Scuba diving certification levels

In short

In scuba diving, a level (or certification) does not only measure what you can do: it sets how deep you may go and with whom. Each step takes you from diving with an instructor towards greater and greater autonomy. This guide presents the most common training paths in France (FFESSM / CMAS, ANMP, FSGT) and internationally (PADI, SSI), the paperwork you need and a few tips for choosing your next course.

Why it matters

Levels exist for your safety. They guarantee that you have learned, then demonstrated, the skills needed at a given depth: controlling your buoyancy, handling an out-of-air situation, ascending correctly. Diving beyond your level puts you in situations you were not trained for, usually with less margin (more pressure, less air, possible narcosis).

Your level is also used to organise the dive: the dive supervisor, who is responsible for the activity on site, puts together the dive teams (the groups of divers who stay together underwater) according to each diver's certification and experience.

Two key ideas: supervised or autonomous, and depth ranges

Supervised or autonomous diving

• Supervised diver (plongeur encadré, PE): you dive with a dive leader or an instructor, who chooses the route, monitors the dive and steps in if there is a problem.
• Autonomous diver (plongeur autonome, PA): you dive with other divers of the same level, without a guide, under the responsibility of the dive supervisor who stays at the surface. You manage depth, time and ascent yourselves.

Depth ranges

French regulations (the Code du sport, or French Sports Code) divide depth into ranges: 0–6 m, 0–12 m, 0–20 m, 0–40 m and 0–60 m. The 60 m limit applies to diving on air; deeper diving uses special gas mixes and requires specific training. Each certification gives you rights in one or more of these ranges, either supervised or autonomous.

This system is specific to France. In other countries, training agencies and local regulations set the limits, often expressed in feet or rounded metres (18 m, 30 m…).

The FFESSM / CMAS path, step by step

The French Federation for Underwater Studies and Sports (FFESSM) issues certifications recognised by the World Underwater Federation (CMAS): many cards carry both logos. The French national association of diving instructors (ANMP) and the French workers' sports federation (FSGT) offer courses built on the same regulatory levels. The rights below are indicative; check them in your organisation's training manual.

Step	What you may do (indicative)
Try dive (baptême)	First discovery, held by an instructor, usually in the first few metres (up to 6 m)
PE12	Supervised diving down to 12 m
Level 1 (N1, PE20)	Supervised diving down to 20 m
PA12 / PA20	Autonomous diving down to 12 m / 20 m, between adults
PE40	Supervised diving down to 40 m
Level 2 (N2)	PE40 + PA20: supervised to 40 m, autonomous to 20 m
Level 3 (N3)	Autonomous to 60 m, under the responsibility of a dive supervisor
Level 4 (N4, dive leader)	Leading a team of supervised divers; first leadership level

The try dive

It is a discovery, not a certification. An instructor takes care of you alone, often holds your BCD and handles the equipment for you. You discover breathing from a regulator, the feeling of weightlessness and ear equalization. No level is required.

Level 1

This is the first certification. You learn the basic skills: clearing your mask, recovering your regulator, equalizing your ears, controlling your buoyancy, communicating with hand signals, dealing with an out-of-air situation with your guide, ascending at a controlled rate. Training alternates between the pool and open water, with some simple theory (pressure, ears, behaviour). Afterwards you always dive with a guide.

Level 2

It opens your first autonomy (down to 20 m with other autonomous divers) and supervised diving down to 40 m. The theory goes deeper: decompression and the use of tables or a dive computer, accident prevention, air management. You learn to plan a dive and to assist a buddy.

Level 3

It gives autonomy down to 60 m, still under the responsibility of a dive supervisor on site. It requires solid experience, good control of the ascent and of assistance techniques and, at the FFESSM, first-aid training adapted to diving (RIFAP, see below).

Level 4 and instructors

The dive leader (N4, guide de palanquée) leads teams of supervised divers. Then come the teaching qualifications: initiateur (teaching in the first few metres and in the pool), federal instructor first degree (MF1) and second degree (MF2). The French Sports Code classifies them into leadership levels E1 to E4. Professional instructors also hold state diplomas (BPJEPS, DEJEPS…).

Equivalences with PADI, SSI and CMAS

International agencies such as the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI) build their courses differently: for example, an Open Water Diver dives with a buddy, without a guide, down to 18 m, whereas a French Level 1 diver dives supervised down to 20 m.

FFESSM / CMAS	PADI	SSI
Try dive	Discover Scuba Diving	Try Scuba
Level 1 / CMAS 1 star	Open Water Diver	Open Water Diver
Level 2 / CMAS 2 stars	Advanced Open Water Diver (+ experience)	Advanced Adventurer (+ experience)
Level 3 / CMAS 3 stars	Rescue Diver + Deep Diver (approximate)	Stress & Rescue + Deep Diving (approximate)
Level 4 / dive leader	Divemaster	Dive Guide / Divemaster

This table is an indicative equivalence, not an official one. Rights depend on the organisation and on the country's regulations. In France, the dive supervisor of the centre welcoming you decides, based on the French Sports Code, your card and your logbook. They may ask you to do an assessment dive.

Additional qualifications

Additional qualifications broaden your skills without changing your level:

• Nitrox: diving with a mix richer in oxygen than air (see the Nitrox guide).
• RIFAP (response and intervention in a diving accident): first aid adapted to diving, including oxygen administration. It is required at some levels and useful to everyone.
• Marine biology: recognising fauna and flora, understanding ecosystems.
• Night, wreck, drift, photo and video diving: specialties offered as courses or qualifications depending on the organisation.

Paperwork: medical certificate, licence, insurance, logbook

• Medical certificate: a certificate stating there is no medical contraindication to diving (CACI in France) is usually required to train and dive in a club. How often it must be renewed and which doctor may issue it (general practitioner, sports doctor, federal doctor) depend on the federation and on your situation: ask your club or check the federation's medical committee website.
• Licence: in a federation, it links you to a club and usually includes third-party liability insurance.
• Additional insurance: it covers your own costs (search, evacuation, hyperbaric chamber, repatriation). It is strongly recommended, especially abroad.
• Logbook: it records your dives (date, site, depth, time, conditions). It is the proof of your experience when you dive with a new centre.

Choosing your next course

• Build up experience before moving on: twenty or so varied dives after a first certification will make you more comfortable than courses taken back to back.
• Think about where and how you want to dive: in a club in France, on holiday, autonomously, for photography… The right path is not the same.
• Talk to your instructors: they know how comfortable you are and what you need to work on.
• Ask clubs and federations: content, duration, number of dives, cost and age requirements vary.

Key takeaways

• A level sets a maximum depth and a way of diving: supervised or autonomous.
• In France, depth is divided into ranges, from 0–6 m to 0–60 m.
• Equivalences between organisations are indicative: the dive supervisor decides.
• Medical certificate, licence, insurance and logbook are part of a diver's kit.
• Take time to build experience between two courses.

Further reading

The digital logbook in the app (sessions) keeps track of your depths and dive times, which is useful when you show your experience to a new club. The Clubs section helps you find a centre and follow its outings. The related guides cover safety, Nitrox and the different types of diving.