Taiwan Issues Safety Guidelines for Scuba and Freediving

Taiwan's Tourism Administration has published new guidelines covering snorkeling, scuba diving and freediving, in response to a run of recent incidents along the island's coast. The Taipei Times reported the move on September 28, citing the administration and the Central News Agency.

What prompted the rules

Earlier this month, a diving student died of hypoxia during a training dive at a bat cave in Rueifang, New Taipei City, after sea conditions worsened. And on a recent Sunday, six divers were caught by high waves off Longdong in Gongliao District. The Coast Guard brought all six back, and no injuries were reported.

What the guidelines say

For scuba diving and freediving, participants should hold a qualification certificate from a Taiwanese or international diving organization and meet internationally recognized training standards. Those standards cover age, health, basic swimming ability and awareness of marine safety.

The guidelines also list the expected equipment. Scuba divers should carry a complete breathing system, meaning a regulator, a buoyancy compensator and a tank. Freedivers are expected to use a mask, snorkel and wetsuit, along with a surface identification device such as a buoy, which lets boats and rescuers see where a diver is. Snorkelers need a mask, fins or a snorkel. Across all three activities, the guidelines call for proper supervision and a buddy or companion arrangement.

Advisory, but with existing penalties behind it

The guidelines themselves are advisory. They are meant as a reference for government agencies, site managers, diving organizations and divers rather than binding law. Penalties already on the books still apply: under the Act for the Development of Tourism, individuals who, for example, enter the water in a prohibited area can be fined up to NT$50,000, and commercial operators up to NT$200,000.

Wu Ping-yu, secretary-general of the Taiwan Freediving Development Association, called the guidelines an important first step in clarifying who is responsible for what. Wu also pointed out that compliance is still limited and suggested simplified guides so that ordinary divers actually learn the rules.

Why it matters beyond Taiwan

None of the requirements is exotic. Training from a recognized agency, a buoy on the surface, a buddy in the water and a willingness to cancel when the sea turns are standard practice in most dive communities. What the Taiwan cases show is how quickly conditions can change on an exposed coast. Divers visiting any rocky shoreline should check forecasts, agree on an abort plan before entering and dive with a certified instructor or guide who knows the site.