Aqua-Trek or Beqa Adventure Divers?

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SayNo2Snow

Contributor
Messages
118
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Location
Alberta, Canada
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi folks hubby & I will be traveling to Fiji in a couple of weeks and staying in the Pacific Harbor area for a week (self catering at the Fiji Palms) and we'll be bringing our own dive gear.

I would luv to hear from you about your preferences with either Aqua-Trek or Beqa. We plan on doing 3 or 4 two tank dives the last week of March - both the shark encounter and the reef diving. I'm specifically interested in the dive operations, their service, boats, etc.... as we are staying elsewhere so it they have food and lodging that isn't important.

I attempted a search but the info I got back was rather dated. I'd be very grateful for your feedback.

Thanks a bunch!!!
Ann
 
Bula,
First I should say they are both very professional outfits.
Beqa Adventure Divers (BAD) and Aquatrek dive on the same general area of reef on the northern edge of Beqa Lagoon. In terms of operations, they are similar with both operating a cat and a mono hull. BAD have a little further to travel but only by about 5 mins or so. Fast boats.
The shark dives are a little different with BAD running dives at 2 depths, 26m and 14m aprox, and Aquatrek doing both at 18m. I haven't dived with BAD for a while, but last time I did, I don't think I would say there was any major difference in species seen.
I would suggest doing both dives then you can post a good comparison.
There is a 3rd dive run by Beqa Lagoon Resort, based on Beqa island. This is a fairly new operation, for shark feeding, but well run. They have the edge on the others in that they see Tiger sharks regularly, which is now rare at the other two dives.
Bother operators offer reef dives on the classic Beqa sites and I don't think there is much to choose between them, although I am sure everyone has a preference.
Have a great trip.
Greg
 
I dove with BAD in 2006 and with Aqua-Trek in 2012. So my info isn't really up to date either. Both were quite good on all aspects you ask, and the reason for my going with Aqua-Trek the second time was simply because I never got an email reply from BAD.

One minor reason to go with Aqua-Trek in your case is that their shop is conveniently located just across the road and a few hundred feet west of the Fiji Palm, whereas BAD is some distance away up a hill. BAD will pick you up to take you diving and drop you off afterwards - that is not a problem - but there may be occasions when you have to go to the dive shop.....maybe to check-in or to settle your bill, for example.
 
I got to thinking that back then there were a couple of somewhat subtle significant differences in how the dive was set up. I don't know about now.

BAD and Aqua-Trek use different divesites but the layout is somewhat similar. In both cases, the feeder is in the middle, and the customers line up on either side of him. They have a small barrier of rocks in front and a mini-wall behind (so that hopefully nothing sneaks up behind you). BAD customers were set back just slightly behind the feeder but at the same depth, whereas at the Aqua-Trek site, customers were on what I call the balcony, which is set further back and a little higher. I recall that because with BAD we were on the same depth as the feeder, there were times when the sharks got very close as they looped around on their way to the feeder. But they also had safety divers with sticks to nudge the sharks from getting too close. Aqua-Trek had safety divers too but I don't recall that they ever came into play.

Also, with BAD, the customers were in one straight line, whereas at the Aqua-Trek site, the customers formed a U shape, with the feeder at the bottom of the U. But only those with larger housed cameras were allowed to be at the two legs of the U presumably because they at least had something to use to sort of gently persuade the shark to scoot, if the shark got a little too frisky. There were just rocks - no mini-wall - behind those who were at the legs of the U, and sometimes you'd **** your suit when a big bull swam right past your face from behind.

In 2006 I did see tigers, but none in 2012. But if you want tigers, it is much easier from where you are to go to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas.
 
In the first sentence I meant "...a couple of subtle but somewhat significant..."
 

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