In 2002, I had a dive accident off the coast of Spain. I had a textbook panic attack, something I attribute to an earlier anaphylactic shock a few years earlier.
I had dived since in Tenerife and Israel, but my last dive was in 2009.
So here I was in 2024, on a family trip, and I had a strong desire to Scuba dive again.
Our hotel, The GF Victoria, was just 800 metres from One Two Dive, located within the grounds of the GF Isobel.
My email communications with Chris and Juan were friendly, understanding and helpful. I already had confidence in this Padi dive centre.
On arrival, Juan greeted me and explained that I would be diving with him and that we would take it slowly to ease me back into the hobby.
Juan was patient, agreeing to teach me as if I had never dived. We went through all the basics and ensured I was ready for my refresher dive, which we began from a beach called Las Vistas.
He chose perfectly. The site has no currents and crystal-clear water. There was plenty of marine life to keep my interest, and over the two 7.5—and 9.3-metre dives, respectively, my confidence and knowledge grew.
It was a shame that neither of us had a camera on that first day because the waters were crystal clear, abundant with marine life and just a great all-round dive.
Juan was an excellent teacher because he explained clearly what I should be doing, how to do it and gently corrected my mistakes.
He reminded me that assembly of the gear was my responsibility. After all, if I checked and understood how everything worked and was correctly assembled, I would have more confidence.
Two days later, we drove past Tenerife South Airport to Las Eras, where Juan explained that we would do another shore dive, this time passing through a tunnel—something that I had never done before.
The experience was great, with Juan ensuring that I did nothing I was not entirely comfortable with.
Once again, there was loads of marine life, but the visibility was much reduced from the previous two dives.
There are loads of Dive Centres in Tenerife, and I’m sure they all offer great dives, but I wonder how many really offer the true insights of the ocean, as I got from marine biologist Juan Andrés Bastida, a true Padi diving instructor and now friend.
When you next visit Tenerife, be sure to contact 12dive.com
