On May 15, 1969, the incorporation papers for the National Association for Cave Diving (NACD) were submitted, just before the Second Annual Seminar on Cave Diving was held on May 29, 1969. The second seminar was an attempt to involve lawmakers and law enforcement officers in open discussions with cave divers in an effort to find a solution to the still increasing demand for anti-cave diving legislation. Following on the heels of our greatest battle for survival in the Suwannee River Valley, this seminar included the Secretary of State, all the sheriffs along the Suwannee River, and several anti-cave diving judges. Although the seminar was poorly attended by cave divers (only 41), the divers who did attend gained the respect of the law makers attending and in that regard the seminar was a great success. In the meantime, on July 2, 1969, the National Association for Cave Diving was officially incorporated by David Desautels and Larry Briel with officers Tom Mount, Dale Malloy, Gil Milner, M.D., Jim Sweeney, Ron Wahl, and Hal Watts, signing the papers.

International attention was centered on cave diving when Jacques Cousteau brought his ship, Calypso, to Andros and the Blue Holes of the Bahamas to film Secrets of the Sunken Caves, which aired on television around the world in 1970.

Pursuing its goals, the NACD officially began its instruction program on May 29, 1970, when Larry Briel, David Desautels, Dale Malloy, Gilbert Milner, Tom Mount, and Hal Watts subjected each other to an intense weekend of training and instruction. These were the first six cave diving instructors of the NACD. It was also at this time that other efforts were intensified to curb cave-related accidents. Signs and permanent lines were placed underwater in the more popular spring locations, educational publications were distributed, a speakers' manual was developed and published. However, seminars continued to be the major thrust of the organization's attempts to educate both the cave diver and non-cave diver alike.

Then tragically, one of the members of the NACD died. In September 1971, Frank Martz drowned at 325 feet in Blue Hole No. 4, South Bite, Andros. He and his buddy had entered a constricted area at 280 feet that was too narrow for turning around. They continued on to a larger opening but kicked up too much silt. Martz's buddy managed to escape but Frank Martz was never seen again (his body was never recovered).

In December of 1971, a scientific project was started by Carl Clausen (State Archaeologist), Drs. Kelly Brooks (Geologist), Deevey (Limnologist), and Sublett (Human Physical Anthropologist) along with NACD divers led by Bob Friedman. They explored the far reaches of Warm Mineral Springs and Little Salt Springs for human evidence. This was the first of many scientific projects NACD divers were to participate in over the coming years. The next was a cooperative effort with the National Underwater Accident Data Center (NUADC) begun at the University of Rhode Island through support by NOAA and the US Coast Guard. Because cave diving represented such a large percentage of the total number of scuba-related deaths, it was important that cave divers be involved. Collecting scuba-related fatal accident data since 1960, David Desautels had much information that would be useful to the new center.

Cave diving developed quickly in its early years. Much like the conquest of space, intelligent exploration of an underwater frontier is vital. Steps taken by responsible divers to establish Standards of Conduct published for cave diving which describe a safe, sane philosophy for the advancement of cave diving, have allowed the sport to survive without being legislated out of existence. A safe, conservative progression is how cave diving will survive in the future. Too many ill equipped, inexperienced divers have already lost their lives.