Kavieng or Uepi?

[Scuba Rosh]

Help!!

My dive club is organising vacations to both places in Aug 2009 and I'm undecided as to which one to go to. Kavieng at begining of August, Uepi at the end of August.

Anyone been to either or perhaps both and have any advice on them?

 

[baitballer]

I have been to kavieng half a dozen times and everytime I am amazed! The diving is great and so are the people. You have everything from large numbers of Pelagics and sharks through to on one dive mimic octopuss and an actively hunting nuidibranch that uses it mouth as a net - mind boggling really! We always stay on Lissenung island and Dietmar knows the reefs and dive sites like the rest of us know our own homes. The other dive company - Dive adventures - I have heard some not so nice stories about and would never use them. I have been lucky enough to dive all round the world and I live in the Caribbean and I rate Kavieng as the best diving in the world for divercity of both dive types i.e. wall, drift, current, reef, muck, wrecks and actual biodivercity as well.

 

[silent running]

Hello SR, I have been to Kavieng but not Uepi.

First thing I would check is whether Uepi was affected by the earthquake last year. I'm pretty sure it wasn't as it's pretty far from Gizo, but you should ask somebody who has been there recently. I was told by an Indonesian friend that it can take many years for a reef to recover from a tsunami, he would know as he dives all over his country and has seen the before/after in many places.

Otherwise, I'd bet Uepi has very good diving, but probably not quite as much macro diversity as Kavieng. I was amazed at all the little stuff I saw in Kavieng-saw my first inimicus there-not to mention all the big stuff-sharks, pelagics-and great viz. Also saw some monster turtles, several huge schools of mobula rays, and some WW2 wrecks, including a Japanese midget sub. But aside from the macro, it seems like a close call. Are there any wrecks near Uepi? But, there are probably more dives that involve heavy current in Kavieng than Uepi, if you're current averse.

If you do wind up in Kavieng, make sure the operator you choose has a
boat capable of making it to New Hanover and back in reasonable time, which is where the midget sub and some other very good dives are... -Andy

 

[Scuba Rosh]

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to see if I can go to both. I should have finished my contract by end of July, and my friend is coming over for at least a month anyhow - so, there's a possibility of going to PNG & Solomon Islands.

 

[Travelnsj]

Read this about Uepi, post #3
Solomon Islands-Uepi and Gizo - Scuba Forum - Scuba Diving Forums and Discussion Board

Been doing a lot of research on the Solomons and really wanted to go (in fact had a trip planned in December and canceled), what Kroorda says is indicative of the reports that other divers who have been to places like PNG, Palau and Raja Ampat....The Solomons allows commercial fishing in their waters. After my trip to Layang Layang in Malaysia last April I will not spend $$,$$$$ and wasting my time going to those places that has little or no marine life....hope this helps...