Age restriction in Canary Islands.

"TerryH" <terry1624@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:dqod2c$nvd$1@nwrdmz03.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> Ok we have been discussing this on the BSAC fora and
> even checked with sources in Spain and it's quite
> surprising the result.
>
> There is no lower age limit in Spain.
>
> a) To be able go on a course you need a medical
> (not such an easy prospect for a youngster).


He had a Medical certificate .. got that before we went, the dive centre
advised it's law .. no cert. no dive.

> b) You can dive at any age as long as you have an
> existing diving certificate.

He did not have an existing cert. he was doing his Padi OW.



It seems strange ... I have had 2 centres send me a legal statement that
they cannot allow any diving to anyone under the age of 16 .. and that
includes try dives.
Yet the centre on the other island happily took him on the course.

he has since passed his Adv OW ... but they still won't let him dive in
Tenerife.

>
>Quite. Only in Andalucia and Catalunia is it legal in Spain to dive under 16
>years of age. That is not to say no-one does so - but those who do break the
>law, and those who let them or enocurage them are also breaking the law. You
>have a choice, which might of course entail going elsewhere for a family
>diving holiday. Red Sea? same price, if not cheaper - warmer water, more
>colourful fish etc etc.
>
>Ken
>

That's interesting.
My kids both learnt to dive in Tenerife a couple of years ago _aged
12.

Both have PADI certs

Does that mean they're not valid certs? Or have the rules changed?

Trev

"Rocket" <Don_King@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:g4gdt19phs56tj7a1lc0r6a0svsh31r34u@4ax.com...
> >
>>Quite. Only in Andalucia and Catalunia is it legal in Spain to dive under
>>16
>>years of age. That is not to say no-one does so - but those who do break
>>the
>>law, and those who let them or enocurage them are also breaking the law.
>>You
>>have a choice, which might of course entail going elsewhere for a family
>>diving holiday. Red Sea? same price, if not cheaper - warmer water, more
>>colourful fish etc etc.
>>
>>Ken
>>
>
> That's interesting.
> My kids both learnt to dive in Tenerife a couple of years ago _aged
> 12.
>
> Both have PADI certs
>
> Does that mean they're not valid certs? Or have the rules changed?

This time last year the minimum legal diving age in Tenerife was 16. Just
because a law is in force does not mean everyone will comply - otherwise
there'd be no need for police or courts! What the implications are for
certification for what is after all a hobby I don't know.

Ken

>"Rocket" <Don_King@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:g4gdt19phs56tj7a1lc0r6a0svsh31r34u@4ax.com.. .
>> >
>>>Quite. Only in Andalucia and Catalunia is it legal in Spain to dive under 16 years of age. That is not to say no-one does so - but those who do break
>>>the law,
>>>
>>
>> That's interesting.
>> My kids both learnt to dive in Tenerife a couple of years ago _aged
>> 12. Both have PADI certs Does that mean they're not valid certs? Or have the rules changed?

> Just because a law is in force does not mean everyone will comply - What the implications are for
>certification for what is after all a hobby I don't know.
>
>Ken
>
I emailed the people that trained me and this is their honest response
(tying in nicely with the facts as stated by Ken and others):


PADI sent an e-mail to all of their dive centres a few years ago
stating that it was permissable to take persons under the age of 16
years diving, hence the reason we trained your children. Many months
later, it transpired that this law only related to Andalusia and
Catalonia regions of Spain. The certifications for your children are
valid as processed by PADI.

Once I received the correct confirmation from PADI that 16 years is in
fact the minimum, we have not taken any persons under 16 years.

I know that for many months now, PADI´s legal advisor has been working
closely with the spanish government to have this law amended, but to
date it remains unchanged.

I hope this information answers your query on the forum.

Agua Tenerife Diving PADI IDC 5* Gold Palm centre 798335
www.tenerifedive.com

"Rocket" <Don_King@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:rm7lt1h96f607epd3qo5vbv980t04f73q0@4ax.com...
> >"Rocket" <Don_King@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>>news:g4gdt19phs56tj7a1lc0r6a0svsh31r34u@4ax.com. ..
>>> >
>>>>Quite. Only in Andalucia and Catalunia is it legal in Spain to dive
>>>>under 16 years of age. That is not to say no-one does so - but those who
>>>>do break
>>>>the law,

It is a strange position though ... my son booked & took his OW course at
age 15 in a PADI 5 Star, Golden Palm IDC centre ... these are supposed to be
the top end of PADI instructor centres.
This was in Fuerteventura.
PADI were well aware that he was 15 as they would only issue the Jnr OW, and
obviously knew where he took the course as the centre carried out the
certification process with PADI.
When I found out that he could not dive in Tenerife, I contacted PADI and
they stated that they support & hold up the laws of the country, but their
rules allow certification at 14. and if a Dive Centre chooses to ignore
local rules that is their choice.
Seems a tad mercenary that they will accept certification revenue from a
country knowing that it was illegal for my son to have dived there ..
I was not aware of age restriction and Dive centre certainly did not inform
us of this (and we did book in advance confirming ages etc.)
One would expect PADi to have had a duty of care, and take it up with the
Dive Centre to stop this infringement, as you can guess if something had
gone wrong insurance policies may then be void.

Rick

Rick Hughes wrote:
> "Rocket" <Don_King@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:rm7lt1h96f607epd3qo5vbv980t04f73q0@4ax.com...
>
>>>"Rocket" <Don_King@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>>>news:g4gdt19phs56tj7a1lc0r6a0svsh31r34u@4ax.com ...
>>>
>>>>>Quite. Only in Andalucia and Catalunia is it legal in Spain to dive
>>>>>under 16 years of age. That is not to say no-one does so - but those who
>>>>>do break
>>>>>the law,
>
>
> It is a strange position though ... my son booked & took his OW course at
> age 15 in a PADI 5 Star, Golden Palm IDC centre ... these are supposed to be
> the top end of PADI instructor centres.
> This was in Fuerteventura.
> PADI were well aware that he was 15 as they would only issue the Jnr OW, and
> obviously knew where he took the course as the centre carried out the
> certification process with PADI.
> When I found out that he could not dive in Tenerife, I contacted PADI and
> they stated that they support & hold up the laws of the country, but their
> rules allow certification at 14. and if a Dive Centre chooses to ignore
> local rules that is their choice.
> Seems a tad mercenary that they will accept certification revenue from a
> country knowing that it was illegal for my son to have dived there ..
> I was not aware of age restriction and Dive centre certainly did not inform
> us of this (and we did book in advance confirming ages etc.)
> One would expect PADi to have had a duty of care, and take it up with the
> Dive Centre to stop this infringement, as you can guess if something had
> gone wrong insurance policies may then be void.
>
> Rick
>
>
I would agree that perhaps Padi 'should have known and done something',
but on the forms for certing a new diver, there is nowhere to specify
where the training was carried out, other than who carried it out.
So as far as Padi are concerned, the diver may well have been
transported to a location which met local rules - on a cruise ship
parked out in international waters, or flown on an excursion to mainland
Africa - we regularly cert people on speciality dives such as wreck at
sites a long way from our home base - so this is not unusual (tho I
doubt your instuctors did this of course).

Your best way forward would be to put a QA (Quality Assurance) complaint
in against the Instructor and or Resort, this will be looked at formally
and action taken, even if it is only to ensure it shouldn't happen again.

>>
> I would agree that perhaps Padi 'should have known and done something',
> but on the forms for certing a new diver, there is nowhere to specify
> where the training was carried out, other than who carried it out.
> So as far as Padi are concerned, the diver may well have been transported
> to a location which met local rules - on a cruise ship parked out in
> international waters, or flown on an excursion to mainland Africa - we
> regularly cert people on speciality dives such as wreck at sites a long
> way from our home base - so this is not unusual (tho I doubt your
> instuctors did this of course).
>
> Your best way forward would be to put a QA (Quality Assurance) complaint
> in against the Instructor and or Resort, this will be looked at formally
> and action taken, even if it is only to ensure it shouldn't happen again.
>

I don't intend taking this forward ... just disappointed that Padi in their
response were not interested, and it was a case of ... if provider flouts
law of the land, but meets Padi requirements .. then Padi will take the
money.
This seems a lack of 'duty of care' ........ after all having chosen a PADI
5 star centre form their web site, I expected to have a centre that complied
with all legal requirements ... if something had gone wrong, insurance etc,
would probably have been void .......... which I was unaware of.

Rick