Scuba diving locations in la Réunion:

The west and south coasts of the island have the best diving in general, having a large, discontinuous coral reef in these areas.

When to scuba dive in la Réunion:

The water temperature ranges from 27°C between January and March to 22°C from July to September, but there is a risk of cyclones from November to April. Between July and October, whale sharks and whales visit the waters around the island.

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in la Réunion:

• Cap Lahoussaye, reached via boat from La Pointe des Galets harbour or via the shore, has a cave located at the bottom of the cliffs and can provide an enjoyable night dive.
• Haï Sang is a 49 meter long wreck lyng on a sandy sea floor.
• La Grotte à Nono consists of a large rock face with a large cave at 40 metres.
• Le Sec Jaune consists of a reef which descends from a depth of 5 metres to 10 metres with a drop off to a depth of 20 metres.
• Maison Verte is a slope that leads down to a coral garden with excellent fish life at a depth of 25 metres.

The best spots to snorkel in la Réunion:

Fun scuba facts:

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: Euro (EUR)
• Population: is about 800,000 (2009)
• Time Zone: RET (GMT+4)
• Main languages spoken: French, Creole ## Diveable overseas territories: France

la Réunion diving federations:

le Fédération Française d'Etudes et de Sports Sous-Marins (FFESSM), which is a member of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS)

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):

PADI and some of the other well-known diving certifications are not directly recognized by French diving legislation. Roughly speaking, the entry level qualification in the FFESSM system, Niveau 1 (N1), is equivalent to PADI Open Water (OW), with Niveau 2 (N2), the second level, loosely equating to PADI Advanced Open Water (AOW), although the FFESSM levels tend to have stricter requirements and so further certification or evidence of relevant experience, such as a logbook, may be required to get some diving centres ("centres de plongée") to recognize your qualifications.