The class of Recreational Diving⁽¹⁾ is defined as diving inland in Great Britain and inshore within United Kingdom territorial sea adjacent to Great Britain (generally 12 nautical miles from the low water line) which is covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2001⁽²⁾ where the equipment and techniques are confined to free swimming using SCUBA in support of:

(a)     the instruction and/or guidance of persons diving for recreational diving, that is diving carried out by a person for recreational purposes whilst not at work;

(b)     recreational journalism undertaken for commissions and producing articles, including stills photography, for the recreational diving press only;

but does not include diving:

(a)     where closed bell or saturation diving techniques are used;

(b)     from vessels maintaining station by the use of dynamic positioning;

for which a qualification for the class of Offshore Diving is required.

HSE approves qualifications issued by the following Recreational Agencies/Organisations for divers wishing to undertake duties as a supervisor, diver, and person engaged in a diving project who dives, which duties are set out in regulations 10, 12, and 13 of the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 respectively:

American Nitrox Divers International UK Ltd - (ANDI);

British Sub-Aqua Club - (BS-AC);

Global Underwater Explorers (UK) Ltd - (GUE);

International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers UK - (IANTD);

International Technical Diving Agency (ITDA UK) Ltd - (ITDA UK);

International Technical Diving Association - (ITDA);

National Association of SCUBA Educators UK - (NASE);

National Association of Underwater Instructors UK - (NAUI);

Professional Association of Diving Instructors International Ltd - (PADI);

Professional SCUBA Association International (Europe) - (PSAI);

Sub-Aqua Association - (SAA);

Scottish Sub-Aqua Club - (SS-AC);

SCUBA Diving International (UK) - (SDI);

SCUBA Schools International UK Ltd - (SSI);

Technical Diving International (UK) - (TDI).

The approved qualifications issued by the listed Recreational Agencies/Organisations are limited to those, which have been notified to HSE prior to the date of this list.

HSE approves the following additional qualifications for the class of Recreational Diving.

In support of Hyperbaric Chamber Diving for the purposes of Familiarization and Training:

Chamber Attendant / Medical Attendant⁽³⁾

Footnotes

1. See also Recreational diving projects: Diving at Work Regulations 1997, Approved Code of Practice, ISBN 0 7176 1496 4. back
2. S.I. 2001 No. 2127. back
3. Trained to meet the requirements set out in the British Hyperbaric Association publication - Health & Safety for Therapeutic Hyperbaric Facilities - A Code of Practice. back