Becoming an underwater spelunker using your Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) offers both rewards and challenges. Our training addresses them all with education, training and proficiency opportunity within an 8-9 day intense schedule. The 9th day is in case of weather or technical breakdown. The first 2 days of the class are spent with morning power point driven lectures & discussions where misconceptions are overcome while new knowledge is presented. Afternoons are dedicated to shop reconfigurations and confined water skills, both new and old. Expect to spend between 2 and 4 hours in our pool perfecting trim, kicks and the use of stages. The next 2 days are dedicated to preliminary cave skills including trim, modified kicks, buoyancy, use of lights, line, reels, gas management and more within a cavern (in sight of day light) and then beyond. All of your basic CCR skills are repeated in the cavern or cave. The average time of each dive is 120 minutes, so come prepared for long exposures. On days 5-6, we build upon our skills as we expand on the distance we enter the cave, gas management issues, start making jumps, circuits and master the use of all of reels, current, pull and glide, off board gasses and emergencies. About this time in the class, folks are looking for a slow day to get caught up on the academics and prepare for the written exam. The last days of the class are packed with more jumps, circuits, and making their first traverse. Penetration is less the challenge than exposure times, that can last up to 240 minutes at some sites. Passing is based upon a proficiency, which comes with dedicated focus on both academic and skill details. Additional dives or days of training may be required. The average class spends around 20 hours underwater in our Cave CCR class. And we have a great time doing it! Non-taxed tuition (paid at the beginning) for this class is currently $1750 plus expenses. Expense (which are taxed) are paid during training at the various sites or accumulated during the class and invoiced at the end. Expenses include the IANTD Student Kit (books, certs, tables, etc.), gasses, sorb, entrance fees, travel to sites, and any additions to your kit taken from the shop. The support shop has valves, fittings, snaps, sorb, wings, hoses etc. specific to the CCR and Cave community needs. Please read the NSS-CDS Cave Diving Manual prior to attending the class. The IANTD Cave Diving Manual will be available at the class. A final written exam is required for certification. Certification is currently available through IANTD. Your cave rig is very personal. While cylinders can be rented, regulators, wing, harness, fins, exposure suit, reels, lights and miscellaneous support technology are usually purchased by the student. Bring what you have now. Try equipment from the training facility before you spend a lot on technology you may not need, want or like. If you don’t like an item from the shop (such as an oxygen isolation valve), then return it and pay nothing. If you keep it, we will invoice you at the end of training. Good exposure suits are strongly encouraged as temperatures range from 67 to 72 degrees F for exposure times of up to 120 minutes. For those who can, a “P” valve is strongly advised. Lodging is available in Wakulla County. We recommend the Inn at Wildwood, just south of us on Rt. 98. They are a new facility, next to a golf course and offer our students a wonderful discount (you pay $69/night). They have a continental breakfast included in the fee. We require a $500 deposit to schedule a class. Please refer to our calendar on the web at www.wakulladiving.com/calendar and pick out a date for your class. If there is none scheduled, the give me an email with a proposed date. This calendar is dynamic, changing often, so negotiations are encouraged. You must have 2 or more in the class or the solo student is charged 50% more in tuition. Irreparable diver injury during class time (ear rupture, broken bones or illness) may also postpone training. Be sure to carry health insurance or DAN insurance, and come rested and in good health. Rescheduling training may cost further money and be challenging to schedule.