TS EN ISO 24803

TS EN ISO 24803 sets out the requirements for providers of recreational diving services. It focuses on the service side of recreational scuba diving and snorkelling excursions, defining the organisational and operational conditions under which a provider should deliver these activities. The emphasis is on the way the service is run, rather than on dive equipment design or diving technique itself.

A technical framework for service providers

In general technical terms, recreational diving services rely on careful planning, trained supervision, participant briefing, and managed use of equipment and locations. Diving centres, instructors, guides, and operational procedures all contribute to a service model that aims to make underwater activities structured and understandable for participants. The ISO 24803 family is therefore concerned with the provider's service system, not simply with the activity in isolation.

Why scuba and snorkelling are treated together

The scope of this standard includes both recreational scuba diving and snorkelling excursions. Scuba diving is a more complex underwater activity involving breathing equipment beneath the surface, while snorkelling keeps the participant at the surface and uses a snorkel for breathing. Although both sit within the same leisure sector, they differ in operational planning, supervision needs, and overall risk profile. The standard therefore addresses the provider's obligation to manage these services in a way that reflects those differences.

TS EN ISO 24803 is best understood as a framework for competent service delivery rather than a detailed equipment or technique specification. For customers and operators alike, it helps define what a professional recreational diving service arrangement looks like in practice.