Canarian Government Licence for Dive Centre/School

We are proud to report that we are one of only nine dive centres in Tenerife licenced by the Canarian Government for the activity of recreational diving and training, and the only one in Playa de las Américas.

In May 2006 a law was introduced in the Canary Islands concerning dive centres, aimed at making sure they were safe and professional. Numerous documents needed to be presented to the Consejería de Pesca (Department of Fisheries) in order to secure their approval. Some of these documents were for purely administrative purposes, but some have a very real impact on divers’ safety:

• Contract to use the hyperbaric chamber
• Certificate from the Department of Industry for the installation of the compressors
• Evidence that tanks are regularly inspected and tested according to the law
• Civil liability insurance
• Relevant qualifications of personnel
• Full and correct documentation for the boats, whether owned or rented
• Emergency and Evacuation Plan, including:
• Location of the hyperbaric chamber
• Location and contact numbers for medical centres closest to each of the dive sites
• List of personnel trained in First Aid

Responsibilities of the manager/owner include:

• Boats must be equipped with spare breathing equipment, oxygen and means of communication with the dive centre and emergency services
• Ensuring that equipment is kept in perfect condition
• Taking care that safety measures take into account the experience level of the divers
• Verifying that divers hold the necessary qualification and show no signs of ill-health
• Ensuring that technical and medical assistance can be provided at the dive site
• Observing depth limits, decompression tables and accepted dive signals
• Observing dive site and atmospheric conditions
• Respecting the marine environment
• Obtaining parental or guardian consent for under 16’s

In the case of dive courses:

• Adequately sized classrooms must be available for teaching theory
• There must be sufficient teaching materials

For a complete list of Canary Island dive centres licensed by the government click on this link:

Gobierno de Canarias