Has anyone done a liveaboard in French Polynesia?

[Margery Mullett]

I am saving up for a trip to Tahiti / French Polynesia and would like to spend a week on a liveaboard, but I can't find much information about liveaboard operations there.I know the Aggressor isn't there anymore.Has anyone been on the Aqua Tiki? They only offer two dives a day.:sad:Are there any other liveaboards?If you have been on one (or not), how do you think liveaboard diving would compare to land based diving? Do you think that there are really great remote areas you would only get to on a liveaboard?I would appreciate any information.Thanks, Margie

 

[Mossman]

I just took a look at the Aqua Tiki. Looks nice, though I prefer a larger liveaboard. Two dives a day is the traditional "European" style, still offered by many land-based dive operations there. Breakfast. One dive in the morning. Lunch. One dive in the afternoon.

The good thing about the Aqua Tiki is that it is based in Fakarava which has some very nice diving. The Tahiti Aggressor was originally based in Rangiroa and offered 4 dives a day at various atolls (we dove off Fakarava, Rangiroa, Apataki, and Toao in Feb. '03). Except for a couple clunkers, the other 22 dives I made that week were amazing. A while later, for whatever reason, the Aggressor moved to the Society Islands. I've had very pleasant dives in Bora Bora and Moorea, but there's no way the Society Island itinerary could measure up to the Tuamotus, so it didn't surprise me when they pulled out of FP altogether given the cost of running a boat there (everything is expensive there already, but complying with French Polynesian labor laws was probably the toughest issue).

However, if you're only doing two dives a day, you could easily top that by staying at a land-based resort in Fakarava or Rangiroa or another inhabited atoll. For instance, the White Sand Beach Resort (formerly the Mai Tai Dream when I toured it back in '03) has a TopDive/Bathys dive op on-site that offers 3 dives a day. Unless there's a price difference that makes it worthwhile, I fail to see the benefit of staying on a liveaboard when it doesn't travel outside of Fakarava.

As for a liveaboard that actually moves to various islands, the closest thing might be the Paul Gauguin small cruise ship. Yes, it's quite a bit large for a liveaboard, and it's not really a scuba liveaboard in the sense that all the passengers are divers, but it does have a "fold-down marina" that allows for a skiff to pick up divers right off the stern just like a liveaboard, the crew stores your gear there, and they even have showers to rinse off afterward, just like a liveaboard. Unfortunately, you'll be hard-pressed to make more than 2 dives a day depending on the itinerary - we only did 5 dives during our entire 11-day Marquesas itinerary (was supposed to be 6, but they canceled the Bora Bora night dive when only J and I signed up): one in Bora Bora, one in Moorea, one in Hiva Oa, and two in Rangiroa - though I understand more diving per day is available on their standard 7-day Society Islands itineraries.

 

[Margery Mullett]

Sorry I took so long to respond. I've been looking at the map, trying to find all the places you mentioned. Thanks! You explained a lot of things.... two dives a day ... the missing Aggressor. I was hoping that there was another liveaboard that I had missed. I'd be bored on the Aqua Tiki if there were only two dives. Ditto the Gauguin. If two dives a day is the norm, and the boat doesn't move around much, I agree that a land based plan would be better for me and a better use of my money. So scratch the boat.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I'll be there for about two weeks. I think I should find at least two places to dive. Recommendations? Fakarava and Rangiroa? or four days in each and someplace else? Should I stay in The Tuamotus the whole time and look for off the beaten path places?
(sounds like fun - I don't like crowds) Or is there someplace I really shouldn't miss, like Bora Bora or Mo'orea?

I've never been to French Polynesia, so I don't know much. I have a tour book!

Thanks, again; Margie

 

[Doubler]

What about Fiji and the Nai'a or Fiji Aggressor? My understanding is that Fiji is MUCH better diving than Tahiti.

 

[Margery Mullett]

That's a really good question. Well ... ah ... I used to live in France and I had a hankerin' to hear some French and check out the cuisine. I'm such a hedonist. Plus, I have always wanted to see Gauguin country. Also, I recently had a trip to Indonesia and got blown away by the diving there. So... I thought I could skimp a little on the diving and revisit a bit of France. Call me crazy. Thanks for asking. Margie

 

[robint]

There is a LIVEABOARD Forum here on SB. You might want to post the question there, too.

I have done a liveaboard to Palau and it was amazing diving beyond belief but doesn't sound like what you are looking for. I would post down on the Liveaboard Forum to get more responses.

robin

 

[Mossman]

What about Fiji and the Nai'a or Fiji Aggressor? My understanding is that Fiji is MUCH better diving than Tahiti.

Much better diving than the Tuamotus? Really?

I've never been to Fiji, though I've heard the soft corals are really nice, there are good macro oppotunities, and an occasionally shark feed dive. In the Tuamotus, on the other hand, it's not about soft corals or macro, it's about huge schools of tropicals, amazingly clear warm water, high speed drift dives (pass flying), and more pelagic activity than I've seen anywhere save for Wolf and Darwin islands in the Galapagos (where the water is murky and cold).

As for MM's wish to revist a bit of France, you're better off with the main island of Tahiti and next-door Moorea, where you'll find the majority of Tahiti's ex-pat French in residence. There are no crowds in the sparsely populated Tuamotus, but Papeete can get a bit congested. Four days in Rangiroa and four days in Fakarava sounds very nice. I was going to recommend the Kia Ora in Rangiroa, as I had toured the hotel and visited their diveshop (impressive dive shop, even had support for open and closed circuit rebreathers at the time, definitely able to offer 4 dives a day), but apparently they closed for remodeling and their website was down when I checked.

 

[Margery Mullett]

Great idea! I DIDN'T know that there was a liveaboard forum. I will check it out. Thanks

I really like liveaboards, so when I didn't find one in FP, I decided to console myself with thoughts of pretty good land based diving and good food.

I did my first liveaboard in Palau andit was awesome and that's how I got hooked. Margie

 

[Margery Mullett]

I'm just beginning to plan; thanks for the info. Its starting to look like I'll be staying in the Tuamotus most of the time because of the diving. (Rangiroa and Fakarava) I'm sure I'll hear some French and get some food I'm also looking at Tikehau. Do you know it? These places are close to each other and that would be good because I don't want to spend a lot of time traveling.

I'm still in the planning stage, but if I want to use FF miles, I'll have to get going.
Thanks again, and please let me know about Tikehau or any other great places in that area.
Margie

 

[Mossman]

I'm just beginning to plan; thanks for the info. Its starting to look like I'll be staying in the Tuamotus most of the time because of the diving. (Rangiroa and Fakarava) I'm sure I'll hear some French and get some food I'm also looking at Tikehau. Do you know it? These places are close to each other and that would be good because I don't want to spend a lot of time traveling.

I'm still in the planning stage, but if I want to use FF miles, I'll have to get going.
Thanks again, and please let me know about Tikehau or any other great places in that area.
Margie

The only thing I know about Tikehau is that our plane made a stop there on the way to Rangiroa. You might want to check out some older SB threads:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/pacific-islands/317264-tikehau-manihi-bora-bora.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/pa...ing-short-trip-report-dive-club-comments.html

Lots more to be had if you do a search for "tikehau". All the islands are relative close by plane. I believe it was at most a 2 hr flight to Rangi from Papeete and that included the Tikehau stop. Since you have to start and end in Papeete, you might want to consider hopping over to Moorea by ferry. It's a lot cheaper and easier than flying there and worth at least a day's visit to circle the island (and a stop at roadside Allo Pizza for excellent thin-crust pizza made by a Frenchman). The Gauguin museum is on Tahiti but it's all the way on the other side of the island from Papeete, supposedly at the site where he resided.