Terms & Conditions of IADP Membership, Ethics and Portal Use

1. About IADP and TheDiveProfessional.org

The International Association of Dive Professionals, referred to in these Terms as “IADP”, is an independent professional association established as a Belgian ASBL/VZW. IADP exists to represent, support, organise, and strengthen dive professionals, diving-industry workers, contributors, volunteers, supporters, and institutional partners across the wider diving industry.

TheDiveProfessional.org is the IADP membership portal. It is used for membership registration, account management, member communication, digital services, community functions, member resources, membership administration, and the progressive development of IADP’s professional network.

Membership is issued by IADP. TheDiveProfessional.org is the digital platform through which membership, access, communication, and related services are managed.

References in these Terms to “IADP”, “we”, “us”, or “our” mean the International Association of Dive Professionals and, where applicable, the administrators, officers, authorised representatives, moderators, volunteers, contractors, or service providers acting on behalf of IADP.

References to “member”, “user”, “applicant”, “you”, or “your” mean any person or organisation applying for, purchasing, renewing, holding, accessing, or using an IADP membership, account, service, portal function, or related benefit.

These Terms govern individual membership of IADP, the International Association of Dive Professionals, a Belgian nonprofit association (ASBL), enterprise number BE0785.392.370, with its published head office at Rue Émile Féron 153, 1060 Saint-Gilles, Brussels, Belgium. They explain admission, fees, membership benefits and the responsibilities of applicants and members.

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2. Scope and Acceptance of These Terms

These Terms apply to all persons and organisations applying for, purchasing, activating, renewing, upgrading, downgrading, holding, or using an IADP membership or account connected to TheDiveProfessional.org.

Applicants are given access to these Terms before registration or purchase and expressly accept them through an unticked acceptance checkbox. These Terms include membership conditions, ethics obligations, portal rules, conduct standards and the responsibilities attached to the selected membership or account. Any request for immediate performance or consent required by consumer law is obtained separately where applicable.

These Terms also apply to free accounts, trial access, volunteer accounts, honorary access, institutional access, staff accounts, administrative access, and any other account type granted by IADP, unless a separate written agreement expressly states otherwise.

If you do not agree with these Terms, you must not complete registration, purchase membership, use member access, use TheDiveProfessional.org, or claim IADP membership status.

These Terms form the central membership acceptance document used for IADP memberships managed through TheDiveProfessional.org. Other public policies, including privacy, cookie, website-use, governance, and operational policies, may apply in addition to these Terms.

In case of conflict between these Terms and the formal statutes of IADP, the statutes and mandatory provisions of Belgian law prevail for matters that legally require statutory treatment.

These Terms apply together with the membership offer accepted at registration, the IADP Code of Ethics and, for Professional Members, the Professional Membership Standards and Regulations. Business participation in the DiverCard network is governed separately by the DiverCard Partner Standards and Regulations and the accepted Partner agreement.

Mandatory law and the Articles of Association take precedence. A specific offer accepted at purchase governs the agreed price and paid membership period. These Terms do not override statutory admission, governance, resignation or exclusion procedures.

Before payment, applicants must have access to these Terms, the applicable Standards, the Privacy Policy and the specific offer. Applicants expressly accept the General Terms and applicable Standards through an unticked acceptance checkbox. The portal records the accepted version and acceptance date and provides a copy or a link to that retained version with the membership confirmation. Acceptance of membership terms does not automatically constitute consent to optional marketing.

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3. Nature of IADP Membership

IADP membership is participation in a professional association and access to the association’s applicable member services, communications, digital resources, benefits, and community functions.

IADP membership is not a diving certification, diving qualification, professional licence, government authorisation, employment contract, agency teaching status, insurance contract, safety endorsement, or guarantee of professional competence.

Membership does not authorise a member to conduct diving activities, teach diving, operate a dive business, perform commercial diving work, guide clients, fill cylinders, operate vessels, provide medical or hyperbaric services, or carry out any regulated professional activity unless the member separately holds the required legal authority, licences, permits, training, insurance, and qualifications.

Members remain solely responsible for holding the licences, permits, insurance, certifications, medical clearance, professional approvals, business registrations, employment authorisations, and legal permissions required for their own activities, country, sector, and professional role.

IADP may support, represent, inform, and advocate for the profession, but it does not replace national law, competent authorities, training agencies, employers, insurers, classification bodies, maritime authorities, labour authorities, health and safety authorities, or any other applicable regulator.

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4. Membership Categories

IADP may offer several membership categories, including but not limited to Associate, Affiliate, Professional, Sustaining, Senior, Fellow, Honorary, Corporate Partner, Educational Partner, NGO/Association Partner, and Industry Patron memberships.

Membership categories may differ in eligibility requirements, access rights, benefits, fees, voting rights, portal permissions, visibility, communication rights, representative status, and available services.

Some membership categories may be opened progressively and may not be available at all times. IADP may develop or reorganise categories for future applications, subject to the Articles of Association, applicable law and the protection of existing agreed membership rights described in chapter 22.

Where a membership category requires verification, IADP may request evidence of professional experience, sector involvement, company registration, qualifications, institutional status, employment, previous work, portfolio material, professional references, or other relevant information.

IADP may refuse to grant, renew, or upgrade a membership category where the applicant does not meet the relevant criteria or where granting such membership would be misleading, inappropriate, harmful, or inconsistent with IADP’s objectives.

Honorary, Fellow, Senior, institutional, partner, staff, or representative statuses may be subject to additional approval, internal review, invitation, board decision, or documented eligibility requirements.

Associate Membership is available to individuals who support IADP and its mission, including recreational divers, students, volunteers and supporters. An applicant does not need to qualify as a diving professional to join as an Associate.

Membership categories, eligibility and participation rights are described in the Official IADP Membership Framework at Official IADP Membership Framework. Only categories expressly open for applications on TheDiveProfessional.org may be purchased. Applicants must provide accurate information, accept the applicable terms and pay the disclosed fees. Where legal capacity or parental authorization is required, it must be established before admission.

Membership rights follow the Official IADP Membership Framework at Official IADP Membership Framework. Associate Members, including Founding Associate Members, have no voting rights and participate as observers. Affiliate Members have no voting rights and limited participation. Sustaining and Honorary Members have no voting rights and advisory participation.

Professional, Senior and Fellow Members each have one vote, subject to formal admission and the Articles of Association. Professional and Senior Members have full participation; Fellow Members have oversight participation. Founding Professional voting rights remain pending until professional verification and applicable admission requirements are completed. Payment or founding designation alone does not confer voting rights. Voting procedures, eligibility for office and governance remain governed by the Articles of Association.

The Founding Membership campaign is a limited promotional offer available until 31 December 2026 within the existing Associate and Professional membership categories. Founding Associate Membership costs €35 for the first year. Founding Professional Membership costs €100 for two years. Founding recognition records participation in the campaign; it does not create a separate permanent membership category or exempt applicants from eligibility, verification or conduct requirements.

Founding Professional Members joining by 31 December 2026 receive professional verification and opening of their professional dossier at no additional charge, including when verification is processed after the campaign closes. The agreed two-year paid period remains valid subject to continuing eligibility and these Terms. Annual eligibility checks do not create a second membership charge for a year already paid.

Founding designation does not by itself confer lifetime membership, permanent preferential pricing, verified professional status or governance rights. Any additional entitlement must be expressly stated in the accepted offer.

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5. Eligibility, Verification and Approval

Membership applications are subject to review, acceptance, and continued compliance with IADP’s objectives, governance standards, ethics expectations, and operational requirements.

IADP may refuse, delay, downgrade, suspend, or reject a membership application where the applicant provides false or incomplete information, does not meet the relevant membership criteria, acts against the interests of IADP, has previously breached IADP rules, or is considered unsuitable for the requested membership category.

IADP may require additional verification before granting access to certain membership levels, professional categories, volunteer roles, administrative functions, internal working spaces, community areas, directories, or restricted services.

IADP may request clarification, supporting documents, proof of identity, proof of professional activity, proof of institutional status, proof of company registration, proof of qualifications, or other reasonable evidence connected to the membership category requested.

Membership is not automatically granted merely because payment has been attempted or completed. If a paid membership application is refused before access begins, IADP will arrange an appropriate refund unless there is a lawful reason not to do so.

If false information is discovered after access has been granted, IADP may suspend or terminate the membership, remove portal access, cancel benefits, and refuse refund where permitted by law.

Professional Membership requires genuine, lawful and current professional activity meeting the Professional Membership Standards and Regulations. Holding a professional diving certification alone does not establish eligibility. The separate Standards govern evidence, verification and continuing professional eligibility.

IADP confirms admission and the membership category in writing. Payment alone does not establish verified professional status. IADP may request missing evidence or refuse an application that does not meet the applicable requirements, explaining the reason and any available review route.

Professional recognition, the Pro Diver Card and any business-owner Partner entitlement become available only after the relevant verification and approval. Pending applications must be identified as pending rather than presented as verified Professional Membership.

IADP explains transitional verification arrangements before payment, including when verification becomes available and any submission requirements. Verification does not restart the paid membership period. Delays caused by IADP must not shorten the agreed paid period or remove an agreed founding price or entitlement to free verification.

On expiry, active card status and membership-dependent benefits cease until renewal is completed. A member may stop future renewal without giving up the remainder of a paid period. A verified Professional Member whose employment ends must notify IADP within 30 days and may retain Professional status for up to three months from the change while securing qualifying employment. Upon starting with a new employer, the member must submit a fresh employer declaration signed by an authorized representative within 30 days of starting. Changing employer requires neither a new membership nor another dossier-opening fee. If qualifying activity has not resumed after three months, IADP reviews the membership category under the official framework. Temporary unemployment does not automatically end IADP membership. Evidence and continuing eligibility are governed by the Professional Membership Standards and Regulations.

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6. Membership Fees, Duration and Renewal

Standard memberships run for twelve months from the membership start date. Membership starts when registration and payment are completed and membership is activated. An expressly accepted promotional offer may provide a different paid period, including the two-year Founding Professional offer. The admission confirmation states the start date, expiry date, category, amount paid and any pending verification requirement.

All IADP membership, verification and administration fees are denominated in euros. Before payment, IADP discloses the price, paid period, applicable taxes and any separate verification or administration fee. Optional services require separate agreement. Membership fees support the Association and the benefits attached to the selected category.

Professional applicants joining from 1 January 2027 pay a one-time €15 fee for professional verification and opening their professional dossier, separate from their membership fee. Founding Professional Members covered by chapter 4 receive this service free. A verification fee covers the disclosed review and does not guarantee approval. IADP provides payment confirmation and retains a record of the accepted offer. Duplicate or erroneous charges are corrected and refunded.

New prices apply to future purchases or renewals after notice; they do not change the price of an existing prepaid period. Payment details are handled through the payment services identified at checkout.

Renewal requires payment for the next period and satisfaction of the applicable eligibility requirements. Prepaid periods remain prepaid even when an annual professional eligibility check is required.

Membership does not renew by automatic charge unless the member expressly agrees to a clearly described recurring-payment arrangement. That arrangement must state the amount or pricing basis, frequency, renewal date and how to stop future charges.

On expiry, active card status and membership-dependent benefits cease until renewal is completed. A member may stop future renewal without giving up the remainder of a paid period. A verified Professional Member whose employment ends must notify IADP within 30 days and may retain Professional status for up to three months from the change while securing qualifying employment. Upon starting with a new employer, the member must submit a fresh employer declaration signed by an authorized representative within 30 days of starting. Changing employer requires neither a new membership nor another dossier-opening fee. If qualifying activity has not resumed after three months, IADP reviews the membership category under the official framework. Temporary unemployment does not automatically end IADP membership. Evidence and continuing eligibility are governed by the Professional Membership Standards and Regulations.

Membership fees do not include third-party insurance premiums, event fees, course or certification fees, professional licensing, travel, equipment or other external expenses unless expressly stated in the accepted offer.

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7. Immediate Access to Digital Membership Services

IADP may provide applicable membership access, account functions, resources and benefits after registration, payment where applicable, and activation. Services still being developed are identified separately from services currently available.

Where consumer law requires an express request to begin providing services before the applicable withdrawal period ends, IADP obtains and records that request at registration. Acceptance of these Terms alone does not waive statutory withdrawal rights.

Activating an account, logging in, viewing member resources or using a membership benefit does not by itself mean that an ongoing membership service has been fully performed or that all withdrawal rights have ended.

Any restriction of withdrawal rights for a fully performed service or separately supplied digital content applies only where the relevant legal conditions, advance information, express consent and acknowledgement requirements have been satisfied. A digital-content exception is not applied automatically to the whole membership.

IADP records the applicable consent, accepted version, payment and activation information as described in its Privacy Policy. Refund requests are assessed under chapter 8 and applicable law.

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8. Cancellation, Withdrawal and Refunds

Members may submit withdrawal, cancellation or refund requests through Crisp on Dive-Professionals.org or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Requests are handled in accordance with applicable Belgian law and mandatory European Union requirements. Nothing in these Terms limits statutory withdrawal or refund rights.

Where statutory withdrawal rights apply, the applicable conditions, time limit and procedure are disclosed before purchase and provided with the membership confirmation.

Where false or misleading information leads to refusal or termination, the applicable Professional Standards govern the decision. Any fee-retention provision remains subject to mandatory law and cannot remove a statutory refund entitlement.

A member may stop future renewal through available account tools or the contact channels above. Stopping renewal does not automatically cancel the remainder of the current paid membership period.

Outside mandatory withdrawal or refund rights, voluntary cancellation or non-use of benefits does not normally entitle a member to a refund. IADP may consider exceptional requests without creating a general entitlement in other cases.

If IADP refuses a paid application before activation, the membership payment is refunded unless the applicant expressly accepts an eligible alternative category and its financial treatment. Any separately disclosed verification fee may be retained only for a review actually performed and where lawful.

Any lawful deduction must relate to the applicable service and legal conditions. Account activation or use alone does not justify retaining the entire membership payment. Refund treatment following suspension or termination depends on the reason, the services supplied and applicable law.

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9. Member Responsibilities

Members must provide accurate, complete, and current information during registration and throughout their membership period.

Members must update their account details where relevant information changes, including contact details, professional status, institutional status, billing information, or other information required for membership administration.

Members are responsible for keeping their login details secure and must not share, transfer, sell, lend, assign, or otherwise allow another person to use their account, profile, membership status, or member access.

Members must use IADP services, TheDiveProfessional.org, community functions, member directories, messaging systems, documents, and digital resources in a lawful, respectful, professional, and non-abusive manner.

Members must not use IADP membership to mislead clients, students, employers, employees, authorities, other members, partners, customers, sponsors, insurers, media, or the public.

Members must not use IADP services to promote unlawful activity, unsafe operations, fraudulent services, misleading professional claims, abusive commercial approaches, exploitative employment practices, environmental harm, or conduct contrary to IADP’s objectives.

Members remain responsible for their own professional activities, business conduct, safety practices, legal compliance, insurance, employment relationships, contractual obligations, public statements, and conduct toward third parties.

Members must cooperate reasonably with IADP where IADP requests clarification, correction, investigation assistance, account verification, conduct review, payment clarification, or resolution of a complaint connected to the member’s use of IADP services.

A verified Professional Member whose employment ends must notify IADP within 30 days and may retain Professional status for up to three months from the change while securing new qualifying employment. Upon starting with a new employer, the member must submit a fresh declaration signed by an authorized representative within 30 days of starting. The declaration confirms the employer’s legal identity, the member’s role, the paid nature of the engagement and the start date. Changing employer requires neither a new membership nor another dossier-opening fee. If qualifying activity has not resumed by the end of the grace period, IADP reviews the category under the official framework; temporary unemployment does not automatically end membership. The grace period does not authorize activity without required legal permissions or qualifications. Evidence and continuing eligibility are governed by the Professional Membership Standards and Regulations.

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10. Ethics and Professional Conduct

IADP membership is conditional on ethical conduct. Members must act with integrity, honesty, professional responsibility, and respect for the diving profession, aquatic environments, fellow professionals, students, clients, communities, and the public.

The following principles form the ethical baseline expected of all IADP members. These principles are part of these Membership Terms and are binding on members, account holders, volunteers, institutional representatives, and users of TheDiveProfessional.org.

These ethical principles complement, and do not replace, applicable laws, regulations, site rules, employer policies, agency standards, professional procedures, and operational requirements. Where requirements differ, the stricter requirement applies.

Members must not engage in harassment, threats, intimidation, discrimination, defamation, fraud, abuse, exploitation, coercion, bullying, stalking, hate speech, personal attacks, malicious reporting, racism, xenophobia, sexism, or other conduct incompatible with IADP’s objectives and professional standards.

Members must not knowingly make false claims about their qualifications, experience, employment, professional status, training agency status, insurance, company registration, authority, legal permission, institutional status, or relationship with IADP.

Members must not use IADP platforms or membership status to promote unsafe diving practices, unlawful operations, exploitation of workers, environmental harm, fraudulent schemes, deceptive business practices, or activities that endanger divers, students, clients, staff, communities, or the public.

Members must not use IADP membership to attack competitors, damage other professionals without basis, conduct personal vendettas, spread knowingly false allegations, manipulate disputes, or use the association as a weapon in private commercial conflicts.

Members must respect the diversity of the diving industry and the different sectors represented by IADP, including recreational, commercial, scientific, medical, environmental, public safety, military, media, manufacturing, operational support, and sports-related diving activities.

Members must respect environmental responsibility and must not use IADP platforms to promote avoidable harm to aquatic ecosystems, illegal wildlife trade, destructive collection, pollution, reef damage, or practices contrary to responsible aquatic stewardship.

Breach of these ethics obligations may lead to warning, content removal, access restriction, benefit suspension, portal suspension, removal from volunteer or administrative roles, refusal of renewal, termination of membership, or further action as described in these Terms.

Good-faith criticism, lawful competition or professional disagreement alone is not misconduct. Membership does not authorize a person to speak for IADP or use its identity beyond the permissions granted.

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11. Use of IADP Name, Logo and Membership Status

Active members may refer to themselves as members of IADP only in a truthful, accurate, and non-misleading manner appropriate to their membership category.

Acceptable wording may include “Member of IADP” or “IADP Associate Member” where accurate and where the membership is active.

Membership does not authorise a member to claim that they are certified, licensed, approved, endorsed, accredited, insured, employed, appointed, supervised, monitored, represented, or officially authorised by IADP unless IADP has provided explicit written authorisation.

Members must not use wording such as “IADP certified”, “IADP approved”, “IADP accredited”, “IADP licensed”, “official IADP representative”, “IADP instructor”, “IADP school”, “IADP training centre”, “IADP appointed”, or similar wording unless IADP has expressly authorised that status in writing.

Members must not use the IADP name, logo, brand assets, membership badge, documents, slogans, project names, images, visual identity, or written materials in a misleading, unauthorised, commercial, political, defamatory, or reputationally harmful manner.

Members must not create unauthorised websites, pages, groups, documents, certificates, cards, social media accounts, advertising, seals, badges, or marketing materials that imply official IADP status.

Members must immediately stop using IADP membership references, badges, logos, or related materials if their membership expires, is suspended, is terminated, or if IADP instructs them to do so.

IADP may require correction or removal of any public or private use of its name, logo, status references, brand identity, or materials where such use is inaccurate, misleading, unauthorised, damaging, or inconsistent with these Terms.

DiverCards and Pro Diver Cards are personal and non-transferable. Members must not lend, alter, reproduce or share their card or account to obtain benefits for another person. A Partner may check card validity and request reasonable identity confirmation.

The Pro Diver Card identifies approved Professional Membership. It is not a diving certification, operating licence or authorization to perform work beyond the holder’s qualifications. Cards must reflect expiry, suspension, termination or a change of category.

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12. TheDiveProfessional.org Portal and Community Rules

TheDiveProfessional.org is the IADP membership portal and professional community space. It exists to support constructive communication, professional exchange, member services, volunteer coordination, learning, project development, and the progressive organisation of the diving profession.

Access to the portal is a privilege connected to membership, approved registration, volunteer participation, or authorised access. It is not an unconditional right and may be limited, suspended, or removed where necessary to protect IADP, its members, its systems, its data, its reputation, or its objectives.

Portal access and IADP membership are connected but not identical. IADP may restrict, suspend, or permanently remove portal access without automatically terminating membership. However, serious or repeated breaches of portal rules may also lead to suspension, refusal of renewal, or termination of membership in accordance with the IADP statutes, internal regulations, and applicable Belgian law.

All users must act respectfully, professionally, and constructively. Disagreement is allowed. Abuse is not.

The following conduct is not permitted on TheDiveProfessional.org or through any IADP-managed communication channel:

• racism, xenophobia, hate speech, or discriminatory conduct;
• harassment, bullying, intimidation, threats, stalking, or personal attacks;
• sexist, degrading, abusive, or humiliating language;
• defamation, malicious accusations, or knowingly false statements about another person or organisation;
• publication of private, confidential, or personal information without permission;
• scraping, harvesting, copying, exporting, or misusing member data;
• spam, scams, misleading offers, aggressive commercial solicitation, or irrelevant mass messaging;
• impersonation of another person, organisation, officer, volunteer, or IADP representative;
• false claims about qualifications, experience, authority, membership level, or professional status;
• unauthorised use of IADP names, logos, badges, documents, groups, or project identities;
• posting unlawful, harmful, obscene, violent, threatening, or exploitative material;
• promotion of unsafe diving practices, illegal operations, worker exploitation, or environmental harm;
• attempts to bypass access controls, interfere with security, misuse admin tools, or disrupt portal functions;
• conduct that damages the credibility, safety, reputation, or proper functioning of IADP or its community.

IADP may remove, edit, hide, restrict, or archive content where necessary for legal, ethical, operational, security, reputational, or community-management reasons.

IADP may restrict access to specific functions, groups, messaging tools, directories, files, discussions, volunteer spaces, or administrative areas without removing the entire account where a limited measure is sufficient.

Free accounts, inactive memberships, expired memberships, suspended memberships, trial accounts, and limited-access accounts may receive reduced portal access or no portal access, depending on the membership structure and operational needs of IADP.

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13. Portal Breach Scenarios and Possible Measures

IADP applies portal rules according to the seriousness, context, repetition, intent, and impact of the conduct. Not every breach leads to dismissal. IADP may choose a proportionate measure depending on the situation.

These examples are not exhaustive. IADP may take similar action for other conduct that is harmful, unlawful, abusive, unsafe, unethical, misleading, or contrary to the association’s objectives.

A portal ban does not automatically cancel IADP membership. However, the same conduct that justifies a portal ban may also justify membership suspension, refusal of renewal, or formal termination where the conduct is serious, repeated, dishonest, abusive, discriminatory, unsafe, unlawful, or damaging to IADP.

Where the issue relates only to portal behaviour and does not justify membership termination, IADP may restrict portal access while leaving the membership itself active until expiry or further decision.

Where the conduct makes continued membership incompatible with IADP’s ethics, reputation, safety, legal obligations, or objectives, IADP may initiate suspension, refusal of renewal, or dismissal procedures in accordance with the statutes, internal regulations, and applicable Belgian law.

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14. Content, Messaging and Member Data

Members are responsible for the content they publish, upload, send, share, or make available through TheDiveProfessional.org, IADP communication tools, groups, comments, profiles, forums, messages, directories, or related services.

Members must not publish or share unlawful, defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, obscene, threatening, fraudulent, misleading, confidential, privacy-invasive, copyright-infringing, or otherwise harmful material.

Members must not use internal communication tools to send spam, mass unsolicited messages, deceptive offers, commercial pressure, chain messages, scams, recruitment schemes, political campaigning, or irrelevant promotional material.

Members must not scrape, copy, export, sell, transfer, reuse, or commercially exploit member data, directories, email addresses, contact details, profiles, private discussions, internal documents, group content, or messages obtained through IADP systems.

Access to member information is provided for legitimate association, community, professional, and membership-related purposes only.

IADP may monitor, moderate, remove, restrict, or investigate content, messages, profiles, files, or platform activity where necessary for security, abuse prevention, legal compliance, community management, or enforcement of these Terms.

IADP is not required to pre-screen all member content and is not responsible for every statement made by members. However, IADP may act when content is reported, discovered, or considered harmful.

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15. Volunteers, Staff Roles and Administrative Access

Volunteer participation, staff access, committee participation, administrative access, moderation rights, project roles, working-group participation, or representative functions are separate from membership.

Membership does not automatically grant any right to volunteer status, staff status, administrative access, voting authority, committee membership, project leadership, internal documents, strategic information, or the right to speak on behalf of IADP.

IADP may require volunteers and internal contributors to hold a minimum membership level, complete onboarding, accept additional policies, sign confidentiality obligations, follow internal procedures, and comply with role-specific instructions.

IADP may remove, suspend, restrict, or modify volunteer roles, administrative access, project roles, staff permissions, internal access, or representative functions at any time where necessary for operational, ethical, security, governance, legal, or reputational reasons.

Unless expressly agreed in writing, volunteer participation does not create an employment relationship, paid position, agency relationship, partnership, mandate, legal representation, or authority to bind IADP.

Volunteers and internal contributors must not disclose confidential information, internal discussions, private documents, strategy material, unpublished plans, member information, passwords, technical details, financial information, or governance information unless authorised.

IADP may immediately revoke administrative or volunteer access where there is a risk to systems, data, members, reputation, governance, finances, or the proper operation of the association.

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16. Institutional Members and Partner Organisations

Institutional memberships may include corporate partners, educational partners, NGO or association partners, industry patrons, and other organisational membership categories created by IADP.

Institutional membership does not create ownership, control, voting authority, sponsorship exclusivity, endorsement, certification, accreditation, preferred-supplier status, or decision-making authority unless expressly agreed in writing.

Institutional members are responsible for ensuring that employees, representatives, contractors, agents, and authorised users connected to their organisation respect these Terms when using IADP systems, benefits, logos, references, communication tools, or member access.

Institutional members must not imply that IADP endorses their products, services, training, safety standards, environmental claims, commercial activities, political positions, or public statements unless IADP has expressly authorised such wording in writing.

IADP may request correction or removal of any institutional communication that misrepresents the relationship between IADP and the organisation.

IADP may suspend, restrict, or terminate institutional access where the organisation, its representatives, or its use of IADP status damages IADP, misleads the public, breaches these Terms, or acts against the interests of the association.

DiverCard Partner participation is distinct from institutional membership. A business may participate as an independent Partner without its owner or staff holding individual IADP membership, subject to the separate Partner agreement and Standards.

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17. Benefits, Partner Offers and Third-Party Services

IADP may provide membership benefits, communications, digital resources, partner offers, discounts, access rights, professional opportunities, educational resources, directories, community tools, or other services depending on membership category and availability.

Benefits may vary by membership category, region, partner availability, technical capacity, project phase, governance decisions, operational readiness, and applicable law.

Some benefits may depend on third-party partners, service providers, sponsors, educational providers, insurers, travel providers, payment processors, software providers, event organisers, or other external entities.

IADP is not responsible for third-party decisions, availability, pricing, eligibility criteria, technical failures, refusal of service, withdrawal of offers, quality of service, contractual disputes, or changes to third-party offers.

The Partner network and available offers may change. Changes do not remove a Partner’s responsibility to honour benefits already confirmed in a booking. Changes affecting IADP’s own agreed services are subject to chapter 22 and applicable remedies.

Members are responsible for reading and complying with the terms, conditions, exclusions, eligibility rules, payment rules, and privacy policies of any third-party provider whose services they use.

IADP may remove or change partner offers where a partner fails to perform, changes terms, becomes unsuitable, creates reputational risk, or no longer aligns with IADP’s objectives.

Members receive the services expressly included in their accepted offer and available for their active category. IADP identifies services still being developed separately from services currently available. Membership does not promise employment, a particular income, insurance, legal representation or a guaranteed level of savings unless expressly included in a separate agreement.

DiverCard benefits are the current approved offers of participating Partners. Each offer must state its participating locations, eligible services, validity and relevant exclusions. Members must check the offer conditions before booking or purchasing.

A Partner may apply disclosed availability, booking and safety requirements. IADP does not guarantee that a particular Partner, destination or discount will remain available throughout the membership period. Changes to the network do not remove the Partner’s responsibility to honour benefits already confirmed in a booking.

Purchases from a Partner create a separate transaction with that business. Its lawful booking, payment and cancellation terms apply. Members may report refusal of an advertised benefit to IADP with supporting information.

An active and verified Professional Member who is the documented legal owner or co-owner of a qualifying registered business is entitled to the DiverCard Partner service for the first qualifying legal business entity without a separate annual Partner fee, subject to business verification, Partner approval and acceptance of the Partner obligations.

Each additional qualifying legal business entity owned or co-owned by that member is subject to an annual €15 administration and verification fee. Outlets operated by one verified legal company are covered by its company-wide Partner agreement; separately owned franchises or separate legal entities require their own participation unless an approved group agreement binds them.

The included service depends on active qualifying Professional Membership and continued ownership. A material change must be reported within thirty days. A business whose included entitlement ends may apply to continue as an independent paid Partner under the applicable Partner terms.

A business may apply as an independent Partner without its owner or staff becoming individual IADP members. Partner status is distinct from institutional membership of the Association.

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18. Moderation, Complaints and Investigations

IADP may review complaints, reports, disputes, suspected breaches, account misuse, harmful conduct, portal abuse, false claims, member conflicts, misuse of IADP status, or other matters affecting the association.

Complaints may be submitted through official contact channels, Crisp chat where available, or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

IADP may request information from the complainant, the member concerned, witnesses, administrators, moderators, volunteers, or other relevant parties.

IADP may take temporary protective measures while a complaint or suspected breach is being reviewed. These measures may include content removal, access restriction, suspension of messaging, suspension of portal access, suspension of benefits, removal from groups, or temporary suspension from volunteer roles.

IADP is not required to disclose confidential evidence, private member data, internal deliberations, security information, legal advice, or information that could compromise the association, complainants, witnesses, systems, or third parties.

IADP will seek to act reasonably and proportionately, but it may act immediately where there is a credible risk to members, systems, data, finances, safety, reputation, governance, or legal compliance.

False, malicious, abusive, or bad-faith complaints may themselves constitute a breach of these Terms.

Members may submit a complaint, request review of an admission or verification decision, or report an ethical concern through Crisp on Dive-Professionals.org or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. IADP acknowledges the matter and reviews the supporting information.

IADP gives the affected member notice of the concern, a reasonable opportunity to respond and a reasoned decision, subject to necessary confidentiality and urgent protective action. Admission or verification refusals may be reconsidered on the basis of additional evidence. Formal disciplinary action and exclusion follow the Articles of Association and applicable law.

Urgent protective restrictions are explained as soon as reasonably possible and reviewed for continued necessity. Necessary confidentiality does not remove the affected member’s reasonable opportunity to respond to the substance of the concern.

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19. Suspension, Restriction, Termination and Dismissal

IADP may take action where a member or user breaches these Terms, provides false information, misuses IADP membership, misrepresents their status, abuses the portal, harms other members, damages IADP’s reputation, acts against IADP’s objectives, or engages in unlawful, unsafe, abusive, fraudulent, discriminatory, or unethical conduct.

Measures may include informal warning, formal warning, content removal, profile correction, access restriction, temporary portal restriction, removal from groups, messaging restriction, suspension of benefits, removal from volunteer or administrative roles, downgrade, refusal of upgrade, refusal of renewal, suspension of membership, termination of portal access, termination of membership, permanent refusal of future membership, referral to the competent governing body under the Articles of Association, or legal action where necessary.

IADP may restrict portal access, suspend benefits, or suspend a member on a temporary, precautionary, or immediate basis where necessary to protect members, the association, its reputation, its systems, its data, its finances, its legal position, or its activities.

A portal ban or portal restriction does not automatically cancel membership. Portal access is an access-control measure. Membership dismissal is a formal membership measure. The two may occur together where the conduct justifies both, but one does not automatically equal the other.

Serious breaches may result in immediate restriction or suspension without prior warning.

Serious breaches include but are not limited to harassment, threats, intimidation, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, hate speech, fraud, false professional claims, impersonation, unauthorised representation of IADP, misuse of IADP name or logo, scraping or misuse of member data, spam, scams, aggressive commercial abuse, publication of confidential material, reputational harm, cyber abuse, payment fraud, legal threats made in bad faith, or conduct that endangers divers, students, clients, staff, communities, or the public.

IADP may immediately remove or restrict administrative access, volunteer access, moderation rights, internal documents, staff tools, project access, or communication tools where there is any credible security, governance, operational, legal, or reputational risk.

Formal termination or exclusion of membership shall be handled in accordance with the IADP statutes, internal regulations, applicable governance procedures, and Belgian law.

Where the statutes or applicable law require a formal decision by a particular body, IADP may still take temporary protective measures pending that formal decision.

Suspension, restriction, termination, refusal of renewal, or dismissal for breach of these Terms does not automatically entitle the member to a refund.

A dismissed, suspended, expired, or terminated member must immediately stop claiming active membership status and must stop using any IADP membership references, badges, logos, member-only materials, internal documents, or access credentials.

Termination or suspension affects active cards and related benefits. Refund treatment depends on the reason, the services supplied and applicable law; it is not determined solely by labelling an action disciplinary.

Good-faith criticism, lawful competition or professional disagreement alone is not misconduct. Membership does not authorize a person to speak for IADP or use its identity beyond the permissions granted.

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20. Data Protection and Privacy

IADP processes personal data for membership administration, account management, payment processing, communication, member verification, governance, service delivery, security, compliance, and the operation of TheDiveProfessional.org.

IADP handles personal data in accordance with applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation, and the IADP Privacy Policy.

Members must not misuse, copy, harvest, export, sell, share, disclose, or otherwise process other members’ personal data obtained through IADP systems, directories, groups, messages, events, volunteer spaces, community features, internal documents, or communications unless they have a lawful basis and explicit authorisation to do so.

IADP does not sell member personal data.

IADP may retain records connected to membership, payments, account access, acceptance of terms, complaints, disciplinary action, security incidents, and legal compliance for as long as reasonably necessary for administrative, legal, accounting, governance, security, and compliance purposes.

Members should not upload or share sensitive personal data, private documents, third-party personal data, medical information, identity documents, or confidential information unless requested by IADP for a legitimate purpose through an authorised channel.

Privacy questions should be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or through the official direct-contact tools available on IADP websites, including Crisp chat where available.

IADP processes application, payment, verification and membership information as described in its Privacy Policy. Evidence is used for legitimate administration and verification and is not automatically published.

Professional Directory inclusion requires the member’s agreement to the information displayed. A Partner’s validity check must not reveal the member’s private supporting documents. Members must keep their contact information current.

Essential application, account, renewal and service messages are part of membership administration. Optional marketing preferences are managed separately, with unsubscribe facilities where required.

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21. Limitation of Liability

IADP provides membership, association services, communications, digital resources, community functions, and professional-support structures on a reasonable-efforts basis.

IADP does not guarantee employment, contracts, professional recognition, business success, training outcomes, legal compliance, insurance cover, government approval, partner discounts, third-party services, industry acceptance, media exposure, project participation, or professional opportunities.

IADP is not liable for professional decisions, diving activities, business activities, employment relationships, operational failures, safety decisions, commercial outcomes, legal compliance failures, reputational damage caused by members, or third-party services used by members.

IADP is not liable for loss caused by incorrect member information, unauthorised account sharing, expired membership, failed payment, third-party service failure, internet outages, software issues, user error, unauthorised use of login credentials, or member misuse of the platform.

Members remain solely responsible for their own diving activities, professional conduct, legal compliance, safety procedures, certifications, permits, insurance, business registrations, employment relationships, and relationships with clients, students, employers, employees, contractors, authorities, and partners.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability where such limitation is not permitted by applicable law.

IADP is responsible for its own contractual obligations. Partners and members remain responsible for their own activities and transactions. Membership does not constitute an IADP guarantee of every member’s or Partner’s services.

IADP takes reasonable steps to maintain its services and address interruptions. If an essential promised service cannot be supplied, it informs affected members and provides the remedy required by the agreement and applicable law.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, or removes mandatory consumer, data-protection or association-law rights.

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22. Changes to These Terms

IADP may update these Terms for changes in law, administration or services. It provides the new version and explains material changes before they take effect. Changes must not retrospectively remove agreed prepaid periods, prices or accrued rights.

Material changes to an existing membership contract require the agreement or other lawful basis necessary under applicable law. Where a change materially reduces an agreed service, IADP explains the member’s available remedy.

The version accepted for the relevant membership contract is retained with its acceptance date. A later published version does not automatically replace an existing contract or become applicable solely because a dispute arises later. Agreed changes and renewals are recorded with the applicable version.

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23. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

Belgian law governs these Terms, subject to mandatory protections applicable to the member in their country of residence. Any competent court or dispute-resolution body is determined under applicable law; these Terms do not force a consumer to give up a protected forum.

Nothing in these Terms removes mandatory Belgian or European Union rights, or other mandatory protections applicable to the member. If a clause is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining clauses continue to apply insofar as lawful.

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24. Contact

The official contact channels for membership applications, complaints, withdrawal notices and refund requests are Crisp on Dive-Professionals.org and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. These details are displayed at registration and repeated in the admission confirmation. Notices may also be sent to IADP at its published head-office address.

Crisp and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. may both be used for applications, complaints, admission or verification review requests, cancellation, withdrawal, refunds, privacy questions and membership support. A request submitted through Crisp need not be resubmitted by email solely to be considered.

Members should contact IADP promptly if they believe their account has been misused, their membership status is incorrect, their payment or renewal has failed, or their access has been restricted in error.

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