Mio Palmo plongée

Located in the heart of the Var department, Mio Palmo Plongée has been a fixture of the local diving community since 1999. The centre operates across three strategic locations—Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Hyères, and Cogolin—ensuring easy access to the most diverse marine environments in the region.

As a PADI 5 Star Career Development Center, the operation is specifically geared towards both recreational excellence and professional progression. Whether you are looking to explore the deep wrecks of the Mediterranean or advance your career through the PADI Instructor Development Course, the infrastructure is designed to support serious diving.

The team is led by highly qualified professionals, including Course Director Jean Pomaret, Assistant Instructor Alexandra Pomaret, and Hubert Flavigny, who manages the Hyères centre as an Open Water Scuba Instructor.

With a dedicated staff of three instructors, the centre maintains a strict ratio of one guide for every four divers. This ensures safe, attentive supervision during both technical explorations and introductory sessions. The team is primarily French-speaking and deeply committed to environmental conservation and the protection of local marine habitats.

The centre offers a comprehensive range of PADI courses, spanning from the initial Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver levels through to Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver.

For those looking to specialise, there are dedicated programmes for Nitrox, Deep Diver, Wreck Diver, and Underwater Photography. The centre also provides technical and professional training, including Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, Open Water Scuba Instructor, and the full Instructor Development Course (IDC).

Specialised skills training is also available, such as Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Orientation, and Dry Suit diving. Safety-focused courses like EFR and Oxygen Provider are also part of the curriculum.

The centre operates four boats to facilitate excursions, including fast aluminium vessels and semi-rigid RIBs. These boats are capable of carrying up to 20 divers per trip, providing efficient transit to the offshore sites of Cap Camarat and the islands.

For those on full-day trips, the centre provides snacks and meals for VIP two-tank dive bookings. Nitrox is available on board to support extended bottom times during your explorations.

The shore-based facilities include a modern filling station equipped with a high-performance Nitrox compressor at the Cavalaire-sur-Mer location. This allows for efficient gas blending and easy access to enriched air for recreational and technical diving.

Full kit hire is available for divers who do not wish to carry their own equipment, including wetsuits, fins, and masks. For night dives or specific needs, regulators and oxygen pony bottles can also be provided.

The Mediterranean reefs around the Var are defined by their vibrant gorgonians and sponges. You will frequently encounter stunning displays of red and yellow sea fans (Gorgoniidae) and various purple sponges covering the rocky walls and wrecks.

In the seagrass meadows and sandy bottoms, look for a variety of smaller inhabitants including moray eels (Muraenidae), conger eels (Congridae), and various species of wrasse (Labridae). Scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae) often remain well-hidden among the rocks, while damselfish (Chromis chromis) can be seen darting through the water column.

The larger fish populations are impressive, with dentex, bogue (Boops boops), and sea bream (Sparidae) patrolling the reefs. You may also spot much larger predators such as great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) near the wrecks and deep ledges.

Macro life and crustaceans add further interest to the dives, with sightings of lobsters (Homaridae), various species of anemones, and many types of invertebrates inhabiting the crevices of the rocks and shipwrecks.

Diving conditions in the region vary significantly depending on the specific site. While many sites like the Calanques are protected from the wind, other locations can experience strong currents, particularly around the major wreck sites like Le Donator or Le Grec.

Swell and waves can occasionally affect visibility and accessibility at exposed sites such as Le Prophète or the Ramon Meumbru. However, many of the reefs around Cap Lardier and the islands remain relatively sheltered.