Looking for information on diving Fiji

[ChangeAgent]

Planning to go to Fiji next year. My problem is that I am looking for places where I can dive more or less on most dives independently (rather that being in a herd of ±8 US/Aus divers who need to see the fins of the guide all the time to have a good dive and run out of air after ±30 minutes or less). Sorry do not want to be arrogant, but after 50 years of diving I have seen it all. Specially in the Carabian.

Dive-time.
I wrote to some operators and was told that most dives are restricted to about 30 minutes; the longest gave me 45 minutes. Now I do not want to boost, but after ±30 minutes at ±30 meters I will have well over half a tank left of my 12 liter and my wife even more This makes me not happy as it would be like being in the Pub where I have to give my beer back after 30 seconds if I did not finish it. It kills my sense of value for money. For those who do not know, a dive might be charged at anywhere between £40 and £90. If you want Nitrox, even more.

Groups.
Most answers told me that I would need to dive in groups (6 or 8 people to a DM). Now this might be OK on some dives, but my experience is mostly bad in this sort of setups, especially if large parts of the people in the group are warm-water-holiday-divers with little or no experience. I like to take my time at spots I like and most likely not follow the DM on his automatic pilot mode around the reef. Or be frustrated as another diver swims at high speed up to the nice fishes to make a picture and scatters them to never be seen again. Etc. I am sure most of you understand the associated frustrations.

Any tips as to where to go? Maybe places where I am allowed 60 or more minutes dive time and being allowed to be together with my buddy and not with a big group.


Thanks. Eric.

 

[runsongas]

sounds like shore diving bonaire is a better fit for you

 

[ChangeAgent]

sounds like shore diving bonaire is a better fit for you

Thanks for your reply.

I was not sure if you where joking or not. Decided you are not joking. Have you been to both locations? I have, be it more than ±25 years ago. Comparing Fiji to Bonaire is like comparing the breathing comfort of a single stage unbalanced Seibe Gorman twin hose with a balanced Apeks ATX200. Once connected to a tank they will both deliver gas. End of comparison, end of the things where they score equal.

As said my challenge is dive time and groups. I am surprised to see that Fiji, such a top destination, seems to cater only for beginners and inexperienced divers. I dive a lot in Indonesia and the Philippines. I have never ever encountered anywhere where one is not allowed to dive at least 60 minutes in buddy pairs. In many places there is only a guide if you want one and no time limit.

Example, I just did 56 dives in Komodo (no guide unless I wanted too and than max 4 to a guide) and spend ±66 hours under water. Depths where ranging from 35 meters in the current to 10 meters in the muck. The shortest dive (the 35 meter one) being 63 minutes on a 12ltr aluminum tank. That is more the type of diving I like.

So anybody know where those types of places are hiding in Fiji? It can not be that I am the only one who wants loads of time under water per dive at the rates they charge and the cost to get there. Or have all good divers retired to the inland lakes?

Living in hope of useful information.

 

[jbjclj]

We have been to Wananavu 3 times and are returning inApril. They dive the Bligh Waters. We never felt compelled to follow the dm. and dove our tanks (60-75 min) The boats had 8-10 people, but never felt crowded

Good luck. Love Fiji

 

[runsongas]

i was being flippant because of your off the cuff remark about us/aus divers. most of the new divers i ran into in fiji in may were brits/europeans. most did just fine, the shortest dive was still over 40 min.

my experience from earlier this year was that there was a dm in the water with you unlike in california and they wanted to keep you in visual range. it wasn't true buddy diving in that sense.

i don't know why the operators told you dives were 30 minutes though. i did 34 dives and almost all were around 50 min.

 

[Worldwide Dive and Sail]

Hi ChangeAgent,

If you are worried about the dive time, I would highly recommend you to go on a liveaboard. Divers on liveaboards are most of the time very advanced divers so they normally do around 50 – 60 min dives. This is also applicable on group size: normally there is a ratio of 4 to 6 divers/dive guide.

If you need any further information on diving in Fiji on a liveaboard just email info@sirenfleet.com

Cheers.

 

[ChangeAgent]

We have been to Wananavu 3 times and are returning inApril. They dive the Bligh Waters. We never felt compelled to follow the dm. and dove our tanks (60-75 min) The boats had 8-10 people, but never felt crowded

Good luck. Love Fiji

Many thanks good info.

---------- Post added September 11th, 2015 at 10:53 AM ----------

i was being flippant because of your off the cuff remark about us/aus divers. most of the new divers i ran into in fiji in may were brits/europeans. most did just fine, the shortest dive was still over 40 min.

my experience from earlier this year was that there was a dm in the water with you unlike in california and they wanted to keep you in visual range. it wasn't true buddy diving in that sense.

i don't know why the operators told you dives were 30 minutes though. i did 34 dives and almost all were around 50 min.

Sorry if I offended, not my intention. Just loads of bad experience in such circumstances. I was once on the Cayman Islands and after phoning a dozen or more operators I did find one (tech divers specialist I haste to say) that allowed me to dive as a buddy team and up to 80 minutes. Most places told me people will get bored or seasick waiting for you, we will miss lunch, one even said that nobody could dive that long on only one tank.

Thanks of sharing your experience there.

With whom did you dive there in the end?

 

[runsongas]

i went up the yasawas and dove with blue lagoon and octopus. had a nice trip and it was pretty affordable because they had dorms.

 

[ChangeAgent]

i went up the yasawas and dove with blue lagoon and octopus. had a nice trip and it was pretty affordable because they had dorms.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Manuel Sam]

I've dived both land-based (in Beqa Lagoon, on the south side, off of Pacific Harbour) and liveaboard and have never been limited by dive time nor by dive guide. I was diving with my two buddies tho. I would think that they might frown on solo diving but that is not your case. So I am not sure why you got the responses that you got. The land-based ops that I used were Aqua-Trek and Beqa Adventure Divers in Pacific Harbour: they both do the shark dives in Beqa Lagoon, and they also offer reef dives on those days when the shark dives are not offered. Good luck.