Diving is all about discovering a fascinating and mysterious world. In this article, I share with you my journey, from my first dive in the Caribbean to my Level 1 certification on the Côte Bleue. I explain the sensations, the steps, the learning, but also the little challenges encountered along the way.
I’d been dreaming of diving for years. The underwater world had always seemed as fascinating as it was mysterious, a kind of parallel universe that I was dying to explore. Seeing with my own eyes what goes on underwater, in this unknown immensity – for some captivating, for others frightening – was an idea that obsessed me. In fact, it was this attraction to the deep blue that inspired Benoit and I to create our Immersion cuvée. But let’s be honest, I’m far from perfectly at ease in the water. I didn’t learn to swim until late in life, I can barely free dive more than three meters, and it took me a long time to master the correct use of a snorkel 😅.
Let’s face it, diving isn’t for everyone. If simply putting your head under water with a mask and snorkel makes you anxious, diving with all that heavy, uncomfortable equipment is likely to be a challenge. And breathing through a regulator? Let’s just say it’s not the most natural or pleasant thing in the world… Not to mention the notorious ear equalization, the nightmare of many beginners.
But enough of the technical stuff! This article is here to inspire you to dive, not to make you give up. So, let’s start again… 😊
My first dive was in the Caribbean in 2018, more specifically in Saint-Martin Island, at Rocher Créole. This spot is ideal for a first dive: shallow, accessible, and well protected, with a maximum depth of 6 meters. I still remember the experience, which literally left me speechless (after all, underwater, you can only communicate with your hands). Le Rocher Créole is a splendid spot, located on the north-western side of the island, on the French side. (For those who don’t know: Saint-Martin is an island split in two, with a French territory to the north and a Dutch territory to the south).
The marine fauna there is simply incredible. We came across a multitude of colorful fish: parrotfish, trunkfish and even a barracuda! It was like swimming in a life-size aquarium… only better.
In terms of underwater sensations, everything went smoothly. With regular decompressions, there was no ear pain to report. As for the rest – such as inflating and deflating the stabilizer vest or handling the tank – everything was taken care of by the instructor. During a first dive, each diver is accompanied individually by a professional. At first, you feel particularly reassured, as the instructor even holds your hand until you feel confident. In other words, there’s no reason to stress.
I was so amazed by this first dive that I wanted to share it with my friends and family. The problem was that no one around me had yet tried it. So it quickly became the perfect gift to give, and it allowed me to enjoy it too. 😊
The second dive was a gift I’d offered my best friend for her birthday. We dived in the middle of summer, in Cassis, in 2021. So, how exactly does a first dive work? You arrive at the diving club where you’ve made your appointment. You’ll be charged between €80 and €100 for a first dive. You’ll be asked to try on a stabilizer vest, which has to be the right size (this is a vest that inflates and deflates to manage buoyancy underwater, and where the tank is attached). You’ll be asked how much you weigh, so that you can provide enough weights (sometimes in the form of a belt, other times weights are to be attached to the vest).
Before arriving at the diving site, one of our instructors explains how to equalize your ears and teaches you the basic gestures needed to communicate underwater: “everything’s fine”👌, “I’m not feeling well”👋, “I want to go back up”👍. Once you’re in the water, you’re off for a 20-minute dive at a depth of between 0 and 6 meters. It all depends on how comfortable you are. If the instructor senses that you’re doing well and can manage to equalize your ears, he’ll take you down to 6 meters; if not, you stay a little higher, and that’s already great.
I can’t remember exactly which spot we went to, but I do remember that we dived close to a cliff. I have to say that diving in the Mediterranean isn’t quite the same experience as in the Caribbean. The colors aren’t as bright and the water is colder, but it was still a great dive. There’s that same feeling of calm, peace and well-being. In fact, I think that’s why I love diving: it’s a world of its own, silent and peaceful.
My third dive was in August 2023. It was a present for my little sister. She loves the sea and snorkeling. She’s a real fish, and can spend hours in the water, even when it’s cool… She’d been talking about diving for a while, so I decided to offer her the experience, and she loved it! It was a real eye-opener for her. So much that she decided to become a diving instructor. As for me, it was my worst diving experience for one simple reason: I had a cold and I couldn’t equalize my left ear, so it was impossible to descend more than two meters. It was a real nightmare… What’s more, I was cold and all I wanted to do was get out of the water! I wasn’t comfortable, we were going down a bit and then back up again. The instructor tried passing seawater up my nose (apparently, salt decongests and opens the nostrils, but it didn’t really work). So we got out earlier than planned. Anyway, at least my sister had fun and found her calling.
We did this dive with the Club subaquatique in Carry-le-Rouet, located near the port of Carry. First dives are available right next door. Once equipped, you enter the water via the slipway (for small boats) and dive near the port. I have to say, it’s not the most beautiful place for a first dive. I’d hoped we’d be taken by boat to a nice creek like on previous occasions, but at least the place has the advantage of being easy to access and close to the club.
Finally, even though it wasn’t the best diving experience, I knew I wanted to go further and take my Open Water certification so I could explore greater depths. Besides, I think that after three first dives, you already have a good idea of what diving is, and whether you like it or not.
For the next stage of my diving adventure, I started to research the various training courses and certifications available. In short, there’s the French FFESSM (Fédération Française d’Études et de Sports Sous-Marins) certification system and the international, or rather American, system, with three certifications: the best-known, PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), SSI (Scuba Schools International) and SDI (Scuba Diving International). But I’m not going to detail the differences between these schools here, as others have already done so well before me.
For my part, I’ve decided to take my first level: Open Water certification on the Côte Bleue, at the Aqua Évasion school, in July 2024. Initially, I had considered taking the PADI course. It’s the most widely recognized and accepted certification in the world, but also the most expensive, as it’s compulsory to buy a course or follow an e-learning module. You’ll need to spend around 600€ to take the first PADI level: Open Water, in a dive center. In the end, I chose the SDI Open Water certification, which cost around 400€.
I booked my course online on the Aqua Évasion website for the end of July 2024. It takes two full days, so I signed up for a session on Monday and Tuesday. It’s advisable to register at least one or two weeks in advance so you have time to read the 100-page textbook (by email). The theory covers the underwater environment, the physiology and physics of diving, equipment, and all the techniques and exercises required to complete the course. It’s a dense but highly accessible textbook. After reading it twice, I felt ready for the underwater training.
On the big day, we met up at the diving club in Gignac la Nerthe. Around ten of us were taking the Level 1 course. We were offered a welcome coffee and explained the two-day program, then fitted out with wetsuits, booties and fins. Excitement was building, and we were off to sea!
The first dive took place on the Petit Nid spot, a small beach within easy walking distance, ideal for beginners and first exercises. First we had a detailed explanation of the equipment (tank, stabilizing vest, regulator, etc.) and safety instructions. Then we were divided into small groups of four and started to get into the water.
The exercises were simple, performed at a depth of around 1.5 meters (we were on our knees), where we could easily get up if necessary. We practiced several exercises, including :
- Breathing into your buddy’s emergency regulator
- Emptying the mask (removing the mask underwater, putting it back on and blowing through the nose to empty it).
Once these exercises had been validated by the whole group, we continued with the second part of the dive, the exploration. Divided into pairs, we swam around the rocks, admiring the clear sand and the many fish. We performed a buoyancy exercise, controlling our depth underwater. We came across starfish and lobsters – a superb dive! We descended to a depth of 12 meters.
On the way back, my partner reached about 50 bars of air, the safety limit for getting out of the water. So I shared my air via the octopus (the emergency regulator) and we headed back to the beach.
After a group lunch by the water, we returned to the club for an afternoon of theory. In a classroom, we worked on the questions at the end of each chapter of the textbook. Although the theory was serious, the atmosphere was relaxed, and everyone participated actively. We finished this first day at around 6pm.
The next day, we met up at the diving club. After quickly collecting our equipment, we headed for the port of Carry-le-Rouet to take the boat. After a ten-minute navigation, we arrived at La Grande Mona. It’s a rocky outcrop about a hundred meters from the Calanque des Eaux Salées. Once again, we divided into groups of four, and of course, into pairs. I was reunited with my partner from the day before, a 16-year-old girl with a passion for diving. The first part of the dive began with a few exercises:
Pulling up your buddy who’s running out of air
We descended to a depth of around 4 meters. The instructor closed the tank of one of the buddies. As soon as the latter ran out of air, he had to signal to his buddy. The latter handed over his emergency regulator, held him by his lifejacket (because without air, the stabilizing vest could not be inflated), then brought him to the surface, while keeping an eye on the surrounding area to avoid any danger (such as boats). Each pair carried out the exercise in one way and then the other.
Inflate the safety sausage and return to the surface safely
A safety sausage is a device that inflates underwater to signal the presence of a diver who is lost or away from the boat. Each diver carried out this exercise individually. We descended to about 4 meters, then unrolled the device. The inflating part is open at the end to allow air to enter, and a wire is attached to a spool that unwinds as the parachute rises to the surface. We had to hold the spool in one hand, bring our octopus up to the opening of the device and press down to inject air, causing it to rise to the surface.
After these exercises, we continued with an exploration dive around the rock. We came across schools of fish, a few red starfish, an octopus, and a variety of other marine animals.
Back at the dive club, we took the exam with one of the instructors. It was an MCQ of around 50 questions, covering the entire syllabus of the SDI Open Water Diver textbook (around 100 pages). It was corrected immediately, so we knew our results straight away.
After the exam, we filled in our logbooks and completed our profiles on the SDI website to receive our cards and diplomas. And there I was, freshly certified and ready to dive with a buddy (who also has the same level) to a depth of 18-20 meters.
I really enjoyed my experience with this diving club. The instructors were really cool and so were the other participants. The setting is also really great. The club has several showers, an outdoor kitchen and a relaxation area with Jacuzzi and deckchairs where you can lounge around or review theory 😁 during free time. Many thanks to Xavier for the experience!
With my certification, a new adventure begins. I’m already planning to take Level 2 in Bali, on world-renowned sites for their beauty and biodiversity. If you’d like to know more about this experience, I’ll soon be publishing an article about it: Advanced Adventurer: Level 2 diving in Bali.
Every dive is a unique experience, and I can’t wait to continue exploring the wonders of the ocean. I now know that this passion for the underwater world is only growing.