The course is an advanced cave diving program and is designed for divers who are already certified as Full Cave divers and who want to extend bottom times and/or penetration distance through the use of stage cylinders.

As for all overhead diving courses, students are expected to have a high level of mastery in fundamental skills such as buoyancy, trim and propulsion techniques.

Divers will learn to plan dives with more complex gas management and longer bottom times, as well as multiple methods of cylinder rigging and staging, according to the environment.

Mind-set, stress-management, awareness and conservation of the environment are all very important aspects of any type of diving and represent an important part of the program.

Upon completion of the TDI Cave Stage Diver course, students must show mastery of the specific cave stage diving skills as well as sound and mature judgement concerning dive planning and decision making.