Recreational Scuba Training Council Europe
Setting standards for scuba diving safety


RSTC Europe is a body made up of European commercial recreational diving organisations. It was created in 1994 and since then has continuously strived to achieve unity and professionalism in the European recreational diving market.

The World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC), to which RSTC Europe belongs, works on the development of standards for dive training for recreational divers, recreational dive instructors, dive centres, dive clubs and dive shops. These minimum standards facilitate collaboration among RSTC members and allow for easy comparison of systems. This also allows consumers to compare these certifications with other international standards, such as EN and ISO standards. Furthermore, these common minimum standards facilitate the acceptance of diving certifications issued by RSTC members at European and international level. The RSTC standards can be downloaded from here.

RSTC Europe was involved in the creation of the ISO Standards. RSTC Europe is also a founder and active member of the European Underwater Federation (EUF), and has a standing position on the Board of EUF.

Beside diving safety issues, RSTC Europe dedicates itself towards environmental awareness and protection, in particular the protection of the underwater world and its reefs, fauna and flora. Through this and other initiatives, RSTC Europe also contributes to the promotion of responsible diving tourism.