Baptême

The DSD at France Plongée works across both bases but the Samui version puts you on a speedboat heading 70 km across the Gulf to Koh Tao or Sail Rock — not a pool session against a tiled wall. The minimum age is 10, and the ratio the team keeps is 1 instructor per 4 adults or 1 per 2 children, which means you're not getting lost in a crowd.

Before the boat leaves, your instructor runs through the basics on board during the crossing: gear functions, equalisation, what to do if something doesn't feel right. The briefing is in French, which for many clients is exactly the point of choosing this centre. By the time you drop anchor at the site, you already know the plan.

The first part of the dive happens in shallow water where the instructor runs you through the exercises that build confidence before you go anywhere interesting. Then you head out together. Depth is capped at 12 metres for non-certified divers — standard practice across the industry, and enough depth to see most of what Koh Tao's reefs offer. If you've already done a few baptêmes and have the confidence, the team can take you to Sail Rock instead.

The day includes hotel pickup from most Samui areas, breakfast and lunch on board, all equipment (Aqualung BC, Legend regulator, computer, shorty), and the guided dive itself. The water is between 29°C and 31°C so no thick wetsuit needed. When you're back on the boat there's time to fill your dive log and ask questions before the return to Samui between 14h and 16h.