Fiji or Tahiti

[Luca Brasi]

I have never been to either area! Can you tell me the difference in diving and how best to dive?

 

[runsongas]

both are mostly land based diving, although the naia works fiji.

doing a combination of taveuni and the bligh (from savu savu or voli voli) for fiji or rangiroa/fakarava for tahiti will give you the best option for 2 weeks with one week each. fiji has more coral, tahiti has more sharks/dolphins from the lagoon passes.

fiji is cheaper overall and the connecting flight from the west coast is easier for the outer islands. tahiti is a french territory so not everybody speaks english like fiji (former british colony, lots of australians and kiwis visiting).

also easier to go from fiji to australia/NZ as a combo trip

 

[TheScubaDirectory]

Here is some Fiji dive info if helpful:
Diving in Fiji

 

[cetacean]

@Luca Brasi

Fiji:
"Soft coral capital of the world..." (in other words, prolific and colorful beyond belief in places)
"Friendliest people in the world..."
Coral bommies full of life, more underwater diversity than Tahiti

Tahiti:
No soft coral, all hard coral (much of the coral in a few of the lagoons is being choked by algae due to runoff - not in the outer islands, but certainly Moorea and parts of the Tahiti, the main island). The best diving is all outside the lagoons or in the passes.

People are mostly friendly, but the French have not done many favors for the local population (other than prevent foreign fishing vessels from entering and fishing in French Polynesia, so still prolific fish life)

Reef sharks on every dive, large sharks (+ dolphins + mantas + whales [in season]) outside the lagoon and in the passes. Not nearly as much diversity underwater, but Fakarava and Rangiroa (passes) are world-class dives unmatched for the experience.

I've dived both multiple times (many islands to visit). They are different experiences... really depends what you are looking for.

To the person above in the thread that suggested diving one week in each, I would disagree (for a few reasons).

- There used to be a direct flight between Fiji and Tahiti, that's now gone. To fly between them you would now need to fly through Auckland (NZ). The direct flight used to take just over 5 hours, now (with transit time in Auckland it will be at least 10 hours, and on some days even longer).

- Both destinations have multiple (really good) diving regions. If I spent two week in Tahiti I would spend time in Manihi, Fakarava, and Rangiroa,

For Fiji I would dive in the Bligh Water area, Taveuni, and Savusavu (specifically to dive Namena, some of the very best diving in Fiji).

Last - there are now multiple days a week flights from both San Francisco and LA to Tahiti, as well as Fiji. Fiji is about 2 hours longer (flying) to get to. Both destinations have better diving as you get farther away from the main population centers.

 

[Luca Brasi]

Thanks great information

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

I spent two weeks in Fiji (Taveuni Garden Island Resort)...25 years ago....... and spent two weeks in Tahiti / Bora Bora just this past November. Based only on those two experiences, my personal opinion hands down that Fiji is the far better choice for diversity, visibility, quality, value..... and hands down some of the very nicest and friendliest people on the planet.

 

[boulderjohn]

fiji is cheaper overall and the connecting flight from the west coast is easier for the outer islands.

My friends, wife, and I go on significant dive trips regularly, and we always use the same dive travel organization and the same specific agent. She immediately said we would be better off in Fiji, largely for the reason of price. She said the price is so much higher that they never plan group trips to Tahiti, and they do more than a dozen group trips a year.

So we went to Fiji instead. We spent a week at Taveuni (Paradise Taveuni), and it was just great. We did a week at Beqa Lagoon Resort, and we would choose to go elsewhere if we were to do it again.

 

[Tom Winters]

Diving is better overall in Fiji.

 

[runsongas]

@cetacean I meant doing one week each in taveuni and the bligh waters or one week each for fakarava/rangiroa, not one week each in fiji and tahiti

 

[cetacean]

@cetacean I meant doing one week each in taveuni and the bligh waters or one week each for fakarava/rangiroa, not one week each in fiji and tahiti

Thanks for the clarity...

1 week in Fakarava and and 1 week in Rangiroa is probably overkill - I could see 4 days of diving in each, but a week each (esp. in Rangiroa would get repetitive).