Moving to France
- Thread starter knfevg
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Bonjour!
Take your gear!
The diving is good in France (not as good as the Red Sea, but still very good). You can of course go in the South of France (3h30 by train from Paris), but closer there are very interesting dive sites in Britanny and even closer the Channel (in Normandy).
Take your gear!
The diving is good in France (not as good as the Red Sea, but still very good). You can of course go in the South of France (3h30 by train from Paris), but closer there are very interesting dive sites in Britanny and even closer the Channel (in Normandy).
Hello
Should you bring your stuff? Answer will definitely be YES.
You can bring anything (including tanks if and only if they are CE compliant)
It will be easy for you to join a club and do regular pool sessions (diving is a sport so in Paris area we train ourselves a lot in pools) and also will make your dives cheaper if you decide to go on ocean dives (no rental cost)
Althrough the Mediterranea is THE place to dive in France so South of France, they are plenty of dive sites that worth getting wet on the Atlantic side and few lakes or quarries inland.
How is diving?
Interresting, challenging and I have as much fun in France than in Red Sea (but Red Sea is definitely warmer and with a better viz).
The wrecks are very cool too.
I guess you should tell us more about you, your level and what you like
Malene, thanks for the reply. I'm from Israel so used to diving in the red sea
You can dive in a wet suit all around the year but be prepared for shorter bottom time if you don't want to come out blue
Dry suit is a plus for confort and also safety (cold is an increasing factor for DCI)
An alternative is the semi dry (option chosen by my gf)
I have moved to the drysuit last winter but before that I was diving in a 7mm+5mm with hood and gloves
I'm an AOW + nitrox. Hope to do Rescue and maybe DM during the summer. My diving experience in limited to the red sea and several dives in the mediterrerian. Altought my wreck diving experience is limited, I enjoy it very much and would love to explore some more ships
I have no dry suit training.
I have no dry suit training.
many French (and Italian) go to the island of Corsica in the summer... lots of decent diving out there !!!
I'm an AOW + nitrox. Hope to do Rescue and maybe DM during the summer. My diving experience in limited to the red sea and several dives in the mediterrerian. Altought my wreck diving experience is limited, I enjoy it very much and would love to explore some more ships
I have no dry suit training.
OK.
There is one thing that is very important to know and understand when it comes to diving in France.
Scuba diving is regulated by law in France, and the law does only recognized French scuba training AND CMAS training. Thanks God, things are slighty evolving nowdays and most dive shop with allow you to dive up to 20m with a buddy and up to 40m with a divemaster (CMAS) after a test dive.
So my best advice would be to try to become at least a CMAS ** with TDIF, the Israeli CMAS confederation.
For the Rescue and teh DM, if you can't finish them in Israel, you will easily find PADI instructors in France (like me
)A drysuit is not a mandatory for enjoy your dives here. And if you want to experience that, finding an instructor will not be an issue
hg frogman
Contributor
Fontainebleau is a fantastic place for rock-climbing (bouldering) and for hiking in its beautiful forest.
For diving, the easiest is the Southern (Mediterranean) coast. Best places are from Marseille (my personal favorite) and all the way eastwards to Nice (La Ciotat, Hyeres, etc). Marseille is 3h30 from Paris by fast train (TGV). From April to November you can dive there (like most French divers) with a full 7 mm wetsuit (or semi-dry) and a hood ; drysuit is not mandatory. Water is around 11-13°C in winter at any depth ; and around 13-15°C in summer below the thermocline which is usually at 20 or 25 meters (water temp usually 21 to 24°C in summer above the thermocline). To get an idea, you can watch videos on You Tube or similar with the keywords "plongee" "Marseille" "Chaouen" "Pierre de Cassis" "Imperiaux" "Port-Cros" "La Gabiniere".
There are several French books (GAP editions) about dive sites in the Mediterranean French areas (Marseille, Var, Nice ...).
There is also good diving in Britanny : it's closer from Paris but definately tougher (less viz, tidal currents, surge and swell ...). Water temp is about the same in summer, or a bit cooler.
There is no shortage of dive clubs and dive centers in France, and also in Paris.
PADI certs are not (yet ?) recognized by French law (apart from the OWD) and if you want to enjoy French dives (the nicest are in the 25 to 45 meters range) it's really advisable, as says Satyre, that you become at least a CMAS ** diver. This you can do at home or in France. It will be useful also in the French dominions overseas (Martinique, Polynesia ...)
You can check what I wrote about this cert issue in a recent post about wreck diving in the South of France.
Welcome and enjoy your stay.
For diving, the easiest is the Southern (Mediterranean) coast. Best places are from Marseille (my personal favorite) and all the way eastwards to Nice (La Ciotat, Hyeres, etc). Marseille is 3h30 from Paris by fast train (TGV). From April to November you can dive there (like most French divers) with a full 7 mm wetsuit (or semi-dry) and a hood ; drysuit is not mandatory. Water is around 11-13°C in winter at any depth ; and around 13-15°C in summer below the thermocline which is usually at 20 or 25 meters (water temp usually 21 to 24°C in summer above the thermocline). To get an idea, you can watch videos on You Tube or similar with the keywords "plongee" "Marseille" "Chaouen" "Pierre de Cassis" "Imperiaux" "Port-Cros" "La Gabiniere".
There are several French books (GAP editions) about dive sites in the Mediterranean French areas (Marseille, Var, Nice ...).
There is also good diving in Britanny : it's closer from Paris but definately tougher (less viz, tidal currents, surge and swell ...). Water temp is about the same in summer, or a bit cooler.
There is no shortage of dive clubs and dive centers in France, and also in Paris.
PADI certs are not (yet ?) recognized by French law (apart from the OWD) and if you want to enjoy French dives (the nicest are in the 25 to 45 meters range) it's really advisable, as says Satyre, that you become at least a CMAS ** diver. This you can do at home or in France. It will be useful also in the French dominions overseas (Martinique, Polynesia ...)
You can check what I wrote about this cert issue in a recent post about wreck diving in the South of France.
Welcome and enjoy your stay.
Last edited:
Air One
Contributor
hg frogman:
We had 5°C this winter in the Channel.
The same ?
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