OCEANA V.S.M centre et école de plongée. Activité subaquatique, Arcachon, bassin. Atlantique, plongée

Yes — departures are scheduled around the tides, so the boat leaves when conditions allow, not on a fixed clock. If you're late, you may miss the window entirely. Confirm your slot in advance and plan to be at the quai du Capitaine Allègre a few minutes early.

For baptêmes (discover dives), no medical certificate is needed, but you should arrive in good physical condition and complete a health questionnaire. For all training courses, a medical certificate is mandatory from day one — a sports medicine doctor is best placed to issue it.

All equipment is provided for baptêmes and training courses. For exploration dives, wetsuit, BCD, cylinders, and regulators are available to rent; fins, mask, and weights are provided free of charge. All gear is serviced regularly on site.

Most training, including beginner-level courses, is run from the centre's base at the lac de Cazaux — a freshwater lake with calmer, more controlled conditions. Explorations and baptêmes on the basin depart from the Arcachon marina at 14 quai du Capitaine Allègre.

Baptêmes are open from age 8. Minors need a signed parental authorisation. SSI courses (Open Water, Scuba Diver, Advanced Adventure) start from age 10; Stress and Rescue requires age 15 and an Open Water certification or equivalent.

Yes, if you cancel more than four days before the scheduled activity, you receive a full refund. Within four days of the date, 20% of the total price is retained. Gift vouchers not used within 12 months can be extended for one additional year for a fee of 35 €.

Yes, Nitrox is available year-round up to 40%, alongside standard air fills. The compressor station has eight 50-litre buffer tanks at 280 bar, filling cylinders to 230 bar. Base pricing for Nitrox is set for 12-litre cylinders; 15-litre cylinders are priced differently.

The centre is a partner of GRAMASA, an organisation focused on the historical study of the Atlantic Wall bunkers on the seabed around Arcachon. This partnership has led to a validated PADI specialty specifically covering these blockhaus dive sites — an unusual and locally specific certification not available elsewhere.