Please help, Diving Nice, Villefranche Sur Mer and Cannes

[scubamon]

Hello Scuba Board, thanks for your help!

I am part of a group that will spend a week in Villefranche Sur Mer at the end of May, beginning of June. Several of us in the group are PADI OW certified divers, and we would like to do some diving during our stay.

Here is some information on us:
We are all PADI OW certified with 50 or so dives in our logs. We would prefer to do shallower, no-deco diving, some of our group will require some rental equipment.

Here is what I hope someone can help me with:
Locations - It looks like there is some good diving around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Nice, is it also worth trekking elsewhere for a day of diving, maybe near Cannes?
Dive Conditions- In late May and early June, how are dive conditions? Water temperatures? Visibility?
Dive Operations- Who should we be talking to about arranging our dives? We do not speak much French, so we need a good operator who can safely guide us, in English.
Local Requirements/Customs- Are there special forms or requirements from PADI etc. we must take care of in order to dive in France? Are we going to need to arrange dives with clubs or dive shops? Are there certain days of the week that there is more access to diving?

Thanks again to all of the Scuba Board community for your help!

ScubaMon

 

[jago]

Dive Conditions- In late May and early June, how are dive conditions? Water temperatures? Visibility?

It depens of the wind especially the mistral (from sea to shore).

Local Requirements/Customs- Are there special forms or requirements from PADI etc. we must take care of in order to dive in France? Are we going to need to arrange dives with clubs or dive shops?

If you dive outside a club, there is only one rule, you can not hunt with scuba equipment, additionally there may be some local rules.
Some clubs may require a medical exam, most of them will probably check your certs and logbooks.

Are there certain days of the week that there is more access to diving?

Local students are on holidays during the first week of May. May 1st 8th, 17th and 28th are public holidays.

 

[richh32]

villefranche...that is where the rolling stones rented a house in early 70's and recorded their tour de force Exile on main street. What an album.

 

[scubamon]

Thank you for the great information. Jago, we all want to do some very relaxing recreational dive, no deeper than maybe 25 meters. We want to be safe and have certified dive masters to guide us. Does this sound like we are best served to contact clubs or dive shops or ??? Thanks again!

 

[scubamon]

Thank you for the great information. Jago, we all want to do some very relaxing recreational dive, no deeper than maybe 25 meters. We want to be safe and have certified dive masters to guide us. Does this sound like we are best served to contact clubs or dive shops or ??? Thanks again!

 

[jago]

If you want to rent equipment and fill from a local diveshop, you will only need one item, a visa card or a mastercard. But I don't know any english book about dive-sites on the french riviera. Eventually, you can sign-in on the collaborative website Marseille Palmes and use an online translator. If you can handle the logistics, transportations ..., diving on your own would be a good option (don't forget, there is "no" tide, so you can dive when you want).


If you don't want to manage everything, the key point will probably be the language. Search dive-clubs mail adress or phone number and contact them to check their english skills. If you dive in a club, french rules allow only french dive-leaders certs and CMAS instructors to act as a DM, so ask if they will allow you to dive as autonomous buddys after a successful check-dive. If your group is big, you can also rent a dive-boat of a club with an instructor to skip and give some advices about the dive-site, french rules won't be applicable.

I know only one french <-> english scuba dictionnary : L'anglais tel qu'on le "plonge" from Patrice Bourdelet ISBN : 290643101X, 9782906431010.

 

[jago]

It depends if you find a club which suits you and if you feel comfortable with it. If not, perhaps, you should dive on your own. SPG are in bar and not in PSI, emergency oxy equipment is slighty different but it's not complicated.

 

[sebach]

Any dive shop there should be good for you, provided yo check beforehand their English speaking abilities.
As OW, you would dive with a "guide de palanquée" (ie a DM) or a "moniteur" ( ie an instructor), no deeper than 20m.
And it look likes it is exactly what you want.
Concerning the local requirement, with a dive shop, 2 things:
- you need to be certified : OW is just fine so no problem.
-medical : while it is not legally an obligation to have one to dive, most shop will want one. Just verify with them beforehand what is their policy on that subject (necessity, in French, or in English it's fine, ...)

I don't understand why Jago is trying to direct you toward diving on your own (without a dive shop). While it is obviously possible and allowed, I don't see the point of doing that abroad, when you are not experienced, don't know the area, and don't own the equipment.

Regarding the temperature, it should be, depending of the wind, between 15°C to 20°C in this depth range.

 

[jago]

-medical : while it is not legally an obligation to have one to dive, most shop will want one. Just verify with them beforehand what is their policy on that subject (necessity, in French, or in English it's fine, ...)

You can find the official translation of the french underwater federation certificate : http://medical.ffessm.fr/wp-content/uploads/CNCI_french-anglais.pdf
The list of underwater activities contraindications established by the "Medical and Prevention Commission of the French underwater federation" is here : http://medical.ffessm.fr/wp-content/uploads/scubadiving_contraindication2009.pdf

I don't understand why Jago is trying to direct you toward diving on your own (without a dive shop).

I don't.
@ Sebach : le taux de gros cons anti-RSTC dans les coins français à touristes est assez élevé, ceci-dit, je n'essaie pas de les diriger vers des plongées du bord HS, j'indique que c'est une option à considérer s'ils ne trouvent pas de structure avec laquelle le courant passe.

 

[scubamon]

Thanks to everyone at Scubaboard for the help with this. We did two dives with Judicael at Randeau Evasions in Villefranche on May 30, 2012, walked to the dive shop from our flat in the bay. The diving was really fun, Judicael was great and we were rewarded with an amazing cuttlefish and octopus encounter, as well as a record day of mola mola from the boat. The water was pretty cold, but visibility was quite good and we saw a lot of fish. The water in the area is so beautiful, we were so happy to get a chance to spend some time in it. Thanks again Judicael and Scubaboard friends.