First time in the South Pacific

[richybutler]

I don't know if it fits in the budget, but some of the most spectacular diving I've done anywhere was on Rangiroa. Beautiful, vibrant, healthy reefs, teeming with fish, as well as sharks, jacks, and dolphins.

Just been glancing at Rangiroa options. Now I'm very excited, thank you thank you! I'll post some info on this for sure once i've gathered prices from the local companies.

 

[1davey]

We two like smaller less comerical operations. http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/148899Spent 1 week at a Resort in Fiji called Matava Eco Resort on the Island of Kadavu. It is small quite and the service there is first class. The food was outstanding and the staff there were the friendliest I have ever encountered! The power there is solor. If you need to charge anything it can be done in the main Bure. That is where all the meals are served family style. I really enjoyed setting down and talking with the other guests while we ate. The diving there is unbeleaveable. Everything to see there from Humpbacks, Mantas to Macro critters. Sea crates. The hard corals went on as far as the eye could see and I never seen any coral bleaching going on there. The soft corals were very colorful. Great vis on almost every dive. All the dives we went on we were the only boat on the reef as far as the eye could see. Here is a link to the video clips and pics from there.
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/148899

 

[laurenceh]

rangiroa is amazing, i think its right up there with wolf and darwin in the galapagos for big animals. taputa pass is the best drift dive we've ever done(not for the faint of heart), great hammerheads, ocean silver tips, silkys, reef, giant mantas and huge schools of eagle rays and barracuda, oh and dolphins, lots of dolphins. we dove with "six passengers" and thought they were a top notch outfit.

 

[brk6by02]

If your still looking for places, I would recommend the Philippines. My latest dive location was at Coron, Palawan. You will have to fly into Manila and then there are only two flights out of Manila to Coron. The main diving attraction is wreck dives, but they also have a dive at a fresh water lake that has a thermal incline. Absolutely incredible and nothing you will experience anywhere else. The wreck dives were great and many of them were penetratable. If you would like more info, send me a private message and I will give you more details of where I stayed and the dive shop info. If your interested in coming to Saipan, which is where I am at currently, I can help get you setup with some diving here.

 

[MissDoo]

rangiroa is amazing, i think its right up there with wolf and darwin in the galapagos for big animals. taputa pass is the best drift dive we've ever done(not for the faint of heart), great hammerheads, ocean silver tips, silkys, reef, giant mantas and huge schools of eagle rays and barracuda, oh and dolphins, lots of dolphins. we dove with "six passengers" and thought they were a top notch outfit.

Laurenceh, how long did you stay in Rangiroa? Is two weeks too long would you say? Are there enough dive sites for that long a period? Where did you stay and who did you dive with as you say they were great?