Safety

This topic is high on our agenda and we always adhere to the following:

• At all times our boats are manned by safety personnel during the dives.
• Each staff member is fully qualified for boat handling and trained in rescue techniques, oxygen administration and first aid.
• We always carry first aid and oxygen supply on every dive trip.
• We will not allow divers to exceed their maximum recommended depth limits according to the agency with which they have been trained. This is in part due to the fact that insurance cover will be void (see below).
• We will provide additional guides to cater for different levels of experience so that each individuals needs are catered for.
• Our maximum group size per guide is 6. The maximum number of people allowed on each boat excluding staff is 9.

Insurance and Medical information

Every diver is required by Spanish law to have insurance cover specifically for diving and we will ensure this is in place before you can dive with us. If you do not already have this before you arrive then no problem, we can organise daily or weekly insurance policies from 4€ per day within minutes.

Every diver should have a medical examination for diving every 2 years and we require a signature from you to state that you have no medical conditions that could be contraindicative to diving

Hyperbaric Chamber

There is a new (2008) hyperbaric facility on Tenerife situated at the University Hospital in La Laguna. This is a 1 hour drive or 20 minute helicopter trip from the dive centre.

We hold an authorization to use this facility (not all dive centres do!) and are required to pay an annual subscription. We therefore request a donation towards this facility of 2€ per diver each time you come to dive with us.

Our Philosophy

• We're in the "fun" business. We love what we do and want to share this enjoyment of diving with you.
• We promote responsible diving and respect for the environment.
• We operate a no touching and no feeding policy and encourage our customers to do the same.
• We value your safety and comfort - we don’t cut corners to cut costs.
• We give personalised service in small groups. Your education and training is important to us – after all a certification card won’t help you to breathe under water.
• We will listen to you. Not happy with something we do? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Happy with our services? Tell everyone else.

Meet Our Staff

Our team of experienced staff can teach more than 16 specialties between them, all PADI courses up to Divemaster level, PADI Tec40, BSAC courses up to Advanced Diver, Accelerated Decompression Procedures and BSAC skipper courses. We have over 25 years teaching experience and well over 15000 logged dives collectively. We can also teach in 5 languages. Please allow us to introduce your Aqua-Marina Oxygene team:

Ines Bergstraesser - Centre Manager

Ines joined our team as a PADI instructor in 2008 and by the time we were looking for a new Centre Manager in 2010 she had more than proved herself up to the job. Originally from Germany, Ines has spent several years in Tenerife and studied here at the university in La Laguna which qualifies her to be not only our primary German instructor but also our Spanish instructor too in all PADI courses up to Tec40. If you want help planning your dives, arranging accommodation, purchasing new equipment from our store, or with just about anything that will make your stay more enjoyable, Ines is your girl! Oh, and she is also a BSAC instructor!

Paul Sturgess - Technical Manager

Paul is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and IANTD Mixing Technician and has been a PADI instructor since 1998 with over 4000 logged dives and over 180 diving certifications. In 2010 he added BSAC instructor to his long list of qualifications. As well as teaching courses, guiding dives and handling the boats Paul is responsible for our equipment maintenance (we keep him quite busy!). His wealth of technical experience means you can be sure your rental equipment is fully functional and kept in excellent condition. It also means we can provide a maintenance service for your personal equipment.

Emma Glover - Divemaster

Though Emma has been diving for several years she originally started working for us in 2006 as part of our sales team. It was too much for her not to be involved in the diving too so whenever she gets chance she is getting wet and taking you on guided tours. Having logged 1500 dives in Tenerife alone, she knows her way around and loves the marine life to be found here. There’s never a dull moment when Emma’s about; her enthusiasm for diving is truly infectious and she’ll only stop talking when the reg is in!

Ray Vonk - Instructor

Now a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer plus Tec40 Instructor and BSAC Instructor plus Accelerated Decompression Procedures Instructor, Ray has accumulated a wealth of qualifications and experience in the diving industry since starting his career in 2000. With over 8000 logged dives and 250+ certifications you will be in very good hands diving with Ray. He loves his kit and really knows his stuff so if you're not sure about that next BCD purchase he will be only too happy to give you his opinion on which wing would best suit your needs. With a great sense of humour too everyone has fun when diving with Ray, once they get used to the insults! Ray is from Holland and especially loves to exchange insults in his mother tongue!

Andy Molloy - Instructor

Although the most recent addition to our team, Andy is our most experienced BSAC instructor, with 10 years under his belt, and is equally well experienced in the PADI training system with 800 certifications since 1998, and is now a PADI Master Instructor. Andy loves teaching and has gained a loyal following of ex-students who are managing to track him down here at Aqua-Marina Oxygene. It is thanks to Andy’s status as BSAC Advanced Instructor that we are the only BSAC Premier Dive Centre in Tenerife. Along with many other SDCs Andy is qualified to teach BSAC skipper courses, Boat Handling and Diver Cox’n, on our RIBs.