Moving to France

[sebach]

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).

You can definitively dive without a drysuit. Water can be much warmer at depth than 13-15°.
I verified on my dive manager, and I've dived up to early november with water in the 18-20°c range, even at 60m. in September/october, the thermocline is often around 55-60m. On the other hand, if you're unlucky, with heavy winds, you can also have a 16°C water at the surface in summer.

 

[jago]

Merci pour l'info

De rien. Jean-Luc ?

 

[jago]

French law has changed on 07/02/2010.

The dive-marshal can allow you to dive after an exam of your logbook and your certs, even if you have not perform a check-dive.

Unfortunately he he can allow you to dive in autonomy beyond 12 meters only if you are able to rescue a buddy from bottom to surface (proof by logbook, cert, check-dive ...).

 

[Peter_C]

French law has changed on 07/02/2010.

The dive-marshal can allow you to dive after an exam of your logbook and your certs, even if you have not perform a check-dive.

Unfortunately he he can allow you to dive in autonomy beyond 12 meters only if you are able to rescue a buddy from bottom to surface (proof by logbook, cert, check-dive ...).

Nice to hear that.

There is a place close to Frigeac that is a GUE training site. My g/f found it for me.
Cave Diving Europe

 

[jago]

French law doens't concern cave diving except for Nx and Tx cert when you dive in a center or a resort.

Your link is one of the few DIR-compliant cave-diving school in the Lot. Many sites requires independant doubles (sump-diving or sidemount-diving). But I have given other names in this post : http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/5332457-post17.html .