ISO/PAS 20708:2023
(Main)Recreational diving services - Requirements for artificial open water sites
Recreational diving services - Requirements for artificial open water sites
This document specifies minimum requirements for artificial structures, such as aquariums or sites that have been built specifically for the use of recreational divers, to be considered as open water diving sites suitable for the conduct of recreational scuba diving training programmes. This document is applicable to all recreational diving training programmes in accordance with the standards prepared by ISO/TC 228.
Services relatifs à la plongée de loisirs — Exigences relatives aux sites artificiels de type espace aquatique ouvert
Le présent document spécifie les exigences minimales applicables aux structures artificielles (telles que bassins ou sites construits spécifiquement pour être utilisés par les plongeurs qui pratiquent la plongée de loisirs) pour qu’elles soient considérées comme des sites de plongée de type espace aquatique ouvert, convenant au déroulement de programmes de formation à la plongée subaquatique de loisirs. Le présent document est applicable à tous les programmes de formation à la plongée de loisirs, en conformité avec les normes élaborées par l’ISO/TC 228.
General Information
- Status
- Published
- Publication Date
- 18-Sep-2023
- Technical Committee
- ISO/TC 228 - Tourism and related services
- Drafting Committee
- ISO/TC 228 - Tourism and related services
- Current Stage
- 6060 - International Standard published
- Start Date
- 19-Sep-2023
- Due Date
- 18-Jul-2024
- Completion Date
- 19-Sep-2023
Overview
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 establishes minimum requirements for artificial open water sites used in recreational scuba diving training. This specification applies to man-made aquatic environments-including large aquariums or purpose-built water bodies-that function as open water training venues for recreational divers. Developed by ISO/TC 228, this standard aligns with existing ISO recreational diving training program standards and aims to promote safety, consistency, and quality in artificial open water dive site design and operations.
Artificial open water sites provide an alternative to natural environments such as seas, lakes, or rivers-especially valuable in regions lacking suitable natural sites. With the rise of large-scale, environmentally controlled diving venues, ISO/PAS 20708:2023 offers guidance to ensure these locations meet critical criteria to simulate natural open water diving conditions effectively.
Key Topics
Structural requirements: Artificial open water sites must have a minimum water volume of 10 million liters, a surface area of at least 300 m², and contain depths of at least 10 meters. The bottom topography should feature three distinct depth levels with diverse characteristics, or a continuously shelving bottom design meeting these criteria.
Environmental factors: Sites should include at least three of the following characteristics to mimic natural diving environments:
- Presence of aquatic life typical to natural open water.
- At least 33% surface area exposed to outdoor elements.
- Areas with depths of 30 meters or more.
- Zones with currents of at least 0.25 m/s.
- Surface areas experiencing waves or swell over 0.3 meters.
- Water temperatures below 15 °C.
- Natural bottom compositions like sand, silt, or benthic life.
- Varied underwater structures resembling natural dive features (e.g., rocks, wrecks).
Training program applications: While artificial sites can be used for foundational recreational diving training levels (up to autonomous diver level), advanced skills involving navigation, search techniques, and instructor evaluations require natural open water environments. This ensures divers experience real-world environmental variability and conditions during higher-level training.
Student acknowledgement: Training providers must have students sign an agreement acknowledging that further training is necessary before diving in natural open water sites with different environmental conditions or using significantly different equipment.
Applications
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 is intended for:
- Diving training centers seeking to establish or certify artificial open water training sites.
- Operators of large artificial diving venues such as quarry lakes, diving aquariums, or purpose-built training lakes.
- Dive instructors and training agencies implementing standardized recreational scuba diving programs aligned with ISO/TC 228 requirements.
- Safety and quality assurance professionals ensuring artificial sites meet internationally recognized safety and environmental conditions standards.
- Tourism and recreational service providers enhancing diving infrastructure where natural diving sites are inaccessible or unsuitable for training.
This standard helps improve diver safety by ensuring artificial open water sites provide adequate volume, depth variation, environmental factors, and realistic dive conditions needed for effective training. It also supports the growth of recreational diving economies by validating man-made dive environments as suitable substitutes or complements to natural open water sites.
Related Standards
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 is directly related to other key ISO standards for recreational diving training, including:
- ISO 24801-2: Requirements for the training of Level 2 Autonomous Divers.
- ISO 24801-3:2014: Requirements for the training of Level 3 Dive Leaders.
- ISO 24802-1:2014: Requirements for Level 1 Scuba Instructors.
- ISO 24802-2:2014: Requirements for Level 2 Scuba Instructors.
Together, these documents provide a comprehensive framework for scuba diver education, from basic skills to instructor certification, ensuring consistency and safety across both artificial and natural open water environments.
Keywords: recreational diving standards, artificial open water sites, scuba diving training, ISO 20708, diving safety, dive site requirements, aquatic training environments, recreational scuba, diving training programs, open water diving certification.
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 - Recreational diving services — Requirements for artificial open water sites Released:19. 09. 2023
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 - Services relatifs à la plongée de loisirs — Exigences relatives aux sites artificiels de type espace aquatique ouvert Released:19. 09. 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 is a technical specification published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Its full title is "Recreational diving services - Requirements for artificial open water sites". This standard covers: This document specifies minimum requirements for artificial structures, such as aquariums or sites that have been built specifically for the use of recreational divers, to be considered as open water diving sites suitable for the conduct of recreational scuba diving training programmes. This document is applicable to all recreational diving training programmes in accordance with the standards prepared by ISO/TC 228.
This document specifies minimum requirements for artificial structures, such as aquariums or sites that have been built specifically for the use of recreational divers, to be considered as open water diving sites suitable for the conduct of recreational scuba diving training programmes. This document is applicable to all recreational diving training programmes in accordance with the standards prepared by ISO/TC 228.
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 03.080.30 - Services for consumers; 03.200.99 - Other standards relating to leisure and tourism. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
ISO/PAS 20708:2023 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
PUBLICLY ISO/PAS
AVAILABLE 20708
SPECIFICATION
First edition
2023-09
Recreational diving services —
Requirements for artificial open water
sites
Services relatifs à la plongée de loisirs — Exigences relatives aux sites
artificiels de type espace aquatique ouvert
Reference number
© ISO 2023
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
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Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Structural requirements .1
4.1 Volume. 1
4.2 Surface area and depth . 2
4.3 Topography . 2
4.4 Additional environmental factors . 2
5 Training programmes .2
6 Student acknowledgement . 2
iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 228, Tourism and related services.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
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iv
Introduction
While there is a clear understanding of what a confined water training site should be like in the
recreational diving industry, there is a great variety of open water sites available around the world.
Open water
...
SPÉCIFICATION ISO/PAS
PUBLIQUEMENT 20708
DISPONIBLE
Première édition
2023-09
Services relatifs à la plongée de
loisirs — Exigences relatives aux sites
artificiels de type espace aquatique
ouvert
Recreational diving services — Requirements for artificial open water
sites
Numéro de référence
DOCUMENT PROTÉGÉ PAR COPYRIGHT
© ISO 2023
Tous droits réservés. Sauf prescription différente ou nécessité dans le contexte de sa mise en œuvre, aucune partie de cette
publication ne peut être reproduite ni utilisée sous quelque forme que ce soit et par aucun procédé, électronique ou mécanique,
y compris la photocopie, ou la diffusion sur l’internet ou sur un intranet, sans autorisation écrite préalable. Une autorisation peut
être demandée à l’ISO à l’adresse ci-après ou au comité membre de l’ISO dans le pays du demandeur.
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Publié en Suisse
ii
Sommaire Page
Avant-propos .iv
Introduction .v
1 Domaine d’application . 1
2 Références normatives .1
3 Termes et définitions . 1
4 Exigences structurelles . 2
4.1 Volume. 2
4.2 Superficie et profondeur . 2
4.3 Topographie . 2
4.4 Facteurs environnementaux additionnels . 2
5 Programmes de formation . 2
6 Décharge de l’élève . 3
iii
Avant-propos
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iv
Introduction
Alors que l’on sait très bien à quoi devrait ressembler un site de formation en espace aquatique restreint,
dans l’industrie de la plongée de loisirs, on est confronté dans le monde entier, à une grande variété de
sites en espace aquatique ouvert. Un espace aquatique ouvert comprend traditionnellement la mer, des
lacs, des rivières et des sites artificiels créés par l’Homme tels que des carrières. Les conditions que les
plongeurs rencontrent sur ces sites sont diverses : parfois, il peut y avoir des vagues et des courants
tandis que d’autres sites en sont dépourvus. Quelquefois, la visibilité peut être réduite alors que dans de
nombreuses régions du monde, elle est souvent excellente.
Ces dernières années, plusieurs très grands plans d’eau ont été créés, parfois da
...
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