Scuba Diving in Santa Marta and Tayrona
PADI Certified, with Medical Support on Every Dive

MAR Diving Center is a PADI dive centre in Santa Marta, Colombia. We run courses from Discovery Scuba Diving through to Divemaster, diving in Tayrona National Park and the Colombian Caribbean.

Discovery Scuba Diving costs 350,000 COP, Open Water Diver 1,490,000 COP, Advanced Open Water 1,550,000 COP, Rescue Diver 1,800,000 COP, Specialties 350,000 COP and Divemaster 4,300,000 COP. A Fun Dive for certified divers costs 290,000 COP.

Every course and dive includes 2 tanks, full scuba equipment, boat transport, snacks, underwater photography and a bilingual instructor in Spanish and English. The Open Water Diver course also includes 6 months of DAN international dive insurance.

Open Water Diver involves 3 days of in-water training. Dates may shift depending on sea conditions and how quickly each student progresses.

Yes. We run guided dives in Tayrona National Natural Park and the surrounding area, with PADI certified guides and EMT safety protocols.

Depth depends on your certification level: Open Water Diver allows up to 18 metres, Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver up to 30, and Divemaster up to 40. Visibility in Tayrona is generally good, and best between November and January.

November, December and January tend to offer the best conditions of the year. We dive year-round and only reschedule when sea or weather conditions make it unsafe.

No. Discovery Scuba Diving is designed for people with no experience at all: in a single day you cover the basic theory, practise in confined water and make your first dive in the sea alongside an instructor.

Yes. You need to be able to swim and to feel comfortable in the water to join our courses and dives.

The minimum age is 11. Like all participants, minors must present a signed medical form before the activity.

Not in the water. The person diving with you is an instructor trained in pre-hospital care (EMT). A paramedic is on land throughout the activity, and a doctor is available remotely for immediate consultation. We are also DAN members, with access to their worldwide dive emergency hotline.

Every participant signs a medical form before the activity. If any answer calls for it, we ask for a certificate signed by a doctor confirming fitness to dive. Our team holds EMT training and we are DAN members.

We teach courses and run dives in Spanish and English.

More than 48 hours ahead, the deposit is refundable minus transaction fees. Between 24 and 48 hours it is non-refundable but is held as credit valid for 12 months. Under 24 hours, late arrival or a no-show is neither refundable nor creditable. If we cancel for weather or safety reasons, we offer a new date, an alternative activity or a refund.