIN OF THE NACD
During August 1968, several experienced cave divers held a seminar at Hornsby
Springs near the town of High Springs, Florida. They addressed the growing number of
drowning of divers untrained in cave diving techniques. With the involvement of law
enforcement, government, and open water interests, it became clear that the best solution
would be the development of nationally recognized training standards for cave diving.
Thus the National Association for Cave Diving was born.
The National Association for Cave Diving, is a non-for-profit Florida corporation. The
officers, directors and administrators of the NACD are all volunteers who serve without
compensation. Service to the diving community and to the public has been a key principle
of the NACD since its inception.
The NACD was founded to provide educational material and information related to safe
cave diving for all interested persons. In accomplishing this, the NACD establishes and maintains guidelines for equipment and techniques appropriate for safe cave diving;

(1) promotes and encourages safety in the sport of cave diving, and in diving in
general;
(2) encourages and supports the conservation of the submerged cave environment,
and the natural ecosystems related to it;
(3) encourages and supports education about the dissemination of accepted cave diving practices;
(5) provides for a program of education and advanced training as appropriate for
safe cave diving;
(6) works to achieve cooperation and understanding among the members of the cave
diving community, the scientific community, and with public internationally; and
(7) encourages, promotes and supports the development of innovative, experimental
or exploratory cave diving techniques, practices and equipment.
Membership in the NACD is open to all. Voting privileges are reserved for members
who have completed a recognized course of instruction in diving the cave environment.
NACD members are located in almost every state and many countries around the world.
THE NACD PHILOSOPHY
The goal of the NACD is not to encourage anyone to dive in the overhead environment.
Our responsibility is to aid interested divers in becoming safe divers and to discourage those who may not meet the minimum standards. Our philosophy of safe cave diving is based upon several basic principles.
Cave diving is NOT an Extension of Open Water Diving. Cave Diving is caving using scuba equipment. No amount of open water training or experience can prepare you for safely diving in submerged caves. Yet it often looks deceptively easy. Many open water divers and instructors who believed that their open water expertise qualified them are cave diving drowning statistics.
A Strong Team Philosophy. The NACD strongly believes that the team diving system provides the best approach to safe cave diving practices. A strong dive team is one that integrates two or more trained cave divers into an effective unit.

Respect and Appreciate the Cave Diving Environment. The NACD promotes a basic understanding of the unique cave environment so that it can be fully enjoyed. The geological, hydrological; archeological, biological, ecological, historical, social, economic and aesthetic values that exist to varying degrees at all cave diving sites represent an important aspect of the cave diving experience. To experience fully what cave diving is about, the diver must be aware of them. Conservation is a natural result of this awareness.

Individual Responsibility. Ultimately, the actions of each person who cave dives, whether trained or not impact many other people. Respect and appreciation of the environment, and respect and appreciation fortress, whether cave divers, open water divers, or non-divers, is an essential element of the NACD philosophy. By accepting responsibility, each individual views his or her actions in terms of their effects on others and on the environment. This fosters a sense of community among cave divers.
Attention To Detail. Submerged caves are complex, alien environments for humans where conditions can quickly and unexpectedly deterioate. Survival is dependent on some unique and sometimes cumbersome equipment, its proper care and use, and on the skill and judgement of each diver. Only by giving adequate attention to all the details of the cave dive can the diver be safe. There is no substitute for thorough training and accumulated experience.
Expect the Unexpected. Divers should always be preplanned, but remain flexible and alert. Part of the dive plan should be devoted to solving several "What If"? scenarios, such as: What If we get lost? What If we run out of air? What If our lights fail? This "game" of What If? should continue throughout the dive, and in post-dive critiques.

Avoid Stressful Situations. As stress increases, judgement deteriorates producing mental narrowing. The individual is unaware of the full range of available options. When this process snowballs, panic results. Since there is no cure for panic, prevention is essential. The cave diver should anticipate potentially hazardous conditions, and must develop a safe diving philosophy. This demands the proper application of common sense, good judgement, techniques, skills and experience.

Know Your Capabilities and Limits. Build experience slowly, and be self honest. Going beyond your "comfort zone" to impress orthers or to protect your ego is very unsafe. Do not be too goal-oriented during a dive, even if it's before you get in the water!

NACD PROGRAMS
The NACD offers several programs to its members and to the public. These include:
The NACD Journal - devoted to issues related to cave diving. Subcription to the NACD Journal is a benefit of the membership in the NACD. Our web site contains the NACD Journal Archives.
NACD Annual Seminar - held each Fall, including speakers, workshops, audio-visual presentations, equipment deiplays and other activities of interest to the cave diving and technical diving communities.
NACD Library - a library of information about cave diving and related topics, maintained as part of the Florida Geological Survey's library in Tallahassee, on the Florida State University campus.
NACD Web Site - The NACD web site has listings on the NACD Board of Directors, training programs, business facilities, instructors, membership, publications, sponsored projects, the NACD accident form, Journal archives, equipment technology, gear exchange, dive gear configuration and cave links. (http://www.safecavediving.com

Site Access and Landowner Relations - To maintain access to cave diving sites, the NACD works to maintain good relations with landowners. The NACD has secured access for qualified divers to some formerly closed sites. We continue working to gain access and to keep current sites open.
NACD Training Program - is a comprehensive training program for divers interested in learning more about diving in the overhead environment.
NACD Safety Program - encompasses a broad range of activities. These include: safety recommendations for cave and cavern diving sites; public awareness materials and presentations, accident analysis to develop general safety recommendations, Wakulla Safety Award program, and cooperation with other scuba training agencies for diving safety purposes.
NACD Publications - The NACD publishes and distributes many items of interest on the overhead environment. Books, maps, pamphlets, posters, etc. are available.
Exploration and Survey - The exploration and survey of submerged cave systems for scientific and research purposes is an important NACD activity. The NACD supports exploration and other research purposes is an important NACD activity. The NACD supports exploration and other research projects of general interest and significance.
NACD Business Facilities - Businesses join the NACD to help promote safety in the overhead environment.
NACD publications and training are available through NACD Business Facilities.

NACD TRAINING PROGRAMS
The NACD Training Program emphasizes the full development of the individual as a diver in the overhead environment, and the conservation of that environment. Maximum opportunity for practice under the guidance of the instructor is available. Emphasis is placed on the psychological and judgemental aspects of diving in the cave environment. Exercises include task loading and response to stress. Divers emerge not merely as "line followers", but as cave divers. Anyone, trained or not, can go cave diving. NACD-trained
divers are safe, competent, responsible cave divers.
The NACD Training Program embodies the most comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge and techniques for training divers to dive in the overhead environment, and consists of the following courses.
CAVERN DIVER
The are of a submerged cave that is illuminated by natural sunlight is the cavern zone. The Cavern Diver Course teaches safe diving techniques for this environment. This course is comparable to other Open Water specialty classes. It has a significant safety benefit for all active scuba divers who enroll, even those who do not continue to dive in the overheadenvironment. The course requires a minimu of two days for completion, and includes no less than four cavern dives and one open water dive. Students must have a recognized open water scuba certification and be at least 16 years old.
Cavern Tour - The purpose of this course is to assist in meeting the growing needs of professional instructors, assistant instructors and divemasters who serve and guide recreational divers into the cavern environment to popular sites such as those found in North Florida, the Bahamas and the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
INTRODUCTION TO CAVE DIVING COURSE
This course develops cave diving proficiency within the limitations of a single air cylinder. It is for the diver who does not wish the burden of double cylinders or has no interest in cave exploration or long decompression dives. It is a recreational level cave diver course.
The course requires a minimum of two days to complete, including a minimum of four to eight single tank cave dives (depending on thestudent's level of prior training, experience, and ability) and at least one open water dive. Students must be at least 18 years old and have a recognized open water scuba certification, plus the following additional experience levels beyond entry level scuba training; 25 logged non-training dives; or NACD Cavern Diver or equivalent certification.
CAVE DIVER
This course develops cave diving proficiency using double cylinders connected by a dual valve manifold. The course requires a minimum of four to seven days to complete, including a minimum of eight to sixteen double cylinder cave dives (depending on the student's level of prior training, experience, and ability) and at least one open water dive. Students must be at least 18 years old and have a recognized open water scuba certification, plus the following additional experience levels beyond entry level scuba training: 40 logged dives; or NACD Cavern Diver or equivalent; or NACD Introduction to Cave Diver or equivalent.
SPECIALTY CAVE DIVER COURSES
Courses are available for Stage Diving, DPV Diving, SideMount Configuration, Exploration and Surveying, Photography, Videography, and Advanced Decompression Theory. All require prior NACD certification, or equivalent. More information on specialty courses is available from NACD Instructors.
INSTRUCTOR COURSES
Instructor training prepares NACD Instructors to teach the values, understanding and judgement required for safe cave diving, as well as the skills and techniques. A strong emphasis on psychology, personality types, stress management, socialization techniques and learning theory ensures that our instructors can successfully teach all aspects of the NACD philosophy of safe cave diving.

The NACD Instructor Training Program consists of the following courses:

Cavern Diving Instructor

Introduction to Cave Diving Instructor

Cave Diving Instructor

Cave Diving Specialty Instructor

For more information write to the:

NACD
P.O. Box 14492
WEBSITE: www.safecavediving.com
Gainesville, Florida 32604
Or call (352) 495-NACD for more information.