Baptême à l'air

The air baptism at Perception Plongée runs as a half-day at sea out of the private port «Portland» in Hyères. You get a briefing with the essential basics, then one dive to a maximum of 6 metres lasting around 20 minutes. The water around Hyères — gateway to the Porquerolles and Port-Cros national marine park — means even that shallow first dive puts you above a genuinely protected seabed.

Guillaume runs groups capped at 8 on the boat, so the briefing is personal rather than a crowd lecture. He has over 25 years of diving behind him and roughly 6,000 logged dives, including a career as a Navy deminer — that experience shapes how he approaches beginners. The point of the baptism is straightforward: breathe underwater, float neutrally, take it in.

A family pack is available at €210 for one adult and one child, which makes this a realistic option for parents wanting to share the experience. The baptism is also the stated prerequisite for the Niveau 1 course if you want to continue.