Try Scuba Diving in Gran Canaria

Yes — when conducted by qualified professionals in appropriate conditions, scuba diving is a very safe activity for complete beginners. At Puerto Rico Diving our Try Dives are led exclusively by PADI certified instructors with professional teaching qualifications, not divemasters or assistants. We maintain a strict maximum of 4 participants per instructor — well below the PADI recommended limit — and we dive in the calm, sheltered waters of southern Gran Canaria where conditions are consistently gentle. All participants are covered by DAN diving insurance, and our instructors are also Emergency First Response certified. We have introduced thousands of beginners to scuba diving safely over the past decade.

Basic comfort in the water is helpful but you do not need to be a strong swimmer to try scuba diving with us. Unlike swimming, scuba diving uses buoyancy equipment to keep you neutrally suspended in the water — you are not relying on your swimming ability to stay afloat. Your PADI instructor will be physically alongside you throughout the entire experience in the water. That said, if you have significant anxiety around water we recommend letting us know in advance so we can take extra time with your introduction in shallow water.

Yes — children aged 10 and over are welcome to join our Try Dive experience in Gran Canaria. For younger children aged 8-9 we offer the PADI Bubblemaker programme, which is conducted in shallow water to a maximum depth of 2 metres in a controlled environment. For children aged 10 and over the full Try Dive is available to a depth of 6-8 metres. All children dive with specially sized equipment fitted by our instructors, and we maintain a maximum ratio of 2 children per instructor during children’s sessions for additional safety and comfort. Parents are welcome to join their Try Dive at the same time.

For first-time divers we dive to a comfortable depth of 6-8 metres — shallow enough to feel safe and relaxed while still being deep enough to experience genuine open water marine life including reef fish, octopus and cuttlefish. For participants who have tried scuba diving before and are comfortable in the water, the maximum permitted depth for a Try Dive under PADI guidelines is 12 metres. Depth is always determined by your comfort level on the day — your instructor will never push you deeper than what you are conformable with.

Your Try Dive experience begins with a full briefing from your PADI instructor covering the equipment, how to breathe underwater and the hand signals you will use to communicate beneath the surface. You then practise a few basic skills in shallow water until you feel comfortable — breathing underwater, clearing your mask and equalising your ears. Once your instructor is satisfied and you are comfortable and confident, you move to open water for a guided dive of up to 45 minutes exploring the volcanic reef formations and marine life of Gran Canaria. The total experience lasts approximately 2.5 to 3 hours from spick up to drop off.

Gran Canaria’s Atlantic waters are home to a remarkable variety of marine life and our local dive sites are rich in biodiversity year-round. On a typical Try Dive you can expect to encounter colourful reef fish including parrotfish and ornate wrasse, octopus hiding amongst the volcanic rocks, cuttlefish hovering in open water, sea slugs (nudibranchs) and various species of starfish. With some luck you may spot stingrays resting on the sandy bottom or angel sharks — a critically endangered species that frequents Gran Canaria’s waters, particularly between December and April. Our instructors have a great knowledge of local marine life and will point out species throughout your dive.

Absolutely — many of our most memorable Try Dive experiences have been with participants who were nervous beforehand. Our instructors are experienced at working with anxious beginners and will never rush you. The shallow water practice phase at the start of the experience is specifically designed to build your confidence gradually before moving to open water. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, your instructor will slow down or return to shallower water — there is no pressure whatsoever. We recommend letting us know if you have water anxiety when booking so we can pair you with the instructor best suited to nervous beginners.

A Try Dive (also known as a Discover Scuba Diving experience) is a single guided experience with no study, no exams and no certification at the end. It is designed purely to let you experience scuba diving and decide whether you enjoy it. The PADI Open Water Course is a 3-day programme that results in a globally recognised lifetime certification allowing you to dive independently with a buddy worldwide to 18 metres. Many of our Try Dive participants enjoy the experience so much they sign up for the Open Water Course on the spot — and as a PADI 5-Star Dive Centre we can transition you directly from a Try Dive into the Open Water Course without any problems.

Very little — we provide everything you need underwater. Just bring your swimwear, a towel, sun cream and a sense of adventure. All scuba equipment including wetsuit, mask, fins, BCD, regulator and tank is provided and fitted by our team before every dive. We also offer a free hotel pickup service from the south of Gran Canaria so you do not need to worry about transport to the dive site either.”

Try Dive prices at Puerto Rico Diving start from €89 per person. The Discover Scuba Diving experience is €89, the Discover Scuba Dive + Photos (with GoPro rental) is €99, and the Discover Scuba Plus with two guided dives is €135. All prices include full scuba equipment hire, DAN diving insurance and free hotel pickup and drop-off from across the south of Gran Canaria including Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, Puerto Rico, Arguineguín and Puerto de Mogán.

Our Try Dives take place at carefully selected shore dive sites along the south coast of Gran Canaria. The specific site depends on conditions on the day, but all sites offer calm, sheltered water with sandy entry points and rich marine life — ideal conditions for a first dive. We pick you up from your hotel across the south of Gran Canaria including Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, Puerto Rico, Arguineguín, San Agustín, Meloneras, Taurito, Playa del Cura, Anfi del Mar and Puerto de Mogán, and drive you to the dive site with all equipment ready.