Diving in the Marquesas

[moorish8idol]

Hi folks!

A Charter dive boat for the Marquesas that I have been trying to negotiate for the past 18 months has just fallen through. I know there aren't really any LOBs in the Marquesas and only a few dive shops with varied reviews. I am wondering if I can still salvage the trip and organize my own diving (with some friends) in the Marquesas over the Christmas/NYE holidays next December/January.

Any tips or recommendations? We are fairly experienced divers and would be interested in the big animal diving and would likely split our time (not sure whether best to do 50/50 or something else) between Niku Hiva and Hiva Oa - unless you recommend something else. I speak fluent French in case that is a factor!

Recommended lodging/snacks and other activities while in the area? Does anyone know a shop that will take people out to do free-diving/swimming with the Melonheaded whales (in Niku Hiva)? Andy Murch does a trip every other year or so but he is also booked up!

Thanks

 

[moorish8idol]

To that end, has anyone dived on the Aqua Tiki (either boat)? Not many reviews out there and we might be able to get a Charter with them but there is one terrifying review on Facebook that 2019 that I want to look into. THANKS!

 

[Manuel Sam]

Presumably the one that fell through was the Itemata? They were the only liveaboard that I knew did trips there when I last did a trip to FP in June 2017.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Hi guys - I know the AQUA TIKI II + III very well and we have an agent in our network that has two 15 night trips scheduled the Marquesas for November and December 2021 on the Aqua Tiki III but they are fully booked. We then have a trip schedule for 2023 that is fully booked and the first spaces to Marquesas are available in November 2025. As mentioned above the ITEMATA usually goes there each year but I presume that is what you were booked on. The diving for experienced divers is excellent in Marquesas but the main reason these trips are full is that every four years they have a huge festival there and a smaller one on alternate years. Marquesas Diving Center is based at Hiva Oa and that may have been the one I used over fifteen years ago but I have lost my records on that - anyway one could try contacting them and see. How many persons are you and do you have dates fixed already ? dom@diveadvice.com

 

[moorish8idol]

Hi guys - I know the AQUA TIKI II + III very well and we have an agent in our network that has two 15 night trips scheduled the Marquesas for November and December 2021 on the Aqua Tiki III but they are fully booked. We then have a trip schedule for 2023 that is fully booked and the first spaces to Marquesas are available in November 2025. As mentioned above the ITEMATA usually goes there each year but I presume that is what you were booked on. The diving for experienced divers is excellent in Marquesas but the main reason these trips are full is that every four years they have a huge festival there and a smaller one on alternate years. Marquesas Diving Center is based at Hiva Oa and that may have been the one I used over fifteen years ago but I have lost my records on that - anyway one could try contacting them and see. How many persons are you and do you have dates fixed already ? dom@diveadvice.com

Thanks Dom. We are in touch with the Aqua Tiki and trying to get sufficient people to commit now (a bit tricky when we are living in very uncertain times though I am hopeful we will be able to travel more freely by Christmas) so we can score a booking on the III. They may be able to accommodate us on a shorter than usual Charter in the Marquesas over Christmas before heading back to the Tuamotus. If that doesn't work then we were going to look into trying to independently organize diving on Hiva Oa and Nuku Hivu though I wasn't sure if the dive shop on NH would be operating over Christmas or not (and believe he requires at least 3 divers to go out). We are experienced divers- I love FP and really hoping to make this work since I haven't been to the Marquesas yet but told it is a pretty special place.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

You are most welcome and please keep in touch with me on your proposed dates with Patrice at Aqua Tiki as I may also have others who would be interested to join this. Currently the second 14 night trip finishes in Hiva Oa on Dec 18, so he might be willing to put together a 7 or 8 night trip from Dec 20. At the moment he was planning a short charter in the Tuamotus between Xmas and New Year as it is always a popular time, but as no one booked at the moment, I believe his first trip is in January. The AQUA TIKI III is truly a fabulous boat - all set up with nitrox and with only 5 cabins so its a nice small group and able to to offer up to 3 dives per day - the maximum legal number permitted in French Polynesia. If we can generate enough interest, I can probably get you a better rate but lets see what happens. Its a long time between now and December and you can always get me by mail, skype or whatsapp. Cheers, Dom

Dominick Macan
Dive Advice Travel
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