Niveau 3 FFESSM

Niveau 3 is the point where ACERS opens up the more demanding trips on the calendar. The Lavandou autumn outing lists N3 as the minimum level and specifically mentions deep dives — this is not a trip for divers still consolidating shallower certifications. The September Lavandou week runs to six nights and is one of the longer club trips of the year.

The Hendaye weekends that appear across the calendar also include dedicated N2/N3 technical sessions, run separately from the more introductory dives. This structure means N3 candidates are working at depth and in open water conditions appropriate to the qualification throughout the course, not just at the assessment.

N3 under FFESSM/CMAS qualifies divers to 60 m autonomously. At ACERS, it also unlocks some of the overseas trips — Egypt and the Red Sea destinations in the club's history have included deeper sites where N3 is a practical requirement.

Theory for N3 follows the same winter/spring pattern as the other levels, with evening classroom sessions at the club's local. The Comité Départemental de Charente (Codep 16) also organises some theoretical and practical sessions that ACERS members join.