Hello divers,
I'm living in French Polinesia, I'm working in the French Polinesia diving industry, and I'm not here to sell you my dive shop, I 'm here to try to give you all the information that you need , to organize your trip in french polinesia, and make the good choice.
ALso I read in some comments a lot of doubts about the french diving rules, and how diving happens in French Polinesia, so I will try to explain you the difference PADI vs French Rules. And result your questions.
You have to know that the BIG difference is that in French Polinesia the responsability is for the dive shop, is not like other destinations where you sign a decharge of responsability. SO in some locations like rangiroa or fakarava or tikehau where the conditions are more wild, the instructeurs have to be sure that the divers are really good, and also in good health, principally when they do drift dives.
Another important point, in French polynesia there are not "DiveMaster", like a guides, all the guides that you will have during your time in French Polinesia, are instructeurs CMAS ( to be instructeur CMAS with the french license ( is the gouverment who manage the certification, is not a private company like PADI) you need 1 year of tranning every day, and to enter in the trainning to be CMAS instructeur you need already a big experience like a diver behind you) to be a PADI OWSI you need just 100 dives in your logbook, your Divemaster Card, more or less 3000$ and 15 days of your time to make the OWSI trainning , after the exam you are allowed to bring 8 divers behind you. This is the rason why in French Territory OWSI padi can't not have a salary, exceptly if the have the french license also.
Sometimes I read in the forum that French Instructeurs don't like PADI or like for them PAdi Divers are not good. This point is not true. The problem begins because there is a bad understanding bettwen both Asociations: PADI and French ASociation of Diving. ANd then the divers don't understand all this differences.
In French Polinesia a Open water diver, and ADvance diver will have the same value, that means Level 1 ( maximum depth 29mts) Why? because the conditions of the water, temperature, and visibility are very good, and the French rules allowed to go until this depth.
Rescue diver, will be a level 2 ( maximum depth 49 mts allowed)
Dive master and OWSI padi level 3 (max depth 60 mts)
Some of you can thing is quite deep no? yes in PAdi we consider deep dive after 18 mts in french rules they make regullary obligatory deco for exemple another big difference with PAdi. A lot of recreational Padi divers don't know anything about Deco time, because they never learn about it.
So about this point make confidence in your instructeur during your time in French POlinesia, they know how fonction. Is the same for the computers: TOday the brands produce new models, all very nice, and modern, but nobody read the notice. If you have a computer and you don't know how fonction ..why you buy it? please if you dive in French Territory in general and you never did obligatory Deco before, talk with your guide he will explain you the procedure.
In all the casses is to the instructeur to choice the best place in fonction of your real experince and knowledge, because is his responsability.
Who is better a Rescue diver, with 40 dives or a OWD with 100? Some divers overvalue his real level. the card is not the most important point.
The drift dives in the tuamotu island is not for everybody, good health, very good skills, and experience are necessary.
There is not hyperbarique chamber there, and not doctors ( only in rangiroa) , so the dives shops limited the risque maximum as posible.
Just listen and respect the rules and everything will be fun !
I hope that I will help you to understand better some differences , anyway if you have questions, or you need information please feel free to post a comment.
See you very soon and have nice bubblesinformation
I'm living in French Polinesia, I'm working in the French Polinesia diving industry, and I'm not here to sell you my dive shop, I 'm here to try to give you all the information that you need , to organize your trip in french polinesia, and make the good choice.
ALso I read in some comments a lot of doubts about the french diving rules, and how diving happens in French Polinesia, so I will try to explain you the difference PADI vs French Rules. And result your questions.
You have to know that the BIG difference is that in French Polinesia the responsability is for the dive shop, is not like other destinations where you sign a decharge of responsability. SO in some locations like rangiroa or fakarava or tikehau where the conditions are more wild, the instructeurs have to be sure that the divers are really good, and also in good health, principally when they do drift dives.
Another important point, in French polynesia there are not "DiveMaster", like a guides, all the guides that you will have during your time in French Polinesia, are instructeurs CMAS ( to be instructeur CMAS with the french license ( is the gouverment who manage the certification, is not a private company like PADI) you need 1 year of tranning every day, and to enter in the trainning to be CMAS instructeur you need already a big experience like a diver behind you) to be a PADI OWSI you need just 100 dives in your logbook, your Divemaster Card, more or less 3000$ and 15 days of your time to make the OWSI trainning , after the exam you are allowed to bring 8 divers behind you. This is the rason why in French Territory OWSI padi can't not have a salary, exceptly if the have the french license also.
Sometimes I read in the forum that French Instructeurs don't like PADI or like for them PAdi Divers are not good. This point is not true. The problem begins because there is a bad understanding bettwen both Asociations: PADI and French ASociation of Diving. ANd then the divers don't understand all this differences.
In French Polinesia a Open water diver, and ADvance diver will have the same value, that means Level 1 ( maximum depth 29mts) Why? because the conditions of the water, temperature, and visibility are very good, and the French rules allowed to go until this depth.
Rescue diver, will be a level 2 ( maximum depth 49 mts allowed)
Dive master and OWSI padi level 3 (max depth 60 mts)
Some of you can thing is quite deep no? yes in PAdi we consider deep dive after 18 mts in french rules they make regullary obligatory deco for exemple another big difference with PAdi. A lot of recreational Padi divers don't know anything about Deco time, because they never learn about it.
So about this point make confidence in your instructeur during your time in French POlinesia, they know how fonction. Is the same for the computers: TOday the brands produce new models, all very nice, and modern, but nobody read the notice. If you have a computer and you don't know how fonction ..why you buy it? please if you dive in French Territory in general and you never did obligatory Deco before, talk with your guide he will explain you the procedure.
In all the casses is to the instructeur to choice the best place in fonction of your real experince and knowledge, because is his responsability.
Who is better a Rescue diver, with 40 dives or a OWD with 100? Some divers overvalue his real level. the card is not the most important point.
The drift dives in the tuamotu island is not for everybody, good health, very good skills, and experience are necessary.
There is not hyperbarique chamber there, and not doctors ( only in rangiroa) , so the dives shops limited the risque maximum as posible.
Just listen and respect the rules and everything will be fun !
I hope that I will help you to understand better some differences , anyway if you have questions, or you need information please feel free to post a comment.
See you very soon and have nice bubblesinformation
