Scooter Cave Class

UTD Scooter Cave Diver training develops cave diving proficiency with the addition of a DPV/Scooter. This training seeks to refine the cave scooter diving techniques for certified Cave Divers who are also open water certified DPV/Scooter divers. To succeed, students must be experienced in the essential aspects of cave diving and comfortable in the use of a DPV/scooter in open water environments.

UTD Scooter Cave Diver training builds upon previously learned skills, focusing on extending essential cave diving techniques. These skills include: a focus on environmental awareness, dive buddy and team awareness, problem resolution, stress management, self evaluation, advanced complex navigation, basic survey techniques, and basic gas and failure management while using a DPV/scooter in a cave. Training includes many practical, task-oriented skills that must be mastered before a student is competent to safely dive at this level.

Prerequisites

• Must meet UTD General Course Prerequisites as outlined in Section 1.6.
• Must be a minimum age of 21 years of age.
• UTD Scooter 1 diver or equivalent, with a minimum of 50 non-training dpv/scooter dives. Divers who were not previously trained by UTD must first secure the approval of the UTD instructor before entering this class, and must be prepared to engage in supplemental training to remedy any training deficiencies. Additional time and fees are at the discretion of the instructor.
• Scooter Cave Diver training can be combined with Cave Diver Gold training at the discretion of the Instructor.
• Must have proof of at least 200 logged dives.
• Must be able to swim at least 400 yards/365 meters in less than 14 minutes without stopping.
• Must be able to swim a distance of at least 60 feet/18 meters on a breath hold.

Course Limits

• General Training Limits as outlined in Section 1.4.
• Student to Instructor ratio is not to exceed 3:1 during any overhead diving activity.
• Open circuit gas consumption: must reserve enough gas supply for a swimming cave exit.
• Max Depth - 100 feet / 30 meters.
• Standard gases are Nitrox (unless Technical Cave Diver).
• All dives shall be with a DPV/scooter.
• Maximum scooter penetration shall enable a swimming exit on back gas in the event of mechanical failure.
• Minimum 10 feet/3 meters of visibility to enter a cave.
• Minimum 100 cu.ft./2832 liters of gas to enter a cave.
• No planned decompression (unless Technical Cave Diver).
• No goal-oriented dives.

Course Content

This training amplifies the skills introduced in your Scooter level 1 class and extends the learning to ensure you understand each critical aspect of the scooter. The “dry run” sessions are designed to introduce all the mastery and critical skills covered in this training – running and retrieve guidelines (reels and spools), stage bottle drop and retrieval, working with multiple scooters and learning to turn, stop, start and deal with the scooter in tighter environments. You will also learn and practice important skills such as towing multiple scooters and other scooter divers. You will learn to do critical skills with the scooter – OOG's, failed scooters, runaway scooters and multiple failure scenarios while ensuring you can complete your decompression or return to your starting point.

UTD Scooter Cave Diver training is normally conducted over a 5-day period, and involves a minimum of 40 hours of instruction (lecture and in-water) designed to instill divers with an appreciation for the dangers, challenges, and beauty of the cave environment while diving a DPV/scooter. Training requirements include a minimum of twelve cave dives at a minimum of three different diving locations. If also seeking Cave Diver Gold training, the student should expect combined training to be cumulatively 7 or 8 days.


Online Classroom Courses and Text

• Online Classroom Materials – Scooter Cave Diver.
• Scooter Gas Planning Worksheet.
• Scooter Diver and Cave Diver DVDs are recommended.

Academic Topics

• Personal and team positioning.
• Learning to use guidelines and spools while scootering.
• Stage bottle use during scootering.
• Gas sharing scenarios within the scooter/DPV team.
• Buoyancy and trim of Diver Vehicle (+/-).
• Streamlining.
• Towing equipment & multiple scooters/DPVs.
• Propeller entanglements.
• Dive planning:
  • Gas management
  • Time
  • Distance
• Emergency planning, including for mixed teams.
• Touch contact.

Land Drills & Topics

• Reel and guideline use in standard operating procedures.
• Team positioning, order and protocols.
• Use of safety spools/reels and personal markers.
• Reel and guideline use in emergency procedures, including touch contact and gas-sharing techniques, including zero visibility.
• Advanced navigation skills including circuits and traverses.
• Visual referencing skills.
• Loss of gas.
• Loss of vehicle.
• Loss of team mate.
• Loss of control.
• Stage bottle use.

Required Dive Skills and Drills

• All skills and drills as outlined in the general diving skills as outlined in Section 1.5.
• Pre-dive planning to include:
• Assess and review diving team limitations,
• Dive plan review, including gas planning in the event of mechanical failure,
• Equipment review,
• Equipment familiarization,
• Map use.
• Navigation, to include:
• Visual reference,
• Guideline and personal marker use while using a scooter,
• Limited and simulated zero visibility.
• Use of touch contact for limited and simulated zero visibility situations.
• Use of line following techniques for limited/no visibility situations.
• Demonstrate the effective deployment of a reserve light in less than 30 seconds.
• Demonstrate excellent buoyancy control skills.
• Demonstrate proficiency with guideline management in the following situation:
• Simulated zero visibility line following (touch-contact skills),
• Efficient deployment and retrieval of a 400 feet/120 meter guideline,
• Demonstrating the dropping and retrieval of a stage bottle with minimum cave impact.
• Swimming with a dead scooter/DPV.
• Being towed by another scooter/DPV diver.
• Being towed by another scooter/DPV diver while towing your dead scooter/DPV.
• Gas matching & planning for a scooter/DPV team.
• Gas sharing while towing.
• Emergency out of gas management, including a direct ascent to the surface.
• Demonstrate adequate procedures to enter and exit a restriction with a scooter/DPV.
• Demonstrate a calm demeanor while sharing gas in a scooter/DPV cave exit for at least 900 feet/300 meters.
• Demonstrate a calm demeanor while sharing gas through a restriction, minimizing ceiling impact.
• Demonstrate a calm demeanor while sharing gas in simulated zero visibility for at least 200 feet/60 meters.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the use of scooters for the purpose of accelerating cave penetration.
• Drop and retrieve a scooter/DPV with minimum cave impact and without changing buoyancy 3 feet/1 meter specifically to avoid any visibility reduction.
• Retrieve a scooter/DPV in simulated zero visibility..
• Demonstrate the proper use of a scooter/DPV at restrictions.

Equipment Requirements

• All equipment noted in paragraph 3.0.
• Three spools, each with a minimum of 100 feet/30 meters of line, per diver. One spool line must be knotted each 30’/10m.
• One primary reel per team, with a minimum of 400 feet/120 meters of line.
• At least ten line markers, of which at least five should be directional (line arrows) and five non-directional.