Open Water Diver

The entry-level certification at Aqualonde covers both PADI and SSI frameworks from the same base. Theory is done in the climate-controlled classroom at the Boulevard Louis Bernard premises, with Wi-Fi access to online course materials and a TV setup for video content. The confined-water skills sessions use the heated 7×5 m pool on site, which removes the weather variable for the first dexterity work.

Open-water dives take place in the Îles d'Or — Port-Cros and Porquerolles — meaning that even during training you're diving inside a national park. The Cimentier wreck sits at 3–15 m and works well for training dives: sheltered, interesting, and within recreational limits. The club also has access to shallower reef areas for skills practice.

Aqualonde has been running these courses for 30 years, which means the team knows which sites work for which skills and which conditions to avoid. The instructor pool includes a BEES 2 and an FFESSM regional instructor, with PADI and SSI certifications also held. The 450€ price is listed as a starting point for the Niveau 1 / first-level programme.

After certification, divers can immediately book exploration dives from the same base — the Donator, Grec, and Rubis wrecks are all available to certified divers, and the double-tank morning format lets you get two sites in before lunch.