Is it true PNG (Walindi/Rabaul) is "bad" during June-september

[DK8080]

Well, the subject pretty much sums it up. Planning on doing the febrina end of june '07.
Some have discouraged me saying the SE trade winds and the assoc. conditions they bring in make this a bad time of year to go there. Is this true!?! your input is GREATLY needed and appreciated.

Thanks

D

 

[caymaniac]

Well, the subject pretty much sums it up. Planning on doing the febrina end of june '07.
Some have discouraged me saying the SE trade winds and the assoc. conditions they bring in make this a bad time of year to go there. Is this true!?! your input is GREATLY needed and appreciated.

Thanks

D

Hi Dk, I was at Walindi in end of June into July05 and it was beautiful weather. We had two nights with rain, one day passing storm (one hour of rain) and one breezy day on StarDancer. Temp. was near 90 and the water was 90 every day.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0754.jpg
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http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/th_IMG_0414.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/th_IMG_0435.jpg

 

[DK8080]

Thanks!!!! That sounds great. How was the vis? and i assume thats a typo on the 90 degree water?

 

[caymaniac]

Thanks!!!! That sounds great. How was the vis? and i assume thats a typo on the 90 degree water?

No, that is not a typo, the water was 90F everyday. My wifes and my computer both read 90F. She wore her dive skin which is very unusual because she gets cold, I wore a 1mm most of the time and on night dives we wore 3mm. After 5 dives aday no matter what you start to cool off. The viz was mostly 80, sometimes more than 100.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/File0006.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater Images/th_File0395.jpg

 

[DK8080]

sounds good....so i assume you would recommend the trip?

 

[caymaniac]

sounds good....so i assume you would recommend the trip?

Yes, the diving has the most biological diversity of anywhere we've been. Dolphins, sharks of variety, barracuda, and so many tropicals ... a vast number beyond what the Caribbean offers, as well as octopus and cuttlefish. There were varried reefs as well, somewhat muck diving and then reefs with current and plenty of soft corals, ravines and valleys & small fields of pristine hard corals. The food was good, the crew was great.
I even went out in a small boat one day with the cook to catch some food. The chef gave me his rod and I proceeded to catch a Tuna but a shark took the whole thing as I was reeling in.....the captain seen it all from the bridge of the Star Dancer.
We brought plenty of extra tee shirts to trade to the locals, we traded for fruit and vegetables (that's all they have) and the cook prepared it with our meals.
At Walindi you can ask to go to the "hot river" tour, possibly see a recent found B24, and see the lightening bug tree after dark...it was amazing.

 

[tarangau]

Yes there are SE trade winds during this time however, the areas the boats travel to reflect the best conditions at that time in that area. The captain is very experienced and knows where the best sites are.

The diving is not "bad", this is just the windiest time and that is why it goes to Rabaul to take advantage of better conditions.

 

[Allison Finch]

Go to Rabaul!!
It is a great place to dive. Not only is there good diving in the bay, but all around. It is within easy reach of the Duke of York Islands and the fantastic Gazelle Peninsula. By far my favorite area of PNG. That is, until I can get to dive the new areas of the south shore of New Britain Island.