pohnpei diving - reviews?

[bracko]

hi,

we're doing a club trip this year which is Truk then Pohnpei.

I've been offered the ability to extend my time in Pohnpei by 3 or 4 days which means I'll have to take a few more days off work (a concern, but not a show-stopper) and additional money....

but the reviews I've read of the diving there is that it's not that great, does anyone here who's dived it have any other opinions? I do like reef diving, probably more than wreck, but the group going to truk are great, so I'm keen to go.

admittedly the main review I've read which worries me is someone who went to Palau then Pohnpei which comparing anything to Palau is pretty hard.

so, the addon isn't cheap... considering it'll be my only diving holiday for the year is it worth it to spend the extra money and leave?

cheers in advance for any comments.

 

[pazz]

It has been a few years, but here is a link to a response I gave to a question similar to yours.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/pacific-islands/301206-pohnpei-how-good.html#post4665467

And, for what it’s worth: a friend of mine who still lives on Kwajalein (been there a long time) went to Pohnpei again (not just for diving) a few months ago and ended up not diving. He was the only diver and decided the cost for a solo diver wasn’t worth it.

 

[bracko]

hmmm... cheers.

so it's down to a gamble of getting to the Atoll in 1.5 diving days vs 7.5 days. the cost is an additional AUD750 +food&booze.


hmmm.... decisions.....

 

[deveyn]

The diving in Pohnpei is fantastic. The trick is having local connections who know the reefs. The local SCUBA club can get you on cheaper dives if you don't want to go through The Village, which is the only PADI dive center on the island. We did weekly trips to Manta Road, Palikir Pass, Black Coral, Ant Atoll and Pakin Atoll. At Pakin we saw a 12 foot baby whale shark stuck in the reef and there is a sea mount just off Pakin that has some very impressive schools of pelagics. I lived there for two years and have a couple thousand photos on Flickr for you to look at. Everyone I brought there for diving had no regrets and a few veterans said it beats Palau in some respects, especially at Ant (Ahnd), where you have several types of dive environments in one location.

The limiting factor in Pohnpei is the cost of fuel, which is why the diving there is more expensive. Village is great for diving, but if they don't have enough divers going, your costs can go up. We generally used P-Pass Surf's boat, which is bigger and if we had a few divers going, our costs were lower which made trips to Pakin (17 miles) much more manageable. Depending on the size of your club, P-Pass may be a better option for the sake of cost. If you go with the local expats, you'll be with at least a couple rescue divers, an instructor (if he feels like going that day) and I think a couple of my cohorts were almost done with divemaster when I left FSM last year. We also did a lot of fishing during the surface interval, and they can teach you how to fish local style and catch fresh tuna for lunch.

I can get you hooked up with the locals if you like. Contact me at deveyn at gmail and I'll give you the run down and plenty of inside information that will give you a better experience than the average tourist.

If you want to see some photos: Collection: Micronesia

If you're a surfer, then you'll love it as Pohnpei has some of the best surfing around.

I suggest the Truk Stop hotel in Chuuk. The people there are great and it's one of the safest and nicest hotels on Weno island. I have a few galleries of the hotel and the wreck diving there in the link above.

I think the negativity with Pohnpei may be due to the fact that it's not really a resort-type island. The tourism bureau does a very poor job of promoting the diving in the FSM. Each state of the FSM has its own charm and the diving is unique to that environment.

My two favorites for diving are the Village and P-Pass Surf Club. The Village is PADI and the divemasters there are great. However, the per person costs were more than I wanted to spend since diving was a weekly thing for me. The food is some of the best in the FSM. The rooms are all open air and it's an eco-lodge.

P-Pass is just off Palikir Pass. I liked working with them because they have a larger boat and the costs were lower per person. We rented tanks from a local guy (figure about $8 per tank and a couple bucks for weights). They have really nice bungalows with a full kitchen. If you're doing a club thing, then you can rent very cheaply a bungalow that sleeps several people. The family is very nice and they'll cook for you. Overall the hospitality in Pohnpei is very good. The people there genuinely want you to enjoy their home.

If you or anyone else is interested, contact me at the email above and I can hook you up.

 

[microdive]

There is a new dive operation working out of Pohnpei now. The Pohnpei Surf Club is catering for divers and has the best fleet of boats in the region. Hotel, food and dives can be all booked at the same location. I am not sure their dive website has been up dated to the new operations but here it goes. www.pohnpeisurfclub.com or e-mail at pscsurfclub@yahoo.com
The best dive season in Pohnpei (late spring, summer and early fall) coincides with the surf off season. Most probably you won't see other dive boats around.

 

[bracko]

Fantastic guys, thanks for your replies.


we're diving with a club so it'll be difficult to change arrangements from what they are currently, but I'll be in touch for other things, like restaurants, bars and some local knowledge on some of the best diving spots


I think i might extend my trip, it's going to be the only holiday I have this year...

 

[beaverdivers]

Definately do the add-on. Pohnpei is well worth the time.

Don't miss the Manta Rays.

 

[bracko]

definitely, I missed seeing any Mantas in Palau so I'm not leaving without seeing 1!!!