Côte d'Azur · France · Wall · Reef
La Petite Françoise
A 9 to 42 m wall and a 0 to 15 m beginner section
Area photo: Tangopaso · Public domain
Thirty minutes out, this is really two dives on one site. A mooring buoy marks the wall, which runs from 9 m down to 42; the second part, along the Tradelière islet, stays between the surface and 15 m and is where beginners go. Large grouper are what the wall is known for, with rockfish, moray eels and lobster in the rock alongside them.
Where it is and how deep
43.5165° N, 7.0747° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
A thirty-minute boat ride gets you there, and the first decision is which half of the site you are diving. The wall is marked by a mooring buoy and runs from 9 m at the top to 42 m at the foot. The second part lies along the Tradelière islet, sits between the surface and 15 m, and is the half the operator flags as ideal for beginners.
On the wall, large grouper are the sighting the site is known for, with rockfish on the ledges, moray eels back in the holes and lobster underneath them. Posidonia covers a lot of the ground and the flora on the rock is described as very colourful. The Tradelière half stays between the surface and 15 m, which is shallow enough to make a long, unhurried dive of it.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Côte d'Azur: Water runs about 13°C in February and 25°C in August, and diving carries on year-round; the Théoule park's shore trail opens only from mid-June to mid-September.
Questions divers ask
How deep is La Petite Françoise?+
The site has two parts. The wall, marked by a mooring buoy, runs from 9 m to 42 m; the section along the Tradelière islet stays between the surface and 15 m and is the one used for beginners.
Sources
- La Petite Françoise - Dive Site — SSI/Scubago
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