Plongee Passion Carry

What Plongee Passion Carry does

Plongée Passion Carry is a family-owned scuba diving center founded in 1994 by Patrick Michel and operating as a SARL with €5,100 share capital from a single headquarters at 12 Bd Lieutenant Jean Valensi in Carry-le-Rouet, on the Côte Bleue west of Marseille, France. The center is staffed by 4–5 personnel including Patrick Michel (Founder, BEES 2, PADI Instructor with 37 years of diving experience), Marlène Michel (Director, DEJEPS E4, IANTD Trimix Instructor, SSI Instructor), Alice, and Christophe "Chouchou" (BEES 1, Sport Santé). The business is agréée by FFESSM (Structure Commerciale Agréée), ANMP, PADI, and SSI, and is a SCUBAPRO Educational Association (SEA) center; it additionally hosts DE (Diplôme d'État) pedagogical placements from Creps Montpellier and Antibes.

The center's product portfolio spans the full FFESSM/CMAS certification ladder (children's programs from age 6, baptisms, Niveau 1 through Niveau 4 Guide de Palanquée), supplemented by PADI and SSI dual certifications, technical gas-mix training (Nitrox PN/PN-C, Trimix PTH-40/70), and specialty courses (dry suit, RIFAP, Initiator; Side Mount currently suspended). It operates guided exploration dives across three depth zones (0–20m, 20–40m, deep/wreck sites) covering 20+ named sites including 12+ identified wrecks such as Le Chaouen, Le Liban, and Le Saint Dominique. The physical asset base consists of two modern semi-rigid boats (Le Jolly Roger 8.50m and Hades 7.50m with 2x150cv Yamaha, renewed every two seasons), a SCUBAPRO equipment fleet renewed annually with included weights/masks/fins/gloves, an on-site air/Nitrox/Trimix filling station, retail boutique, and a 40m² changing room supporting a per-session capacity of 36 divers across the two boats.

The revenue model is direct-to-consumer service delivery with pricing per person per dive (€37 autonomous, €42 guided), per certification course (€560–€1,700 depending on level), per-fill gas charges (€7 Nitrox add-on or €13 standalone; prepaid cards in 10/20/50/100 bundles), and ancillary equipment rental (€7/BCD or regulator, €20/full kit). Bookings are accepted walk-in, by phone/email, or online with a 30% deposit; payment methods include cash, check, vacation vouchers, bank card via PayPal, and bank transfer. Customer acquisition relies on Tripadvisor reputation, word-of-mouth (the company explicitly states "Notre publicité, c'est VOUS!"), social media (Facebook, YouTube), and referral traffic from FFESSM/PADI/SSI/ANMP agency networks. Geographic reach is regional (Côte Bleue, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), and the business is seasonal with daily operations April–November and a reduced winter schedule.

Name

Plongee Passion Carry

Legal name

SARL Plongée Passion Carry

Website

https://plongee-passion-carry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Plongée Passion Carry is a family-owned scuba diving center in Carry-le-Rouet, France (Côte Bleue), founded in 1994, offering FFESSM/PADI/SSI certifications, guided exploration dives, technical training, and equipment rental across 20+ Mediterranean sites using two boats with 36-diver capacity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Diving Services

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Scuba Diving & Freediving Centers (Training, Guided Dives) (THAAAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA), Diving Experiences (Scuba Dives, Dive Trips, PADI/SSI Courses) (THAJAJAD), Dive & Snorkel Guides / Dive Masters (Boat-Based & Shore-Based) (THAAALAC)

Keywords

• Scuba diving services
• Diving certification courses
• Guided dive excursions
• Diving equipment rental
• Technical diving training

Headquarters

HQ city

Carry-le-Rouet

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Diving excursions and training courses: Primary revenue from individual and group diving excursions, certifications, and specialty courses. Pricing is per-person, per-dive, or as all-inclusive course packages. Air fills are included with dive prices; Nitrox fills charged separately. Equipment rental and merchandise are ancillary revenue streams.
2. Equipment rental and retail: Equipment hire (wetsuits, regulators, BCDs, cameras) charged per dive or as 10-dive packages. The center operates a retail shop and online shop redirect.
3. Gas filling services: Air and Nitrox cylinder filling services sold per fill or via prepaid cards (10/20/50/100 fill bundles) at discounted rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Plongée Passion Carry operates a scuba diving center at a single location in Carry-le-Rouet, France, delivering guided recreational and technical dive excursions, full-spectrum diving certifications (FFESSM/CMAS, PADI, SSI, ANMP) from beginner baptisms through professional Niveau 4, equipment rental and retail, and air/Nitrox/Trimix gas filling services. The center combines two semi-rigid boats, a seasonally renewed SCUBAPRO equipment fleet, and certified instructors to deliver both instruction and offshore Mediterranean dive experiences to individual divers, families, groups, and professional trainees.

Product overview

Plongee Passion Carry operates as a unified scuba diving service center offering a comprehensive portfolio of diving services from a single location in Carry-le-Rouet, France. The core offering centers on FFESSM/CMAS certification programs progressing from entry-level baptisms and children's programs through professional Level 4, complemented by international PADI and SSI credentials. Technical specializations include Nitrox (PN/PN-C) and Trimix (PTH-40/70) training for extended diving profiles. The center provides exploration dives across three depth zones (0-20m, 20-40m, deep/wreck sites), equipment rental with SCUBAPRO gear, and onboard boat services via two semi-rigid vessels. Related services include air/nitrox/trimix filling stations, children's programs, gift vouchers, and workshop maintenance for multiple equipment brands. The portfolio functions as an integrated service ecosystem where certification training, guided exploration dives, equipment services, and boat operations work together to serve divers from first breath through professional certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FFESSM/CMAS Diving Certifications Comprehensive French (FFESSM) and international (CMAS) certification program offering levels from children's programs and beginner baptisms through professional Niveau 4 (Guide de Palanquée), with autonomy depths from 12m to 60m. Includes Plongeur Autonome 12/20/40, Plongeur Encadré 40/60, Niveau 1/2/3/4, and PA60.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of continuous operation since 1994
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCUBAPROcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlongée Passion Carry is a SCUBAPRO Educationnal Association (SEA) Center. The center uses Scubapro equipment renewed each season, and offers Scubapro/Aqualung/Apeks/Mares/Tecline/Seac maintenance workshop services.
• FFESSM (Fédération Française d'Études et de Sports Sous-Marins)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructure Commerciale Agréée (SCA) by FFESSM. The center delivers FFESSM/CMAS certified diplomas from Niveau 1 to Niveau 4. Also approved for hosting DE pedagogical trainees from Creps Montpellier and Antibes.
• ANMP (Association Nationale des Moniteurs de Plongée)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter agréée ANMP, delivering ANMP-certified diving qualifications. ANMP card included with Niveau 4 certification.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPADI-licensed center offering PADI certifications. Also offers dual certification (French + PADI or SSI) for an additional fee.
• SSI (Scuba Schools International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSI-certified center with SSI instructors. Offers dual FFESSM+SSI certification for additional fee.
• Creps Montpellier et AntibescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlongée Passion Carry is agréée by Creps Montpellier and Antibes to host DE (Diplôme d'État) instructor trainees for practical teaching placements.
• TripadvisorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTripadvisor Certificate of Excellence holder with active listing driving customer referrals.
• Longitude 181minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmbassador member of Longitude 181 association dedicated to marine environmental protection.
• Croisières Côte BleueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended partner for post-dive activities. Offers boat cruises from Carry to Marseille-Cassis region.
• SeashepherdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlongée Passion Carry actively supports Seashepherd marine conservation actions led by Paul Watson.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Divetech: Multi-location professional dive operator (headquartered in the Maldives) offering guided dives, certifications, and technical diving courses. Directly comparable to Plongée Passion Carry in core service offerings (guided dives, certifications, technical training) but operates in a different geography with a larger, multi-site footprint.
• Orca Dive Centers: Network of professional recreational diving centers operating across multiple international destinations with PADI/SSI accreditations, certification programs, and diving excursions. Most comparable to Plongée Passion Carry as a multi-location service business offering guided dives, certifications, and equipment rental to recreational divers.

Others

• SSI (Scuba Schools International): Major international scuba certification agency offering Open Water through Instructor training. Plongée Passion Carry is an SSI-certified center with multiple SSI instructors (including Marlène Michel), positioning SSI as credentialing partner and ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• PADI: Professional Association of Diving Instructors is the world's largest recreational diving certification agency. Plongée Passion Carry is a PADI-licensed center offering PADI courses alongside FFESSM certifications, making PADI a primary ecosystem partner and license-issuer with overlapping end-customers.
• FFESSM (Fédération Française d'Études et de Sports Sous-Marins): French national diving federation that accredits Plongée Passion Carry as Structure Commerciale Agréée and authorizes the delivery of Niveau 1 through Niveau 4 French diving certifications. Functions as a regulatory and credentialing partner for the center's certification revenue.
• Mares: Italian diving equipment manufacturer producing regulators, BCDs, masks, fins, and dive computers. Comparable to Plongée Passion Carry through shared customer base in the recreational diving market; the center maintains and sells Mares equipment as part of its workshop service offering.
• Aqualung: Iconic diving equipment brand (regulators, BCDs, masks) with distribution across the Mediterranean. Plongée Passion Carry's workshop services Aqualung equipment, making Aqualung a connecting peer in the equipment ecosystem serving the same end-customers.
• SCUBAPRO: Premium diving equipment manufacturer (regulators, BCDs, dive computers). Plongée Passion Carry is a SCUBAPRO Educational Association (SEA) center, using renewed Scubapro gear fleet and offering Scubapro/Aqualung/Apeks/Mares/Tecline/Seac maintenance services - making SCUBAPRO a core equipment supplier and ecosystem partner.

Broad incumbents

• Aggressor Adventures: Established multi-location dive operator running liveaboard dive yachts and resort dive centers globally. While focused on liveaboard diving, it shares the same PADI/SSI certification ecosystem and serves the same recreational diver customer base, representing a broader incumbent in the recreational diving experience market.
• Club Med: French-founded global all-inclusive resort operator that includes diving schools at many of its Mediterraean and tropical resorts. Broader incumbent that competes for international tourist diving demand with a different delivery model (resort-based) but overlapping end-customers in the Côte Bleue / Southern France tourism market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PlongeePassionCarry
• Facebookfacebook.com/Plong%C3%A9e-Passion-Carry-286191368898
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plongee-passion-carry

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plongee Passion Carry