List of legislation regulating underwater diving

This list identifies the legislation governing underwater diving activities listed by region. Some legislation affects only professional diving, other may affect only recreational diving, or all diving activities. The list includes primary and delegated legislation, and international standards for the conduct of diving adopted by national states, but does not include legislation or standards relating to manufacture or testing of diving equipment.

Argentina
Ordinance No. 4-08 (dpsn) Volume 5 Regime of Merchant Marine Personnel, July 1, 2008.: The regulation of professional diving

Ordinance No. 1-01 (dpsn) Volume 4 - Regime of nautical sports activities 2001.: The regulation of recreational diving

Queensland
Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011.:

Safety in Recreational Water Activities Regulation 2011.:

Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2018: A Queensland code of practice under section 43 of the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011

Austria
undefined: Inshore diving

Quebec
undefined: The chapter applies to underwater diving using compressed breathing gas that is not done as part of an occupational activity, and to teaching such diving.

Denmark and Greenland
undefined: undefined: The act regulates underwater work requiring breathing apparatus which would normally be done for payment, including rescue operations, and specifically excludes tasks related to recreational diving.

Germany
undefined: Regulates offshore diving undefined: Regulates inshore and inland diving undefined: Requirement for medical certificates

Israel
undefined: Recreational diving. It is not permitted to dive beyond the level of certification held unless in training with an instructor, and the diver must have appropriate insurance covering diving accidents. Solo diving is prohibited.

Sicily
undefined: Regulates training paths for inshore and offshore commercial diving activities, according International Diving Schools Association guidelines and an online database of certified commercial divers.

Maldives
undefined: Recreational diving service providers are required to be licensed. No recreational diving is allowed deeper than 30m or requiring decompression stops. Divers must show evidence of certification and recent experience. Solo diving is forbidden.

Malta
undefined: Only diving centres licensed by the Malta Tourism Authority, and meeting their minimum standards for facilities, equipment and service, are allowed to provide diving services to the public.

The Netherlands
undefined: Regulates offshore diving undefined: Regulates inshore and inland diving

Norway
undefined: Regulates offshore diving undefined: Regulates inshore diving

South Africa
undefined: Occupational health and safety regulating occupational diving operations and training, but explicitly exclude recreational diver training and dive shop operations, which are generally covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993. Superseded by Diving Regulations 2009.

undefined: DR2009 regulates all commercial diving operations and training, including military and other professional diving, inshore, inland and offshore, but explicitly exclude recreational diver training and dive shop operations, which are generally covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993. Superseded by Diving Regulations 2017

undefined: DR2017 regulates all commercial diving operations and training, including military and other professional diving, inshore, inland and offshore, but explicitly exclude recreational diver training and dive shop operations, which are generally covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993.

undefined: The Code of Practice for Inshore Diving provides guidance for accepted safe working practices using surface supplied diving equipment for commercial diving operations within the territorial waters of South Africa. It is incorporated into the Diving Regulations as of 2017

Code of Practice for Scientific Diving: The Code of Practice for Inshore Diving provides guidance for accepted safe working practices using scuba or surface supplied diving equipment for scientific diving operations within the territorial waters of South Africa.

Code of Practice for Commercial Diver Training: The Code of Practice for Commercial Diver Training provides guidance and required minimum standards for accepted safe training practices using scuba or surface supplied diving equipment for diving operations in which learner divers are involved within the territorial waters of South Africa.

Sweden
undefined: Regulates inshore and inland diving, no offshore regulations

Switzerland
undefined: Regulates inshore/inland diving, no offshore regulations

United Kingdom
undefined: The DAWRs regulate all aspects of professional diving (diving at work), including recreational diver instruction and divemasters. undefined: The MCAA specifies when a licence is required for an activity that involve depositing or removing a substance or object in the UK Marine Area below the mean high water springs mark.

United States
undefined:

Exemptions

 * Scientific diving
 * Search and Rescue (some states, only when there is a reasonable expectation of rescuing a survivor)