bathbiggles2
Registered
For those of you who have done it - you will know that reaching Fakarava in French Polynesia and having the opportunity to dive there is a bucket list thing! It certainly was for me!
I planned a trip to FP for two years (I live in the UK) and was in touch with the dive centre Dive Spirit, 5 months before to ascertain the best dates for tides etc to enable dives in both the North and South Passes. We settled on a 5 night stay (4 diving days) to make as much allowance for the weather etc as we could and I booked 10 dives with them.
Dive Spirit were very good with communications and I confirmed when I arrived in FP and then again the day I arrived in Fakarava - to confirm the pick up time the next day. They confirmed 7.30am for a two tank dive on the North Pass. The owner of Kaina Diving (Vincent) had apparently recently purchased Dive Spirit and I was told they were now using a combined boat. Our acomodation was 15km from the dive centre and they told me to stand on a road about 400m from my bungalow for a pick up. I did this and by 8.00am nobody arrived. I went back to the bungalow and asked the owner to call them. He did and was told they were not coming and the dives were cancelled because I would be the only diver and he wouldn't take just me. No apology, no attempt to book me with another dive centre - just left me there oblivious!
Fortunately my host found another dive centre - Top Dive who could take me that afternoon and collected me as promised.
I obviously did not return to Dive Spirit or Kaina and did multiple dives with Top Dive at the North and South Passes for the next 4 days. All the dives were absolutely amazing!
But Dive Spirit and Kaina Diving should hang their heads in shame! I flew 15.000 kms to be there and they must know how difficult it is for people to make a trip like that work. To leave me on a deserted road with no explanation says a lot about their ethics and caring of fellow divers.
Make up your own mind but if you need to be certain - then I'd suggest you use O2 or Top Dive.
I planned a trip to FP for two years (I live in the UK) and was in touch with the dive centre Dive Spirit, 5 months before to ascertain the best dates for tides etc to enable dives in both the North and South Passes. We settled on a 5 night stay (4 diving days) to make as much allowance for the weather etc as we could and I booked 10 dives with them.
Dive Spirit were very good with communications and I confirmed when I arrived in FP and then again the day I arrived in Fakarava - to confirm the pick up time the next day. They confirmed 7.30am for a two tank dive on the North Pass. The owner of Kaina Diving (Vincent) had apparently recently purchased Dive Spirit and I was told they were now using a combined boat. Our acomodation was 15km from the dive centre and they told me to stand on a road about 400m from my bungalow for a pick up. I did this and by 8.00am nobody arrived. I went back to the bungalow and asked the owner to call them. He did and was told they were not coming and the dives were cancelled because I would be the only diver and he wouldn't take just me. No apology, no attempt to book me with another dive centre - just left me there oblivious!
Fortunately my host found another dive centre - Top Dive who could take me that afternoon and collected me as promised.
I obviously did not return to Dive Spirit or Kaina and did multiple dives with Top Dive at the North and South Passes for the next 4 days. All the dives were absolutely amazing!
But Dive Spirit and Kaina Diving should hang their heads in shame! I flew 15.000 kms to be there and they must know how difficult it is for people to make a trip like that work. To leave me on a deserted road with no explanation says a lot about their ethics and caring of fellow divers.
Make up your own mind but if you need to be certain - then I'd suggest you use O2 or Top Dive.
