ISO 24801-3:2014

Overview

ISO 24801-3:2014 - "Recreational diving services - Requirements for the training of recreational scuba divers - Part 3: Level 3 - Dive leader" defines the competencies, evaluation criteria and training conditions required for a Dive leader qualification. It applies to training and assessment in recreational scuba diving and complements the general service requirements in ISO 24803. The standard sets minimal, internationally comparable benchmarks for the knowledge, personal scuba skills, leadership and emergency management abilities expected of a level 3 scuba diver.

Key Topics and Requirements

• Competency scope: Ability to plan, organize, conduct and lead open-water dives and to manage groups of recreational divers. Qualified to conduct specialized activities only after appropriate additional training.
• Prerequisites: Candidates must meet Level 2 requirements (ISO 24801-2), show documented experience (night/limited visibility, deep diving, navigation) and be medically screened as fit to dive.
• Theoretical knowledge: Equipment, diving physics, medical issues, dive planning and management, use of dive tables/computers, navigation, tides/currents, accident and lost-diver procedures, and relevant legislation.
• Personal scuba skills: High-level mastery of gear assembly, mask/fins/snorkel use, buoyancy, deep diving techniques and navigation under local operational factors (depth, visibility, currents, group size).
• Leadership and emergency skills: Dive management, diver rescue, first aid, emergency oxygen administration, surface and underwater communications, and lost-diver procedures.
• Specialized environments: Requirements for orientation or further training before leading in night dives, drift dives, wreck dives, dry suit dives, deep dives or other demanding conditions.
• Evaluation: Assessment covers knowledge, practical scuba skills and a minimum set of open-water dives as evidence of competence (see Clause 11). Annex A/B provide guidance on additional training and required mastery.

Applications - Who Uses ISO 24801-3:2014

• Scuba training organizations and federations designing level 3 (Dive leader) programs.
• Dive operators and recreational diving service providers applying standardized requirements for leader-level staff.
• Certification bodies and auditors comparing national or agency qualifications against an international benchmark.
• Regulators and tourism bodies seeking minimum safety and training standards for recreational diving.
• Scuba instructors and experienced divers preparing for transition to leadership roles.

ISO 24801-3 is a practical tool to harmonize dive leader qualifications, improve dive safety, and support consistent training and assessment across international recreational diving services.

Related standards

• ISO 24801-1 (Level 1 - Supervised diver)
• ISO 24801-2 (Level 2 - Autonomous diver)
• ISO 24802-1 / ISO 24802-2 (Scuba instructors)
• ISO 24803 (Recreational scuba diving service providers)
• ISO 11121 (Introductory scuba experience) and referenced EN standards for equipment (EN 250, EN 12628)