A dive center is the base location where recreational divers usually learn

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

or make guided dive trips at new locations. Many dive centers operate under the guidelines of ISO 24803, in which case the facilities must meet the ISO minimum standard for a service provider for recreational diving.

Shop

Divers commonly refer to dive centers as dive shops. It is normally a shop selling

diving equipment Diving equipment is equipment used by underwater divers to make diving activities possible, easier, safer and/or more comfortable. This may be equipment primarily intended for this purpose, or equipment intended for other purposes which is found ...

equipped with a

diving air compressor A diving air compressor is a gas compressor that can provide breathing air directly to a surface-supplied diver, or fill diving cylinders with high-pressure air pure enough to be used as a breathing gas. A low pressure diving air compressor us ...

to fill the

cylinders A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infini ...

. The dive center usually offers the facilities to repair and maintain

scuba gear Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

Diver training and guided dives

Professional recreational

diving instructor A diving instructor is a person who trains and usually also assesses competence of underwater divers. This includes freedivers, recreational divers including the subcategory technical divers, and professional divers which includes military, co ...

s are often associated with, or employed by, a dive center. The center may be located near a swimming pool and open water, where training and guided dives can be conducted. Some operate boats or road transport and offer guided dives at

recreational dive sites Recreational dive sites are specific places that recreational scuba divers go to enjoy the underwater environment or for training purposes. They include technical diving sites beyond the range generally accepted for recreational diving. In this c ...

in the vicinity. Classrooms are often available for

diver training Diver training is the set of processes through which a person learns the necessary and desirable skills to safely dive underwater within the scope of the diver training standard relevant to the specific training programme. Most diver training ...

which may include training according to ISO 24801-1 Supervised diver, ISO 24801-2

Autonomous diver Autonomous diver is an international minimum standard for entry level recreational scuba diver certification. It describes the minimum requirements for basic training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standard ISO 24 ...

and ISO 24801-3

Dive leader Dive leader is the title of an internationally recognised recreational diving certification. The training standard describes the minimum requirements for dive leader training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standar ...

, and other courses according to the certification agency to which they are affiliated.Dive Leader ISO 24801-3
/ref>

Organization

Dive centers may be affiliated to one or more

diver certification agencies This article lists notable underwater diver certification agencies. These include certification in cave diving, commercial diving, recreational diving, technical diving and freediving. Diver certification agencies are organisations which issue ce ...

to offer their beginner, advanced, professional or specialty courses.

References

External links

Diving organizations Recreational diving {{Underwater-diving-stub

Shop

Diver training and guided dives

Organization

See also

References

External links