Saphir Plongée

Saphir Plongée is a PADI dive centre operating across Toulon and St Mandrier on the French Riviera. Rather than running a classic physical shop, it partners with diving centres around Hyères — an aware spirit that means fewer boats in navigation, less waste and less pollution. Every new diver gets personalised, one-to-one follow-up from the first theory lesson through to time in the water.

Courses and dive sites

You can start from home with PADI eLearning, then complete the practical part on the Riviera so your vacation time is spent diving. The centre offers a full course range, including PADI Deep Diver, Enriched Air Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Navigator, Dry Suit Diver, Wreck Diver and Search and Recovery Diver, with Open Water dives in the natural environment.

Local sites take in Grec (Sagona), Donator (Prosper Schiaffino), Pointe de la croix, Pointe du vaisseau, Tombant de la Gabinière, Sec de la Gabinière and Pointe de Montrémian. With instruction in French, English and Italian, it suits divers who want flexible, personalised training. Courses from USD 369.