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New Committee

Submitted by paharwoo on

We wish to announce that a new committee has been formed for the 2019/20 season, the roles are as follow:

Paul Harwood - President, Material & Compressors
Remi Zaidan - Vice President
Mark Hatch - Secretary
Tony Fowler - Treasurer
Mike Hourican - Gonflage, Communication
Carlos Oliviera - Assistant Secretary

We also wish to thank the committee members who stepped down this year for all of their hard work over their tenure.

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The best way to observe a fish is to become a fish.
- Jacques-Yves Cousteau

 

Welcome on the public page of the CERN Subaquatic Club

Click HERE to find out more about the Club!

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Announcements

New Committee

Submitted by paharwoo on

We wish to announce that a new committee has been formed for the 2019/20 season, the roles are as follow:

Paul Harwood - President, Material & Compressors
Remi Zaidan - Vice President
Mark Hatch - Secretary
Tony Fowler - Treasurer
Mike Hourican - Gonflage, Communication
Carlos Oliviera - Assistant Secretary

We also wish to thank the committee members who stepped down this year for all of their hard work over their tenure.

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News

Activities

The Club

Dive Sites

Schools and Training

Price List

Join Us!

Price List 2019

Inscriptions

 

 Price in €
Entrance fee for new members   50
Entrance fee for member's children < 18 years   free
     
Yearly subscription   85
Yearly subscription for members < 18 years    56
FFESSM licence   40
FFESSM licence for members < 16 years    25
     
Swimming pool pass   75
Swimming pool pass for members < 20 years   38

 

Schools and Training

 

 Price in €
N1 school   245
N2 school   280
N3 school   330
     
Nitrox   50
Advanced Nitrox   95
     
RIFAP   25
RIFAP for non-club members   35
     
Crossover: Padi OWD → CMAS N1   50
Crossover: Padi AWD → CMAS N2   80

Contact Us

If you want to contact us, the preferred way would be by email: Club.Subaquatique@cern.ch

Please check the FAQ section before you send a question. It might already be answered there.

Getting There

The CERN Scuba Club is located at the barracks next to the CERN Meyrin Site. To be more precise, it is located in the first Barrack (Building 564) using the middle entrance. There are a limited amount of free parking spots available which do not need a CERN access card.

For getting to the barracks, please have a look at the official CERN Webpage on how to get to the Meyrin Site: https://home.cern/directions

Or directly for the navigation system:

Route de Meyrin 375
1217 Meyrin
Switzerland

 

 

 

 

Join Us!

You can subscribe to the club at any time. Usually, we open in November the subscription for the next year. 

We welcome both, CERN and non-CERN members.

To become a member, please visit our member site!

Note: As required by the FFESSM, to be able to become a Club member you need each year a new medical certificate from the doctor, stating that there are no health issues in regard to scuba diving.

Membership and training fees are available HERE.

Start Your Diving Adventure With Us

The N1 schools starts in October, shortly after the bapteme (trial sessions) at the pool. The bapteme will give you a first-hand experience of scuba diving, accompanied by experienced instructors. With this experience you can join the club and start your first diving training. 

Of course you can always also join without having done a bapteme. It is just an option for you to try-out and get a better idea if you will enjoy diving.

Please note: The club will provide to you a regulator, tank and BCD. But aside from the course fees, you will  need to do a one-time investment and buy a mask, snorkel and fins for the swimming pool. Later for the lake you need to complete your equipment with: a diving suit, (socks), shoes, fins, gloves, weight belt and weights.

Join us as Fellow Diver

As a club we are following rules and regulations of CMAS France and your CMAS licence issued in any other country is fully recognised, but limited to the French rules. For clarification see the table below.

  With Dive Instructor With DP on site Without DP
N1 - CMAS* 20 m -  -
N2 - CMAS ** 40 m 20 m -
N3 - CMAS*** (and higher) 60 m 60 m 40 m

We welcome PADI and SSI divers who can dive together with us following rules of CMAS, specifically depth limits. Based on your PADI / SSI licence you can obtain (but don't have to) a CMAS licence. See more details: HERE 

General Information

All training offered by the club are recognized and approved by the FFESSM. The FFESSM is part of the international CMAS organization. This means your diving licence is recognized worldwide. 

For more details about CMAS and its certification see http://www.cmas.org/ and for all the FFESSM certifications see https://plongee.ffessm.fr/mft.

Niveau 1 (N1)

The CMAS 1* Star is the first level of your diving career. You learn the first steps of scuba diving and most importantly, how to enjoy it while keeping yourself and your dive buddies safe.

The course starts each year around October. It is held indoors and starts with lessons on correct swimming techniques before moving on to use of the equipment and some key safety and competence exercises. Theory courses are also included and a simple exam. The only equipment required for the pool part of the course is a mask, snorkel and fins. Once each student is ready and they have the necessary equipment (Wetsuit, gloves, boots, fins) they may progress to diving in the lake. For this we have very dedicated dive instructors. They will teach you everything necessary to keep yourself safe while you enjoy the underwater world. The N1 school ends with a traditional outing to south of France to do the last few dives in the Mediterranean Sea to achieve your first scuba diving level.

If you are curious but unsure if diving is the right thing for you: in October, before the N1 school starts we organize free trial sessions in the swimming pool in Varembe, Geneva. Feel free to contact us around this time.

With this licence you are allowed to go down to 20 m with an experienced N4 diver or a dive instructor.

For more details, see the official FFESSM document (in French): HERE.

Niveau 2 (N2)

The CMAS 2** Star is the next major step. You will learn how to navigate underwater and deepen your knowledge about safety and rescue.

With this licence and the authorisation of the directeur de plongée (on-site dive guide) you are allowed to dive autonomously with another level 2 diver down to 20 m and as deep as 40 m when accompanied by a N4 diver or a dive instructor.

The N2 training is usually organised every year.  It depends on the number of new N1 divers and availability of instructors. The theory course is followed by training dives in Lac Leman. For more details, see the official FFESSM document (in French): HERE.

Niveau 3 (N3)

With the CMAS 3*** licence you become a fully autonomous diver. Your prerogatives are: 60 m with other N3 and authorisation of the directeur de plongée (on-site dive guide), or 40 m with another N3 - autonomously, no director de plongee required.

From time to time, thanks to our most experienced instructors, the N3 training takes place. The intensive theory course is followed by dives in our nearby lakes. Underwater navigation, safety and security, organisation of a dive and more - are all part of the training. Please note, that the RIFAP course is required to finalise the N3 licence. For more details, see the official FFESSM document (in French): HERE.

Niveau 4 (N4)

Although this level cannot be obtained within the club, and takes a lot of work and training to achieve, we do recommend our best divers carry on and go for this. It is our N4 divers who allow all of the training listed above to be possible. As an N4 you are an instructor / dive guide and will hopefully participate in the training of others.

Initiateur E1 and Monitor E2

These qualifications allow you to teach other students. It requires attendance at our pool sessions diving alongside experienced instructors, and 1 or 2 days of theory course, followed at the end by a practical and theory exam. In fact these two qualifications are the same thing, the designation depends on your base qualification. If you are an N2 you gain the N2E1 Initiateur which allows you to teach N1 students up to a depth of 6m. If you are an N4 you gain the N4E2 Monitor which allows you to train N2/N3 students up to 20m. Again the club strongly encourages members taking these levels, new instructors are the lifeblood of the club.

Basic Nitrox and Advanced Nitrox

Nitrox is the common name of a gas mixture used for diving. It is “with oxygen enriched air”, so that more than 21 % of the mixture is oxygen in exchange for a reduction of nitrogen. Diving with Nitrox lowers fatigue, increases safety and minimises decompression times in case of prolonged dives. However, it also limits the maximum depth of a dive.

With the CMAS Basic Nitrox certification you are allowed to dive with a mixture of up to 40 % oxygen. And with the CMAS Advanced Nitrox you are allowed to make use of “pony” tanks with mixtures higher than 40 % oxygen.

Depending on the availability of our instructors and the demand, both courses are offered.

Other Training

Biology Niveau 1

The course of underwater biology brings insight into taxonomy of species, variety of underwater life, ecology. You can take part in theory classes only or a complete course which is finalised by a dedicated diving outing to the south of france.

First Aid for Divers (RIFAP)

Réactions et Interventions Face à un Accident de Plongée is a safety training, on how to react and intervene in case of scuba diving accident. The training is essential in order to obtain the N3 licence and consists of theory session with practical exercises including CPR, emergency procedures and use of medical oxygen. The course is organised on yearly basis.

You can find more details in this FFESSM document: HERE 

Outings

Our usual diving season starts in March and ends late December with diving outings taking place almost every weekend. We dive in nearby lakes, especially Lac Léman, from shore or from the boat (see more in our Dive Sites section).

The outings are accompanied by experienced club members and organised according to safety and security rules of the club and FFESSM.

Furthermore, there are normally at least two sea outings organized each year. The first to mark the end of the N1 school is held usually in May and allow the students to enjoy and celebrate. The second outing marks the end of the N2 school usually in September and caters for those students. These outings are typically in the south of France, Spain or Italy and include diving, accommodation and transport by bus.

As it is always nicer to dive together, we are in the lucky position that dedicated members offer to organize outings all over the world and making it open for others to join. Every year some of our motivated members of our club organise outings to exciting dive spots like Red Sea, Sicile, Croatia or Malta. Taking part in these outing is always an adventure full of great moments underwater, active social life and beautiful memories. 

Swimming Pool

The Varembe swimming pool is the place where we organise introductory training (N1 / CMAS 1*) from September to March as well as practice swimming or apnee. These sessions are in specific ‘club hours’ after 20h00 and open for all club members. There is the option of having a yearly pool subscription or an occasional entry ticket. Having access to the pool with a depth of 5 meters you can  try-out your new diving gear: regulators, fins, mask or a suit. 

Visit the official site of the pool at http://www.ville-geneve.ch/plan-ville/sports/piscine-varembe

Other Social Events

Besides the dive activities we meet for BBQs, traditional Spanish Paella, Raclette dinners or even snowshoe hikes.

Here is a small list of dive sites in the area

Hermance

Hermance is our most frequented dive site here in the area. It is a small village on Lac Leman, about 45 min from CERN with a small beach area open to divers (and swimmers). There are bathrooms, showers, a changing room and tables to comfortably putting on your scuba diving gear. 

Hermance is well known for having several small wrecks and  other objects placed especially for divers. Entering from the beach you easily will find the wreck at 12 m with some porcelain dolphins arranged inside. It is THE point of orientation in Hermance. A selection of other objects which can be found: pedalo, bicycles, passerelle for pedestrians, traffic signs and christmas trees.

hermance crayfish
Small Medium Large Original
hermance dolphins
Small Medium Large Original
hermance wreck
Small Medium Large Original

Touges / Port Chens

Touges is also located on Lac Leman just across the border in France close to Hermance. The site has easy parking and a barbecue area, there is a platform at 20m which makes further navigation and excercises easier. Its also famous for an airplane wreck - if you are lucky to find it. The navigation here is not easy but worth the effort.

Lac du Bourget

Lac du Bourget also locally known as Lac Gris or Lac d'Aix, is famous for its depth - 145 m at the deepest point which makes it the deepest lake in France. The lake is surrounded by mountains with sheer rock walls going deep below 60 m directly from the coast. Diving here usually involves a boat and a whole day spend with fellow divers, a picnique and a lot of satisfaction from depths down to 60m or more.

The Club

Our club CERN Subaquatic Club / Club Subaquatique du CERN is an official CERN club, and is open to everyone - to members of the organisation and to the general public. We are affiliated to the French federation of underwater sports FFESSM, (Club number: 14010148). The FFESSM gives qualifications according to the CMAS system which are recognised around the world.

We are united by our passion for scuba diving. Exploring together the marvels of the underwater life in the lakes nearby and the seas far away. We provide schools for members to advance in qualification, conduct lectures in our own classroom, train in the swimming pool in Geneva and also organise various social activities. 

Our club is run by volunteers who organize diving outings, training and loan of essential equipment. You can borrow: regulators, buoyancy jackets, cylinders and various other items. The tanks can be filled with Air, Nitrox or Trimix - depending on the dive and your diving qualifications. 

If you are interested in joining - either to learn how to dive or as a certified diver (CMAS, PADI, SSI,..), feel free to contact us. If you need more information please check the FAQ or contact us at: Club.Subaquatique@cern.ch.

We are officially French and English speaking, but have members of many nationalities and can thus accommodate many other languages if needed.

FFESSM - The French Diving Association

The club is officially affiliated with FFESSM (no. of affiliation 14010148). The FFESSM, Fédération Française d'Études et de Sports Sous-Marins, supports a variety of water-related sports, from scuba diving to apnée. 

For more information concerning the FFESSM please refer to https://ffessm.fr/, and https://ffessm.fr/plongee_en_bouteille.asp specifically

Being a CERN Club

CERN is an international organisation devoted to expand mankind’s knowledge about the universe and its most fundamental building blocks - atoms and particles. See more at https://home.cern/

We are part of CERN Staff Association official clubs, visit http://staff-association.web.cern.ch/clubs to see other clubs.

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