What to do · Agaete and the North-West of Gran Canaria
Try-dive on Sardina del Norte beach
Information
- From
- €89 per person
- Duration
- 3 h 30
- Season
- All year, except Tuesdays
- Who it's for
- From age 10, no experience needed
Sardina del Norte is the small fishing harbour of Gáldar, on the coast north of the town centre, with a beach next to the quay that is one of the best-known dive spots in the north of the island. From that shore Buceo Norte runs its try-dives: your first time breathing underwater, with a qualified instructor all to yourself.
Before you get wet: questionnaire and video
The try-dive begins at home. When you book they send you a medical questionnaire and a video to watch before the day. If the questionnaire flags any health condition, the centre reviews it before the activity; with no contraindications, it goes ahead. From age 10 and in good health.
A morning in Sardina, step by step
Allow three to four hours in total. You arrive at the centre, on Avenida Alcalde Antonio Rosas, beside the beach, ask any questions, and the instructor explains how to breathe, move and communicate underwater, with a short talk about the seabed you are going to see. Then you are kitted out: wetsuit, vest, regulator, cylinder, fins and mask, all from the centre. You walk in from the shore, at your own pace, and descend gradually, normally to around 5 or 6 metres depending on the sea and how you feel. When you come out there is a review of the dive and you are given a certificate.
What is down there
Volcanic seabeds with rock fish, rays, soft corals and small species. The centre says you can sometimes see an angel shark camouflaged in the sand, though it makes no promises. Underwater there are no groups: one instructor per student, never a guide or a divemaster.
Price and booking
€89 per person. It includes an instructor on a one-to-one basis, all the equipment, insurance, a certificate, a profile on the SSI school's app, water and fruit. You bring swimwear and a towel. Book on the Buceo Norte website or on 628 10 74 79, also by WhatsApp. The centre is open from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00; it is closed on Tuesdays, and in February and March also on Mondays.
If the north brings a heavy swell
When it is not possible to get in at Sardina, the try-dive takes place at Tufia or El Cabrón, on the east coast. Ask when booking where it will be that day and allow for the journey. Without a car, Global bus line 401 runs from Gáldar down to Puerto de Sardina. If afterwards you fancy some old town, the Cueva Pintada is in Gáldar, a few kilometres away.
Tips
- Book the morning That leaves you the afternoon for Gáldar or Agaete.
- Fill in the questionnaire calmly If you have health doubts, they can be sorted out before the day rather than on the beach.
- Swimwear on Arrive already changed: the centre provides the rest of the equipment.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a good swimmer?
You need to feel comfortable in the water. The instructor is with you the whole time.
From what age?
From 10, in good health and with the medical questionnaire completed beforehand.
How much does the try-dive cost?
€89 per person, with equipment, insurance and certificate.
How deep do you go?
About 5 or 6 metres, depending on the sea.
Which days is the centre closed?
Tuesdays, and in February and March also Mondays.
With teenagers
Who runs it
- Buceo NorteShore dive baptism at Sardina del Norte Visit their website
