Beqa Fiji Sept 2009 Trip Report

[Sas]

Your wifes got good lungs with my camera i burn through my 80 in 50 mins . i heard that about trox but i never found the research to support it . i never have dove 4-5 times per day on air so im embarking on new territory. trox for us gives us a added level of safety . But as sask states the best stuff is shallow ,il likley get cold even with our 3mm full and new vest , long before we run out of gas .
im unsure did you say that they do not stock DIET COKE

Also boat dives are limited to one hour.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Beqa Lagoon is more about two tanks in the morning and maybe a shore dive in the afternoon! There is so much to do at the resort or in the Villages you don't have time for 4 or 5 a day! They try to keep it an a hour depending on the dive sites and travel time back for lunch! I have done many 1.5 hour dives on the closer reefs, but don't hold up the boat for lunch if it is a long run back! Otherwise you will find that the DMs and Boat Captain want to please you more than most! It is best to develop a relationship with them and you won't be sorry! Amos is still a very good friend and this was 9 years ago!

 

[Sas]

You can push the time to longer if you are first in and last out. And you can do four or five days if you want, but you won't be around for the resort activites. Up to you really

Here are the profiles I did:

Shore 7.2m 82min av depth 4m
Boat 16.8m 60min av depth 7.5m
Boat 18m 58min av depth 8.7m
Shore 7.1m 81min av depth 3.3m
Boat 18.1m 59min av depth 10.1m
Boat 17.6m 61min av depth 9.6m
Boat 27.7m 48min av depth 12.2m
Boat 18.4m 63min av depth 8.2m
Boat 17m 62min av depth 7.2m
Boat 25m 45min av depth 14.2m
Boat 18.5m 50min av depth 12.5m
Shore 7.4m 102min av depth 3.5m
Boat 16.2m 61min av depth 8.6m
Boat 20.7m 59min av depth 8.9m
Boat 17.2m 63min av depth 9.8m
Boat 17.m 73min av depth 7.2m

As I said, we missed out on doing more shore dives due to unseasonable rain as well as a wedding. I don't think even with more shore dives I would have come close to NDL though. You can do a much deeper average depth than we did, but I personally didn't see the point as it reduces dive time, and there is heaps of colour and life on the top of the bommies, which I found a lot better for photos.

 

[Papa_Bear]

The most important consideration while shore diving Beqa is Ear Beer! They raise pigs and the run off is full of Bactria! Clean your ears! I got the worst infection is 38 years of diving in 07!

As Saspotato says you don't want to miss the activities!

 

[adpfam]

thats great info sask and papa bear thanks . i will bring the peroxide. for us having less than 150 dives we tend to push the diving on our trips. when we travel with our 9 year old we take a more relaxing asnd tourist approach ( we only will get in 10 dives over2-3 weeks vs 20-25 in a week ). do they ever run out of gas or will they be annoyed if we are constantly askig for tanks. i dont want to offend them , we ussually tip for for such service ( i know tipping is not normally ecouraged we will use the christmas fund ) We will be on the look out for the suitability for kids for a later trip i hear its great

 

[adpfam]

sorry also i here that they some times they have an afternoon boat dive ? is this true

 

[Sas]

thats great info sask and papa bear thanks . i will bring the peroxide. for us having less than 150 dives we tend to push the diving on our trips. when we travel with our 9 year old we take a more relaxing asnd tourist approach ( we only will get in 10 dives over2-3 weeks vs 20-25 in a week ). do they ever run out of gas or will they be annoyed if we are constantly askig for tanks. i dont want to offend them , we ussually tip for for such service ( i know tipping is not normally ecouraged we will use the christmas fund ) We will be on the look out for the suitability for kids for a later trip i hear its great

They always had full tanks and plenty of them and do not mind how many shore dives you do (though as I said in my trip report let them know before and after your night dives). I recommend taking o-rings though and testing your tank well before you are going to dive to make sure there is no leaking, as there was a bunch of bung o-rings. I had a bunch so it was no big deal.

Also when you want to go for a shore dive you can just go and grab a tank from the dive shop and head off yourselves. If it is locked ask someone in the office (a minute walk from shop only). It is a very short walk to the beach so you can do as many shore dives as you like, weather permitting. One day they run a night dive too so you can do three boat dives. Or more by request if you can get numbers.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Be sure to do the "Big Fish Dive" and they will also skiff you out to the wreck in front of the resort and you can dive back to the beach! Please search "Ear Beer" here for the mixture! Peroxide will not do anything for your ears! You have to dry them! You will fall in love with the place, but don't underestimate the surface activities or the people of Beqa! It can be an experience of a life time and worth a few dives! I do an average of 14 to 17 dives a week there! That is okay, because the rest is so worth it!

 

[adpfam]

still 38 days left at least i didnt start at 280 days like some of or trips im looking forward to it. we just got back from coz and PDCin feb. was a bit of a let down cool weather ,High seas and murk.oh yay forgot my mother . we just got back and my wife is pressuring me to go to fiji is ther a place to hang place a marker strobe for night diving ?

 

[BB1]

Well after finding this report and reading it we are booked in for the last week in April - Can't wait!!!