French exception

[BoltSnap]

I have been reading reviews about diving in France the last couple of days, especially in Corsica, it sounds all great and well protected. I want to go diving in France now.

What I noticed is that no one in the English speaking world talks about diving in France or promotes it. I find it difficult so far to figure out where to dive and who can organize it for me. This is in contrast to Croatia and other places in the Mediterranean. I can organize a dive trip in these place very easily but not France.

 

[JMBL]

I have been reading reviews about diving in France the last couple of days, especially in Corsica, it sounds all great and well protected. I want to go diving in France now.

What I noticed is that no one in the English speaking world talks about diving in France or promotes it. I find it difficult so far to figure out where to dive and who can organize it for me. This is in contrast to Croatia and other places in the Mediterranean. I can organize a dive trip in these place very easily but not France.

One piece of advice : contact the local tourist board of the places you want to go to. Internet is your friend in this case : you'll find on the websites of the different cities all you need to know (accommodations, dive centre, restaurants, places to visit...) even in English. Some French Régions and/or Départements have also their websites dedicated to tourism.

 

[ABCdivepro]

T

The Italian diving school was based on the ARO rebreather (pure oxygen CC).
No deco procedures for the first 10 years.
The first ARA systems (twin tanks of compressed air) started to be employed here only around 1958.
When I followed my first diving course, in 1975, we used mostly the ARO and we got our twin tanks only during the last month (the course was 6 months long).
Deco procedures were taught since the beginning, using US Navy tables with a couple of modifications (ascent speed reduced from 18 m/min to 10 m/min, ascent time included in the dive time).
Here a couple of videos showing those old training methods:

Really interesting Angelo, thanks. By coincidence we may be diving later this month with Triton mCCRs, they look a lot like those AROs of 50 years ago !

 

[ABCdivepro]

PADI used the USN tables until they developed the RDP to mitigate some of the recreational-diving issues with the Navy tables, namely the slowest compartment thus causing long SIs, and the use of the 26 letters of the alphabet spread across no-stop plus deco diving, instead of just across no-stop diving.

I believe SDI was indeed the first computer-only agency.

Funny how USN tables still not exactly user friendly, eg compared to excellent TDISDI versions. Even the simpler RDP, which I remember fondly, was a challenge for kids with learning difficulties like dyslexia/dyscalculia/dysgraphia. That SDI computer initiative has really helped accessibility for recreational diving I think. Interesting to learn to about that compartment/SI story, LDS revenue-driven I suspect.

 

[ABCdivepro]

Where has PADI claimed to have created recreational diving?

From memories of maybe 30 years ago, can't quote verbatim, language has definitely evolved, today PADI History | PADI says "In 1967, PADI introduced recreational diving’s first diver certification requirements, first advanced diver course and first specialty diver programs"

 

[ABCdivepro]

Oh my god. That movie has the best car chase scene ever. Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider... uff, what a classic.

The French Connection got 8 oscar nominations and won 5, Hackman's best movie and one of the best ever IMHO. Like all the good ones, came from a true story.

 

[JMBL]

By coincidence we may be diving later this month with Triton mCCRs, they look a lot like those AROs of 50 years ago !

Yeah sure, some family ressemblance there, but just on the outside, not the inside.

The Triton was designed to have that "Oygers" (French Combat Divers pure O2 rebreather) look, but it's very different from any ARO :

- 2 counter lungs (instead of one),
- sorb canister is not inside the counter lung (many ARO did/do have that feature),
- ADV (no need when diving pure O2),
- 3 cells with O2 monitor + connected dive computer (Petrel 2, Nerd, and previously Divesoft). It's also possible to have a stand alone computer. ARO had off course non of that,
- training is different (pick your agency : TDI, IANTD, FFESSM, CMAS...) Not many agencies will certify you on an ARO.

 

[Angelo Farina]

- training is different (pick your agency : TDI, IANTD, FFESSM, CMAS...) Not many agencies will certify you on an ARO.

In my knowledge ARO certification is possible nowadays only by a Couple of Italian no-profit organizations, FIPSAS and FIAS (adhering to CMAS):
http://lnx.ferreasub.it/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ARO.pdf

A.R.O. – Fias Parma

www.fiasparma.it

 

[JMBL]

In my knowledge ARO certification is possible nowadays only by a Couple of Italian no-profit organizations, FIPSAS and FIAS (adhering to CMAS):
http://lnx.ferreasub.it/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ARO.pdf

A.R.O. – Fias Parma

www.fiasparma.it

True. We can add TSA (another Italian organisation) and Swiss CMAS on the Salamander.

 

[Adamastor]

60m on air? I feel like France is trolling us again

How is that trolling?

Both oxygen and nitrogen toxicity limits for air are below 60m.