Combined Caving & Diving Club

The Combined Caving and Diving Club (CCDC) is an independent, non-profit caving and cave-diving club operating across Ireland, with most activity taking place in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The club is run entirely by its own members, many of whom have been caving for decades. These members bring extensive experience, established access practices and trusted relationships with landowners built over many years of responsible activity.

CCDC is a full member club of the British Caving Association (BCA), the national governing body for underground exploration and rambling in the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. As confirmed by the BCA:

“The Combined Caving and Diving Club is a full member club of the British Caving Association… the club itself, plus all of its members, are covered by the BCA PL insurance policy which provides cover up to 20mil.”

All members also hold individual BCA membership. The BCA’s insurance brokers, Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd, confirm that cover applies to:

“British Caving Association, including individual members, affiliated clubs… for any activity recognised or approved by the insured, including cave diving, exploration, surveying, recreational peer-to-peer training, mine exploration and research.”

This includes Public and Products Liability cover of up to £20m. The club’s insurance provides cover for caving activities throughout Europe, including Ireland. Any activities undertaken by the club or its members outside Europe require the club and participating members to obtain appropriate additional insurance before undertaking those activities.

The BCA’s governing-body role and insurance arrangements extend throughout the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. CCDC is fully covered under the BCA insurance scheme as a direct BCA member club, subject to the applicable policy terms and conditions.

CCDC has formally trained instructors and leaders, trained by the BCA and operating within the BCA’s recognised competency framework. The club’s instructors and leaders bring extensive experience in cave exploration, cave diving and mine exploration, with the training, knowledge and competence required to organise, supervise and oversee activities safely and responsibly.

There is no hierarchy of governing bodies or affiliations within the caving community that requires an independent club to affiliate with any particular organisation. The choice of affiliation is ultimately a matter for each individual club, based on its own needs, objectives and assessment of the organisations available to it. CCDC respects the different organisations and affiliation options within Ireland and has chosen to affiliate directly with the BCA because of its long-established history, national and international recognition, established competency framework and comprehensive insurance arrangements.

The club operates within the legal frameworks governing land access and environmental protection in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. CCDC and many of its members have long-standing relationships with landowners, particularly in County Fermanagh, developed through many years of responsible access, good communication and respect for landowner requirements. Where access arrangements are informal or verbal, they are well-established and carefully maintained.

Members follow the Countryside Code, Leave No Trace principles, BCA conservation guidance and the club’s environmental policy. We access sites responsibly, respect livestock and wildlife, park considerately, remove all waste and leave sites as they are found. We do not alter or damage land, gates, fences or infrastructure, and any fixed underground equipment is installed only where appropriate and in accordance with relevant standards and permissions.

Environmental responsibility is central to how the club operates. We seek to protect cave environments, avoid pollution or unnecessary disturbance, respect protected species and support conservation work where appropriate.

CCDC is a responsible, insured, competent, non-profit and member-run organisation operating within the framework of the national governing body for caving in the United Kingdom. We maintain respectful relationships with landowners, follow recognised standards for access, safety and conservation, and conduct our activities responsibly and with minimal impact.