Lanzarote Scuba Diving for First-Timers: What a Try Dive Gets You

You don't need a qualification to scuba dive in Lanzarote. Beginners book a try dive: an instructor-led first dive from the shore at Playa Chica in Puerto del Carmen, from about €75, with no course and no exam. The sea is 18 °C in late winter and 23 °C in autumn, according to Turismo Lanzarote, so a wetsuit is standard. To see the sculptures of Museo Atlántico, a beginner dive costs about €165.

Is Lanzarote good for scuba diving?

Yes, and for beginners in particular. The island's tourist board counts more than 40 standout dive sites and over 33 dive centres, with wrecks, walls, caverns and drift dives as well as the Museo Atlántico. Most first dives start from the beach, so there is no boat and no seasickness.

What you book as a first-timer is not a course. PADI describes its Discover Scuba Diving experience as a way to try diving before you decide on an Open Water certification, and the GetYourGuide try dives work the same way: a briefing, an instructor beside you, and no qualification at the end.

Which beginner dive should you book?

All four of these need no experience and include the equipment. Prices are from GetYourGuide in October 2026.

Book the first-timers' dive above if you are nervous. Barracuda runs it with one instructor for every two participants, adding instructors for bigger groups, and walks you in from the beach after a briefing on the sand. Its rival from Pro Dive at ~€80 includes photos and video, and reviewers' main wish is more time underwater.

Book the two-dive day if you already know you will love it. Atlantis Diving gives you two 50-minute dives, the first to 6 m and the second to 12 m, with no more than three divers per PADI instructor, photos and video of both, and a digital certificate of completion.

Museo Atlántico: the underwater museum for beginners

Museo Atlántico is an underwater gallery of sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor on the seabed off the south coast, and you do not need to be certified to see it. The beginner dive at Museo Atlántico with Dive College costs ~€165 and includes pickup in Playa Blanca, the speedboat and the equipment.

The three hours start with a 20-minute briefing and 45 minutes practising skills before the boat ride, then a guided dive to a maximum of 12 metres among the sculptures. The minimum age is 12, and the listing says you cannot fly for at least 18 hours afterwards, so do not book it for your last day.

How cold is the sea for diving?

Cooler than many people expect, which is why every try dive includes a wetsuit. These are Turismo Lanzarote's average sea temperatures by month.

September and October are the warmest months to dive, and late winter the coolest. The island's diving catalogue says a wetsuit or semi-dry suit is all you need year-round.

Is scuba diving in Lanzarote safe?

For a first dive with a reputable centre, the safety comes from the rules the operators enforce. These come from the beginner listings above:

• Health: not suitable for pregnant women or people with heart problems or epilepsy; Barracuda also lists high blood pressure. Atlantis asks everyone to fill in a medical questionnaire on the day.
• Ratios: one instructor per two beginners at Barracuda, a maximum of three per instructor at Atlantis.
• Language: Atlantis will not take you diving if you cannot follow the briefing in the language you booked.
• Flying: wait at least 12 hours after a try dive before flying, and 18 hours after the Museo Atlántico programme.
• Marine life: look, don't touch; Barracuda bans touching animals and plants.

If you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before you book, not on the beach.

What will you see? Angel sharks, rays and groupers

The shark you might meet is the angel shark, which the island's diving catalogue describes as harmless and endangered, a flat shark that rests on sandy bottoms. The same catalogue lists groupers, parrotfish, octopuses, seahorses, rays, barracudas and nudibranchs, with schools of white seabream and salema over the reefs.

Not ready to dive? The submarine and snorkelling

The submarine to three shipwrecks

The real submarine dive at ~€65 takes you down up to 30 metres to three shipwrecks without getting wet. It leaves from Puerto Calero marina, takes about an hour, and keeps the cabin at normal pressure, so the operator says pregnant women and people with heart or ear problems are not affected.

Pickup is included if you choose that option: from Playa Blanca for the 11:00 and 13:00 dives, and from Costa Teguise and Puerto del Carmen for the 12:00 and 14:00 dives. Children under 2 cannot go.

Snorkelling at Papagayo or Playa Chica

The Papagayo kayak and snorkelling tour at about €50 paddles from Playa Blanca to the Papagayo coves for a swim and snorkel, with the gear, photos and snacks included; it takes children from 5. Back in Puerto del Carmen, the snorkelling trip with a dive instructor at about €55 spends up to an hour in the water off Playa Chica, wetsuit included, but is not suitable for non-swimmers.

For a day on the water with snorkelling built in, see the Lanzarote boat trip guide. For every excursion ranked, our best Lanzarote excursions guide, and if you are also visiting Tenerife, our Tenerife scuba diving guide for beginners.

FAQ – scuba diving in Lanzarote