Dive trip Nice
Stay, Diving holidays in France, in Nice
The sun, the Mediterranean sea, the landscapes of beautiful villas surrounded by pines, and the many rocky coves: Nice has a lot to offer. The port of Nice from which the Nice Diving and Abyss Underwater World Explorers dive boats depart is close to the old town. Stroll quietly through the lively streets lined with spice stalls, dandelions, socca pay, small stuffing vendors, zucchini flower fritters. Cross the famous flower market among the bakeries, vegetable, and fruit shops. The shaded terrace of a coffee shop awaits you at the exit of the boat to soak up this typical Niçoise atmosphere.
Not far from the port of Nice is Villefranche-sur-Mer, a small medieval town with undeniable charm and one of the most beautiful bays on the French Riviera. On the diving side, the underwater world of Nice and its surroundings are ideal for divers of all levels. Even if many drop-offs are steep and deep, suitable for experienced and tekkies divers, there are spots for beginners such as the spot of the Virgin immersed just a few minutes from Nice! Snorkeling trips by boat are also to be made along the shore. f you raise your head from the water, looking at the coast, you have before you another vision of the famous Riviera and its French culture...
Prepare your diving holidays in France
with the tourist office of Nice.
Marine species in the area
Dive sites
Accessible to all levels, some thirty sites in Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are less than 20 minutes by boat from the ports of these cities. The best time to dive in Nice is from April to October. The configuration of the coast allows the boat to always find a spot sheltered from the winds. The absence of a continental shelf and the presence of steep drop-offs allow the observation of pelagic fauna that should only be found offshore. It's possible to dive on shoals, drop-offs, and explore many wrecks. The Virgin, near the port of Nice, is a statue set on a large rock, the Seiche de Nice, 12 meters deep. It was sculpted by Alfred Galtieroti and submerged in 1968.
This dive can then be the occasion of a wedding underwater in front of this Virgin with whom some couples of divers have already pronounced their vows! The Rallye Plane wreck, in Villefranche Bay, is one of the most beautiful wrecks of the French Riviera. This small rally hit the surface of the water on July 20, 1983, near the drop-off at Pointe Pilone. It then flew over the coast with an advertising banner. Engine failure occurred. The pilot and co-pilot were rescued safely. The wreck, very fragile, lies at 47 m on a sandy bottom and does not stop being moved by the anchors of the boats which moor there during the summer destroying it gradually.
Many anchors dating from the XVIIIth century litter the bottoms of the bay of Villefranche which was a safe haven for ships calling in France. Nevertheless, when a gust of wind was forecast and the boats had to leave quickly, the anchors were so heavy that the sailors cut the anchorage to go faster. The anchors then remained at the bottom. On the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat side, the wooden wreck of a luxury yacht, the Shehérazade is a small attraction.
The Grotte à Corail allows exploration at 20 m depth. Accessible for all levels of divers. The ceiling is covered with small branches of red coral. It was most certainly inhabited in the Paleolithic because archaeological excavations made it possible to find objects of this time. At the end of the dive, pass over the cave where a string of bubbles escapes. In Villefranche, a sample of the Mediterranean fauna is visible on the sites of La Roche and La Grotte du Sémaphore, at Pointe de la Cuisse. The area is drained by currents. Groupers, barracudas, moonfish, sars, sea bream, rays, schools of anchovies, and Salema. Numerous nudibranchs.
Impossible not to mention the very popular Sec à Merlot, in 40m depth, whose bottom continues until 60m. Accessible to experienced divers because of the descent in full water, the depth, and the presence of current. It is considered to be the most beautiful dive in Nice. On the side of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, at Pointe Mala, a small drop off heading offshore with blue gorgonians where the eggs of spotted dogfish willingly hang. During a dive trip in Nice having a night dive to discover the Mediterranean anemone, Alicia Mirabilis is a must.
Others Activities
From Nice, you can visit Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, and Menton. In Beaulieu-sur-Mer, stop at Villa Kérylos overlooking the Mediterranean, which looks like a villa from ancient Greece in the 2nd century. There is a very beautiful view of the Villefranche harbor from the road, with cruise ships that often stop there. Schedule a visit to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a superb Renaissance palace located on the Cap Ferrat peninsula. Take a walk on the hill above Nice to see the remains of the fortified military castle. You can take very beautiful pictures of the bay, the city, the port, the sea, and the famous Promenade des Anglais. Take a short walk along the Cap Ferrat coastline. Many water activities are also available on the beaches of Nice.
Nice : Dive shops
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Abyss Underwater World Explorers Nice
France
- Nice

The Abyss Underwater World Explorers diving center has just opened its doors in Nice, rue Lascaris, close to the car park overlooking the embarkation platform to Corsica. Patrick Vanstraelen has more than 25,000 dives under his belt and has certified more than 4,000 divers! At Abyss Underwater World Explorers, you will discover recreational diving with first dives and benefit from small group courses.
Take an interest in specialties such as night diving and diving first aid. But the highlight of Patrick Vanstraelen's diving school is tek with courses in JJ-CCR Rebreather and trimix. Abyss Underwater World Explorers and its instructors have been teaching the world's most popular diving programs and meeting the standards of the top TDI, IANTD, and PADI certification agencies for almost 20 years.
Also participate with Abyss Underwater World Explorers in courses, expeditions, and trips around the world. Explore the underwater world on scooters. Abyss Underwater World Explorers is a school like no other that brings new blood to traditional diving in the Alpes Maritimes. You will also explore further and deeper the drop-offs of Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer to live unforgettable adventures. The school's specialty?
To reserve tek products go to https://divingaway.com/fr/centres-de-plongee-2384/abyss-underwater-world-explorers [+]
- Tek Center
- Welcome groups
- Between 20 and 30 dive sites
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Diving center nice - TEST
France
- Nice

The Diving center Nice is located in the port of Nice. Possibility to park on the boarding car park for Corsica, 3 min walk away. It was founded at the end of the 60s by a member of the Cousteau team. We come to the Diving center Nice in a good mood, and we dive there with all possible safety standards.
Embark on the René Madeleine, a comfortable 14 m long aluminum boat. Although it carries 38 divers, its open space on the bow allows you to gather after the dive to drink the glass of friendship! Aqualung rental equipment.
The impressive inflation station with the two compressors of 50 and 60 m3/hour allows quick rotations of the boat to get to the dive sites in high season.
The Diving center Nice welcomes children from 8 years old to introduce them to diving with Bronze, Silver, and Gold diving courses. The specialty here is training. People come from all over France to do training courses with the passage of Level 4. There are even schedules adapted for a night dive for those who work! [+]
- Friendly atmosphere
- Spacious premises
- Functional boat
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CIP Nice
France
- Nice
 
The diving school CIP Nice is located in the port of Nice, near the tramway terminal. You can park in the parking lot for the Corsica trip, 3 minutes away on foot. CIP Nice was founded in the late 1960s by a member of the Cousteau team. The CIP Nice is currently run by Richard Vial, PADI instructor and BES 2nd degree, and Christian Heitz, E4 trimix and rebreather instructor.
This diving center CIP Nice welcomes children from 8 years old to introduce them to diving by training Bronze, Silver, and Gold Divers. CIP Nice offers PADI and FFESSM courses, from the first dive to the Level 4. I If you work, you can even benefit from adapted schedules for night and twilight dives! The CIP Nice also offers tek training (trimix and rebreather).
Embark on the comfortable 14 m long steel boat of the CIP Nice, the René Madeleine, approved by the merchant navy. Although it can carry 38 divers, its open space on the bow allows you to gather after the dive for a friendly drink! Aqualung rental equipment is available since the CIP Nice is a partner center and also rents underwater scooters.
The imposing inflation station with two compressors of 50 and 60 m3/hour allows several trips per day from the CIP Nice boat to the dive sites, in high season. A good mood is the order of the day at the CIP and the safety standards are strictly respected. The proximity of the hyperbaric chamber of the Pasteur Hospital, at about 10 minutes of travel, is also a guarantee of safety for the divers. [+]
- Functional boat
- Classrooms
- Near Downtown area
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NTR Dive
France
- Cavalaire

NTR DIVE, directed by Raphaël Rousselle, is a diving school specialized in Nitrox, Trimix, Rebreather diving.
It is a concept of itinerant Tek diving school, that is to say that you can choose the places of your explorations and your trainings among the list of the partner centers: CIP Nice, Subvision in Golfe Juan, CIP Fréjus, Club Sous L'eau in Saint-Raphaël, Easy Dive in Cannes and Juan les Pins, la Rague plongée in Mandelieu la Napoule, H20 Sainte-Maxime, Tiki Dive in Cavalaire, Eau Bleue in Cavalaire, Be Free to dive in Villeneuve Loubet, le Gîte de plongée du Gapeau, Saint P'hyères Plongée in. .. Hyères.
NTR DIVE offers you a tailor-made service of training and exploration dedicated to Tek, Nitrox and Trimix diving, in open circuit and rebreather.
The services also include the sale, rental, and maintenance of top-of-the-range equipment.
This school offers you its training courses with certifications from the different organizations IANTD and FFESSM/CMAS. Raphy is an approved technician of the biggest brands of teak equipment and shares his expertise with you as an official dealer of rEvo and AP diving rebreathers. [+]
- Tek training abroad
- Lake diving
- Tek travel
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Nice Diving
France
- Nice

Nice Diving is located in the Port of Nice, along the quays, 50 meters from the dive boat. Nice Diving is open all year round, from March to December and by reservation during the other winter months. The Nice Diving school offers FFESSM and PADI training courses, from the first dive to the divemaster.
Would you like to explore the underwater world? The boat leaves from the port of Nice at 9.30 am and 2.30 pm. Meet on site 30 minutes before the time to cast off. Sunset dive trips are also organised with BBQs on the boat. Nice Diving is a good plan to welcome individual divers as well as groups who wish to explore about thirty sites including caves, drop offs, dry sites, from Nice to Monaco, via Villefranche-sur-mer.
Nice Diving, leader in recreational diving, has just joined forces with Patrick Vanstraelen, owner of Abyss Underwater World Explorers, an expert in tek diving.
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- Near the old town
- Easy to access
- Functional boat
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