Tips for a good start to diving

Good health, good diving

Whatever your age, you should be in good health. If diving is forbidden to pregnant women, certain health conditions (asthma, heart problems, nerves...) require prior medical advice, even for a baptism.

It's my choice!

Do you really want to? Or do you jump into the water under pressure from your friends, husband, etc.?

No, diving does not hurt your ears!

When diving, you feel the effect of the water pressure especially on your eardrums. So, during the descent - frequently and even before any discomfort appears - you have to blow gently by pinching your nose to balance your ears. Easy, isn't it!?

Breathe in, breathe out...

Underwater, you must breathe normally, without ever trying to save your air. Besides, you carry a lot of it on your back!

At the bottom

Look around you, almost forgetting about the instructor, who manages your safety and guides your encounters with the friendly inhabitants of the "silent world". Take with you laminated leaflets presenting the fauna and flora of the spot...

Golden rules

Respect the delicate environment around you. Do not bring food for the fish, do not touch anything, and be careful where you put your fins! The safety of the sites and their occupants depends on you.

Warning: if you take your first certification during the holidays, remember to respect a 24-hour interval before taking a plane or going for a walk in the mountains, so as not to alter the desaturation process...

Snorkelling and freediving

We recommend snorkelling (exploration with fins, mask and snorkel only) with a diving centre that will accompany you to the best sites, while taking care of your safety.

Don't forget to wear a T-shirt and sun cream, and take your time to observe the underwater life, without travelling long distances.

From time to time, remove the snorkel from your mouth to ventilate yourself. Avoid repeated and unsupervised snorkelling and always rest between dives.

Children's diving

The initiation of children - generally from the age of eight - requires suitable equipment (small waistcoat, bottle tank, full-body suit) in an appropriate environment (warm water, spot without difficulty).

Only one dive per day is possible. Beyond the parents' motivation, it is the children's desire to dive that must come first. The FFESSM offers them specific training with three levels of divers (bronze, silver and gold).

At PADI, children pass their Bubbles maker...