Hôtel Gabriel
★★★
★ 9.5/10 (2,585 reviews)
1.2 km away as the crow flies
Dive centre · Menton · France
4.4129 Google reviewsPalmes Beach Menton
Explore the wrecks and red gorgonian reefs of the French Riviera aboard the 12-metre vedette Le YOYO.
What sets this centre apart
- Open 365 days a year for year-round diving
- Over 50 years of diving experience in the region
- 5-star certified diving school
- Technical training including Trimix and Rebreather
- Specialised HSA programme for adaptive diving
- On-site regulator servicing workshop
- Access to over 30 sites in France, Italy, and Monaco
- Multilingual instruction in French, English, and Italian
For subtitles in English: start the video firstthen click the gearat the top right of the video, select “Subtitles/CC”, then “Auto-translate” and choose “English”.
Palmes Beach Menton about the centre
Palmes Beach Menton has been a fixture of the local diving community since 1972. Originally founded as La Maïna, the centre has evolved over five decades into a highly professional 5-star establishment located at the Quai Nord in the Port de Garavan.
The centre serves as a gateway to the diverse underwater landscapes of the Côte d'Azur, offering explorations across more than 30 sites throughout France, Italy, and Monaco. Whether you are looking for shallow seagrass meadows or deep technical wreck dives, the location provides easy access to the best the region has to offer.
The club and its team
The centre is managed by a multilingual Franco-Italian team consisting of Olivier Faure, Paolo Marocco, and Roberto Braida. The staff is qualified across a wide spectrum of disciplines, including FFESSM, SSI, CMAS, PADI, TDI, and IANTD certifications.
Instructional expertise is a core strength here, with qualifications ranging from DEJEPS and Divemaster to specialist technical instructors in rebreather, Trimix, and Extended Range Nitrox. The team also provides specialised support for adaptive diving through the HSA (Handicapped Scuba Association) programme.
Beyond training, the centre maintains a dedicated dive shop and a specialised workshop for regulator servicing. They also offer high-end regulator sets for loan while your own equipment is being serviced in the workshop.
The centre at a glance
- Affiliation
- FFESSM · SSI · CMAS · PADI · TDI · IANTD
- Certification level
- 5 étoiles
- Operating since
- 1972
- Languages spoken
- French · English · Italian
- Website available in
- English
- Management
- French
- Boats
- 1 · vedette 12m · 30 plongeurs
- Instructors and guides
- 3
- Equipment rental
- complet
- Nitrox
- Yes
- Rebreather
- Yes
- Trimix
- Yes
- Access and transfers
- Quai Nord, Port de Garavan, 06500 MENTON
- Accommodation
- The centre offers Dive & Hotels packages and can arrange accommodation for groups.
- Phone
- +33 6 95 72 29 46
- Address
- 43 Nouveau Port de Garavan, 06500 Menton, France
- Official website
- palmesbeachmenton.fr ↗
Courses on offer
Palmes Beach is a comprehensive training school offering everything from initial Discover Scuba Diving baptêmes to advanced professional certifications. They provide a full suite of entry-level courses including Open Water Diver and Advance Open Water Course.
For those looking to extend their limits, the centre specialises in technical training. This includes Extended Range Nitrox, Wreck diving, Deep Air, and both Normoxic and Hypoxic OC/CC Trimix training. They also offer Rebreather courses and Free Diving instruction.
The boats
The centre operates Le YOYO, a 12-metre vedette capable of carrying up to 30 divers. This vessel provides the necessary platform for exploring the various reefs and wrecks around Menton and the neighbouring borders of Italy and Monaco. Nitrox is available for use on board.
Equipment and gases
The shore-based facilities include a full dive shop and a specialised technical workshop for equipment maintenance and regulator servicing. For divers travelling with their own kit, the centre provides full equipment hire, including wetsuits, masks, fins, and regulators.
Technical divers will find the necessary gas blending capabilities on-site, with support for Nitrox and Trimix requirements.
Dive sites with Palmes Beach Menton
Le Heinkel is a significant wreck dive for advanced divers, featuring a German WWII bomber resting at depths starting from 60 metres. It offers a serious exploration for those comfortable with deeper, technical environments.
Helicopter is a beautiful reef dive starting at 30 metres. After a descent into the blue, you can follow a rock tongue that is densely populated with red gorgonians.
Gorgones is a shallower site located 200 metres east of Cap Martin. Anchored on a Posidonia plateau at 12 metres, it requires only a few fin kicks to the east to explore the area.
Grimaldi 01 is a plateau and sink site starting at 17 metres. The dive begins north of a large sink, allowing you to swim over the plateau.
And some of the dive sites the centre runs.
Le HeinkelHelicopterGorgonesGrimaldi 01
A question about this dive centre?
Hello, I'm Marina, DivingDeal.com's AI assistant. I answer in detail about hotels, dive centres and liveaboards.
Thinking about the whole trip and the flights? Talk it over with Edith →
Marina is an AI. Some links are affiliate links: DivingDeal may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Bookings are made with the partner.
