We tried a “Try Out Scuba Diving” in Gran Canaria and loved it!
We wanted to do a “Try Out Scuba Diving” on Gran Canaria last year, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. This year I did a little research in advance and ended up at DS Divers in the beautiful fishing village of Agaete. In the south of Gran Canaria there are many diving schools, but in the much less touristy part of Gran Canaria, namely the northwest, there are only two. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria there are 3 diving schools.
I had sent DS Divers an email from Belgium with some questions and got an answer almost immediately, which was rarely the case with other diving schools in the south. DS Divers is run by 2 friendly diving instructors Carlos & Omar. I'll start at the beginning…
Meeting at 11:00 am at DS Divers in Agaete
We were expected at 11:00 in Agaete at the entrance of the diving school, but were a bit early. At 10:30 we were already ready and full of enthusiasm at the diving school. We had driven for a little over an hour with our rental car and we all had to go to the toilet. Most restaurants started to open their doors and arrange tables for the afternoon lunch. We went looking for a toilet that we could use.
The plan was to make a reservation at the restaurant where we wanted to eat that afternoon, but it turned out not to be open yet. We didn't want to ask anywhere else, because there were 4 of us and it was a bit strange to ask at a restaurant where we weren't going to eat. So we walked back to DS Divers and luckily Carlos arrived a bit early at the diving school, phew 😊
Friendly welcome by diving instructors Carlos & Omar
We were kindly welcomed by diving instructor Carlos and soon we could sit outside for our first briefing. The weather was changeable that day, but that year we absolutely wanted to try out the “try out scuba diving” activity on Gran Canaria. We received practical and theoretical explanations about the equipment, what we were allowed to do and what we certainly could not do. Also incidents that could possibly occur, such as the mouthpiece that you could lose and what to do if you would not be able to get it behind your back? Apparently that was thought of, because there is the possibility to use a second reserve mouthpiece. That way you certainly cannot get a lack of oxygen if that happens during your dive.
It was also explained how to get water out of your diving mask during diving and how to clear your ears when diving deeper. Using an information card with photos, Carlos showed which fish can be seen and which animals we had to watch out for, such as a sea worm that can give you burns. We actually saw the sea worm during our dive. Carlos explained everything calmly and well. We had already been diving several times, but for our kids it was the first time with tanks. I was curious whether they would like it. Our daughter was mainly worried whether she would be able to clear her ears under water, but everything went well.
Heavy oxygen tanks on the back
The second instructor who accompanied us, Omar, arrived at 11:20 and started to prepare everything for our dive. At 11:25 we were able to put on our diving suits and the heavy diving tanks were attached to our backs. Fortunately, it is not a long walk to the sea, because my equipment weighed about 25 kg. Fortunately, you do not feel that in the water. There you are almost weightless. For our daughter the oxygen tank was a bit less heavy, I think about 18 kg in total. It is about a 30 meter walk via a wooden boardwalk to the sea from where the Try out Scuba Diving starts.
Second briefing in the water
Before we knew it, we were in the water. That's where we got our 2ndbriefing and our flippers were put on over our swimming shoes. We got help with that from Omar & Carlos. The life jackets were inflated briefly and then we could put on the flippers while floating. They showed us how to clean our diving goggles by first spitting in them and rinsing them with water. We had to make sure that no hair got caught between our diving goggles. My diving goggles kept fogging up and immediately got the personal diving goggles from Omar. We started at chest height and gradually descended to a maximum depth of 6 meters. From a depth of about 2 meters you have to clear your ears for the first time, but that depends on the person.
Was the water cold during the try out scuba diving in Gran Canaria?
The visibility was not so good that day due to the bad weather. There was a lot of wind, clouds and even a little drizzle. What we mainly wanted was for the children to try scuba diving in a calm way and that they would not get scared the first time. This is important if they want to go diving again in other countries later or want to do a real diving course. And “spoiler alert” they especially enjoyed their first diving experience! The temperature of the seawater is quite cool (20 degrees C°), but Thanks to the super insulating suits we didn't feel anything. We were never cold and I have to admit that I always get cold quite quickly. I am more someone who prefers to swim in a sea with a seawater temperature like that of Curacao 😉
What are the additional advantages of diving in the north of Gran Canaria?
Omar and Carlos did a great job, they were calm, friendly and professional. I would definitely recommend doing the “Try Out Scuba Diving in Gran Canaria” with DS Divers or even taking a diving course there. They offer basic scuba diving courses as well as courses for professionals, in addition to a try out scuba diving. The north of Gran Canaria may be a bit rougher, but it is also quieter than the very busy south. The area is catalogued by the Natura 2000 network as a Special Marine Protection Area (SAC) of the Macaronesian Biogeographic Region. That is also an additional advantage to (learn to) dive in the north of Gran Canaria.
How long does a try out scuba diving in Gran Canaria last?
A “Try out scuba diving” on Gran Canaria at DS Divers takes about 1.5 hours of which you are under water for about 40 minutes. At the end Carlos and Omar signaled to follow to increasingly shallower water and then you know it is almost over. We arrived at the other side of the harbour, just before the beach, up and walked past the restaurants back to the diving school. We were quickly helped off the diving tanks and could take off our diving suits inside. Inside there is a warm shower that we were allowed to use. We could calmly put on our clothes and then go and eat dry in the restaurant that was of course open now.
What other activities can you do in the north of Gran Canaria?
While you are in the north of Gran Canaria, you can take advantage of the moment to visit some more important sights. On the way back you can for example Visit the Cenobio de Valerón grain warehouse, the largest Guanche site in Gran Canaria If you prefer to walk, there is a very short, but very nice green walk “The Tilos of Moya” just above the village of Moya. OR: The beautiful short walk “Puerto de La Aldea”which starts in the coastal village of Puerto de La Aldea, located on the unspoilt west coast of Gran Canaria.
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