Gas planning for a DPV cave dive is not an extension of standard cave planning — it is a different problem entirely. Depth-adjusted RMV, real battery capacity, flow direction, and failure contingencies all change the math. Here is what the planning actually requires.

The rule says carry twice the gas to swim out. It sounds conservative. At depth, on a long penetration, it will kill you. Here's why the math fails and what your DPV cave dive plan actually needs to account for.

A DPV extends your range in a cave. It also extends your commitment, your task loading, and the consequences of every mistake. What a scooter actually changes underground and what it doesn't.

Sidemount diving originated in caves for a reason. This is a technical cave diver's honest assessment of why the configuration works in overhead environments — and what it won't fix.