New to ScubaBoard .. who has input/experience with diving Tahiti/Bora Bora?

[LoveBlueWaters]

Hi, I'm a PADI instructor from North Carolina. Am slowing but surely checking off the Caribbean islands... NOW Tahiti is on the schedule for June 2017. Any experience, insight, advice?
Thanks!

 

[ColoDale]

If you search on French Polynesia on SB there are qutie a few trip reports and discussions especially contrasting different places i.e. FP versus Fiji.
There is a whole lot to FP not just Society islands. The Tuomotus have good diving. I did not visit the Marquesas but it could be interesting. I am sure there is diving arond the main island of Tahiti but we did not do that or hear of it being touted as good. My trip was Dec 2016 but fortunately had very little rain. A bit hot but not unbearable.

I found dving Bora Bora to be the least exciting dives. Moorea was better but admittedly I only got 4 dives in Bora Bora. There is only one pass into the lagoon at Bora Bora that I know of and not terribly deep. I think it was opened/expanded by the US Navy in WWII.

It would also depend on if you were doing a land based trip for an extended period or island hopping to determine when you can dive. Tides may not allow you to dive the passes at certain times of day at any island. If the tides are wrong you may end up diving outside the reef or in the lagoons. If you want to do the passes on Rangiroa or Fakarava I would recommend you stay there for timing of the tides.

 

[Altamira]

I did not get to dive Rangiora or Riatea so my impression of diving in Polynesia may be unjustly skewed in the negative direction. Aside from diving the Manta Ray cleaning station at Bora-Bora, I found the diving in that area to be far less impressive than diving in the prime Caribbean locations. Had I gone to Polynesia primarily for diving, I would have been disappointed, and found it to be a very long way to travel for some less than stellar diving (manta ray dive excepted). With full disclosure, I certainly did not see very many dive sites on our Paul Gauguin cruise, and there are likely many dive locations that had better diving conditions than what I experienced.

 

[Wingy]

The society isles - TAhiti, BB, Raitae and Moorea have probably the worst diving in FP. Moorea has a couple of nice sites and the Tahitian express when running can be a fun dive but the good diving is in the other direction. If your purpose of visiting is purely diving, grab an interisland pass including the tuomotos. You will need to work out schedules and overnight in Papeete as flights to Rangi and Fakarava do not go every day of the week. Iif you head to the tuomotos you will find very very good diving - Rangiroa and Fakarava don't make top lists for nothing. Marquisas...good luck...the topography of the island makes diving very difficult...AFAIK Nuka Hiva will be your best (only?) option but if you want to take the additional flights out to the marquisas as you may get to dive with melonhead whales. If you have unlimited time and money - the Austral Archipeligo is another cetacean destination....but not easy to get to.

You may want to do a search here for French Polynesia so you are aware of the CMAS certification system - PADI is not recognised in most French Overseas protectorates.

 

[NataleeT]

Hi, I'm a PADI instructor from North Carolina. Am slowing but surely checking off the Caribbean islands... NOW Tahiti is on the schedule for June 2017. Any experience, insight, advice?
Thanks!

Went diving in Figi... excellent drift diving, strong currents, but fantastic sea life... The Fish Market dive sight was aptly named.

 

[Compressor]

Welcome to SB.

 

[LoveBlueWaters]

If you search on French Polynesia on SB there are qutie a few trip reports and discussions especially contrasting different places i.e. FP versus Fiji.
There is a whole lot to FP not just Society islands. The Tuomotus have good diving. I did not visit the Marquesas but it could be interesting. I am sure there is diving arond the main island of Tahiti but we did not do that or hear of it being touted as good. My trip was Dec 2016 but fortunately had very little rain. A bit hot but not unbearable.

I found dving Bora Bora to be the least exciting dives. Moorea was better but admittedly I only got 4 dives in Bora Bora. There is only one pass into the lagoon at Bora Bora that I know of and not terribly deep. I think it was opened/expanded by the US Navy in WWII.

It would also depend on if you were doing a land based trip for an extended period or island hopping to determine when you can dive. Tides may not allow you to dive the passes at certain times of day at any island. If the tides are wrong you may end up diving outside the reef or in the lagoons. If you want to do the passes on Rangiroa or Fakarava I would recommend you stay there for timing of the tides.

Thanks for the insight .. all input so helpful! Have never been to that part of the world!

 

[LoveBlueWaters]

I did not get to dive Rangiora or Riatea so my impression of diving in Polynesia may be unjustly skewed in the negative direction. Aside from diving the Manta Ray cleaning station at Bora-Bora, I found the diving in that area to be far less impressive than diving in the prime Caribbean locations. Had I gone to Polynesia primarily for diving, I would have been disappointed, and found it to be a very long way to travel for some less than stellar diving (manta ray dive excepted). With full disclosure, I certainly did not see very many dive sites on our Paul Gauguin cruise, and there are likely many dive locations that had better diving conditions than what I experienced.

Many thanks... all feedback useful...to help me ask more questions. Thanks.