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Try Diving La Palma, Quick Facts
Try Scuba Diving In La Palma, Your First Dive, No Licence
Always wanted to try diving? This is the easy way in, on the island with the clearest water in the Canaries. A PADI Discover Scuba dive from the shore at Los Cancajos, with a certified instructor beside you every second and never more than four beginners per instructor. No licence, no course, no experience. You learn to breathe in shallow water first, then the instructor takes you along the reef. All gear and insurance are included, and the centre is ten minutes by taxi from the cruise port.
The people who teach you here also train dive instructors. That is the standard you get on your first dive.
Your First Dive, No Experience Needed
You do not need a course, a licence or a week of theory. You show up at the dive centre in Los Cancajos, get a clear briefing, put on the gear, and walk into the sea with your instructor. The first minutes are in shallow water, learning to breathe and clear your mask. When you are calm, the instructor leads you along the reef. The whole dive is guided hand to hand, so your only job is to breathe, relax and look.
Why La Palma Is A Good Place To Start
The island is young and steep, with almost no sand to cloud the water, so the visibility is often twenty metres or more. The east coast at Los Cancajos is sheltered from the trade wind swell, the entry is from the shore, and the reef starts close in. No boat, no seasickness, no long ride. And the groups are tiny: four adults per instructor at most, two children per instructor. Many centres take eight.
What You May See
Schools of Atlantic fish on the rock, parrotfish, trumpetfish and damselfish, an octopus if you are lucky, rays on the sand sometimes, and the blue drop-off that makes La Palma diving famous. This is the Atlantic, not the Red Sea: no coral gardens, no guaranteed turtles, but clear, calm and quiet.
Do I Need To Swim Well?
No. You wear a buoyancy jacket that floats you, and the instructor stays beside you and handles the equipment. You should be comfortable putting your face in the water and reasonably at ease in the sea. If you feel very anxious in water, tell us first; the guided snorkel may suit you better.
How Your Dive Works
Welcome & Gear
The team fits your wetsuit, jacket and tank, and your instructor explains breathing, hand signals and how to clear your mask. Simple, never rushed. A short medical form is signed here.
First Breaths In Shallow Water
You walk in from the shore and practise in water you can stand in: breathing through the regulator, clearing the mask, getting calm. Nobody goes deeper until they are ready.
The Dive
The instructor leads you along the reef, shallow, hand to hand. Fish, rock, the drop-off, and the feeling of breathing underwater. That is the whole point.
Back At The Centre
Rinse, change, and if you want it, ask about a second dive the same day or the Open Water course. Most people are already asking.
Arriving By Cruise Ship?
A try dive fits a port day. Ships dock in Santa Cruz de La Palma, the dive centre is about ten minutes away by taxi, and a morning dive leaves the afternoon for the old town. Send us your ship's arrival and departure times when you book and we confirm a start time that works, or tell you honestly if it does not. One rule: no flying for 12 hours after, which is never a problem on a ship.
Try Dive Prices
Simple prices, no fake discounts. You pay a small deposit now and the rest at the dive centre.
| Dive | Price |
|---|---|
| Try Dive, adult | 99€ |
| Try Dive, child 10 to 14 | On request |
| Second dive, same day | On request |
More La Palma With Club Canary
Loved it? The PADI Open Water course runs at the same centre, with the same small groups, and your try dive counts as a first step.
Make it a day and a night: dive in the morning, then the private stargazing night at Roque de los Muchachos, the darkest sky in Europe. The rest of what we do on the island is on our La Palma experiences page.
Why Book Your Try Dive With Club Canary?
Best Price Guarantee, a small deposit now and the rest on the day, and real people on WhatsApp every day from 08:00 to 22:00, in English, Spanish, German and Dutch. Club Canary is the official ticket seller, a licensed local PADI dive centre in Los Cancajos runs the activity. Rated 4.8/5 from 1,400+ verified reviews.
The practical stuff, tap a section to open it
Try Dive, Included And Optional
- All diving equipment: wetsuit, mask, fins, tank, regulator and buoyancy jacket.
- A clear briefing on breathing, hand signals and staying calm.
- A certified PADI instructor beside you the whole dive, maximum 4 adults or 2 children per instructor.
- Shallow skills practice first, then a guided dive along the reef.
- Diving insurance for the activity.
- Safe storage for your belongings.
- Best Price Guarantee with Club Canary.
- Underwater photos, ask the instructor on the day.
- A second dive the same day, if you loved it, price on request.
- A night dive for guests who have done a try dive before, on request.
- Private try dive, your group only, on request.
Important Information
- Try dives run every day; start times are confirmed after booking, usually morning or early afternoon. Meet at the dive centre in Los Cancajos, east coast of La Palma. The exact spot is on your Club Canary e-ticket.
- You do not need to be a strong swimmer. You wear a buoyancy jacket and the instructor stays beside you. You should be comfortable putting your face in the water. Very anxious in the sea? Tell us first and we help you decide.
- From 10 years (PADI Discover Scuba rule). Children dive with maximum 2 per instructor. Under 18s need a parent or guardian to sign.
- You complete a short medical form on the day. Preview it in the PADI Medical Statement; some answers need a doctor's signature before you can dive.
- Your Club Canary ticket (digital or printed), swimwear under your clothes, a towel and sunscreen. Cash or card for the balance.
- No hotel pickup. Taxi from the cruise port or Santa Cruz about ten minutes; walkable from the Los Cancajos hotels.
- Do not fly for at least 12 hours after your dive. Cruise guests: a ship is fine, a plane is not. If you have a medical condition, or your doctor would not recommend diving, please do not take part.
- Instructors speak English, Spanish and German.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be able to swim for a try dive?
No. You wear a buoyancy jacket that keeps you afloat and the instructor stays beside you the whole time. You should be comfortable putting your face in the water.
Do I need a diving licence or any experience?
No. This is a PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience for complete beginners. No licence, no course and no experience needed, the instructor guides you throughout.
What is the minimum age?
Ten years old. Children dive with a maximum of two per instructor, and under 18s need a parent or guardian to sign.
Where does the try dive take place?
At the dive centre in Los Cancajos, on the east coast of La Palma, about ten minutes by taxi from the cruise port. There is no hotel pickup.
Is it suitable for cruise passengers?
Yes. The centre is about ten minutes from the port and a morning dive leaves the afternoon free. Send your ship times when you book and we confirm a slot. A ship the same day is fine, flying is not.
What is included?
All diving equipment, a briefing, a certified PADI instructor throughout, diving insurance and safe storage for your belongings. You bring swimwear and a towel.
What might I see underwater?
Atlantic fish on the reef, parrotfish, trumpetfish, maybe an octopus or a ray. It is clear, calm Atlantic water, not a coral reef, so marine life is never guaranteed.
Can I fly after the try dive?
Not straight away. Do not fly for at least 12 hours after a dive. A cruise ship the same day is fine, a plane the same evening is not.
Booking & Cancellation Policy
Deposit & Payment
- A small deposit through Club Canary confirms your booking and counts toward the total.
- The balance is paid at the dive centre on the day, cash or card.
Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before your start time, or 72 hours for groups of 5 or more, by emailing office@clubcanary.com. Your deposit comes back in full.
- 24 to 48 hours before: you lose your full deposit. No exceptions.
- 12 to 24 hours before: you lose your deposit and pay 60% of the remaining balance. We send you a payment link.
- Less than 12 hours before, a no-show, or arriving too late: you lose your deposit and pay the full remaining balance (100%). We send you a payment link.
The Only Exception
- A real doctor or hospital paper that says you cannot take part, dated before the activity or the same morning. It covers the person named on it, not the whole group. Feeling unwell without it is not enough for a refund. We know this is strict, and it is the only way we can protect against last-minute cancellations.
Weather & Sea
- If the instructor decides the sea is not safe, you choose another time, another day, or a full refund. You never lose money when the operator cancels.
Medical
- If the medical form shows you cannot dive on the day and you did not check with us before, the deposit is not refunded. Send us a message first if you are unsure; it takes a minute.
Wildlife & Experience
- This is a real dive in the open ocean. Marine life is never guaranteed and there is no refund for what nature does or does not show.
- If you end your dive early because of fear or discomfort, no refund can be given.
Complaints, On The Day Only
- Any issue must be raised with the dive staff on the day. Club Canary is not on site and cannot process complaints or refunds after the dive.
Questions or a private dive? Message our local team on WhatsApp, open daily 08:00 to 22:00.
Club Canary's Honest Take
Real talk from your local team in the Canary Islands
If you have always wanted to breathe underwater and never got round to it, La Palma is a very good place to start. The water is clear, the entry is from the shore so there is no boat to feel sick on, and the people teaching you train dive instructors for a living. That last part matters more than any photo on this page.
We keep it honest: this is a beginner dive, shallow, with an instructor holding you the whole way. You will see fish and rock and, with luck, an octopus. You will not be chasing turtles. What you will have is the memory of your first breath underwater, and most people say it is the one they talk about at dinner. For cruise guests, it fits a port day with time to spare.
Your first dive, in clear water, with a small group. If you are going to try it once, try it here.
Book Now WhatsApp Our Local TeamMade with love by the Club Canary Team.
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