North Island of New Zealand late February early March

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Hawkwood

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Folks,

My wife and I are spending a three weeks on the northern island in late February to early March. We have a travel itinerary with our accommodations booked and a car hired. We will have our gear with us as we are also spending time in Hawaii and Fiji diving. We will have to hire some thicker exposure suits though as I don't imagine our 3mm and core warmers will cut it in your temperate waters!

These are our planned stops:

Coromandel, Feb. 20-24
Taupo, Feb. 24-28
Napier, Feb. 28-Mar. 4
On the road (no plans), March 4-6
Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, March 7-10
off to Fiji (11-26)
back to Auckland, March 27-30

Can anyone give us suggests for dives and operators for the areas I've shown in bold? We are looking for a purely recreational experience. We have a reasonable amount of experience in a variety of conditions and locations.

Thanks, Bill
 
If you're staying in Kerikeri itself - Dive HQ Bay of Islands is based in Waipapa, which is very close (closer than Paihia):
Dive HQ Bay of Islands, Scuba Diving and Dive Course Experts, Start your dive adventure with us today

And I also recommend Northland Dive, but they are on the other side of the Bay.

For Coromandel, if you are staying in Coromandel Town itself I don't think there are many operators, but there are dive shops with their own boats in Whitianga (Dive HQ Whitianga) and Tairua (TAIRUA DIVE & FISHINN, Diving, Fishing, THE POOR KNIGHTS of Coromandel, PADI 5 Star, Tairua, Pauanui, The Aldermen Islands, Slipper, New Zealand, Weather, Accommodation, Events Calander, Kayak, Sales) both on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula.

(I have been out with all of the above and recommend all of them)
 
Whitianga dive hq are great.. theres where i did my instruct specialities.

they have a full stocked dive shop and rental as well as a really great dive boat (scuba-doo)
give them a call.. there are some amazing dive locations they can take you to or even just point you in the direction of (if your after shore diving)

also Northland dive are really really good... have done some training with them and they are great people with a welth of knowledge and experience... they also have some great dive sites (the canterbury wreck is my pick of dives i have done with them)

i hope you have a great time in nz
 
No one has mentioned Napier?
The diving there isn't very good. There is Pania Reef and The Cape. Visibility is not good most of the time. Takes 3-4 weeks of westerly winds to clear the bay up, 1 day of easterlies to dirty it back up.
You have the pick of Dive HQ(Padi) and Adventure Dive (SSI).
If you can find someone to take you out down the coast a bit, "Black Head" (has marine reserve) South of Black Head beach, you can fill up on crayfish in 10 minutes :p

On the way up from Napier to Bay of Islands, you could stop of at Leigh, Goat Island which is a marine reserve. Even just snorkelling is very good.

If you are up in Kerikeri earlier, during the weekend? I could take you out around the Cavallis' or Stephen Islands.
 
If you are up in Kerikeri earlier, during the weekend? I could take you out around the Cavallis' or Stephen Islands.

Thanks for the info and the invite. Unfortunately we are in Kerikeri from March 7 through 10 - during the week.

Bill
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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