swimmingpooldivein
Registered
(Firstly - want to say thanks to this community! By reading about other people's experiences and recommendations, I was able to confidently plan my diving trip!)
From Sydney, I decided to go on an end of October dive-focused vacation. These are quick reviews of my experiences.
Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu, Fiji
Dive shop: Aqua Trek
4 coral dives
2 "ultimate shark experience" dives
The dive shop employees and dive masters were all very professional and catered to your requests. I had booked online, which worked fine (paid in advance). Equipment was great (I did full gear hire). Depending on where you're staying, they also provide pick-up and drop-off service.
Of course, the highlight was the shark dive, which was absolutely incredible [and a bit frightening at times, but I don't think I ever felt unsafe]. They get SO close to you, and you're literally ducking when they get close. It's a strange sight watching the dive masters poke sharks with a metal rods, telling them to go away. Across the 2 shark dives, we saw all 8 possible species: Bull Sharks, Black Tip Reef Sharks, Lemon Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Silvertip Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, and Tiger Sharks. I highly recommend this dive.
Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Dive shop: Allan Power Dive Tours
4 ship wreck dives: SS President Coolidge
The dive shop employees and dive masters were all very professional and catered to your requests. I had booked online, which worked fine (paid at the end). Equipment was great (I did full gear hire). Depending on where you're staying, they also provide pick-up and drop-off service.
This was an incredibly technical, difficult, and rewarding dive. In hindsight, I realized the first dive is actually a test - it's a 1:1 dive where you basically prove that you're competent enough to navigate and stay calm while navigating the labyrinth of the ship wreck. The sheer size of the wreck as you descent is breathtaking; your heart skips a beat when you can't see the bottom (70m). Most dives were around 30m and 40m and involved careful navigation inside the wreck. On my 4th dive (max depth 46m; 61min dive), I was low on air during the return and needed to use the emergency tank that was preset near the first deco stop. You definitely need a flashlight (the dive shop has spares), but possibly bring a backup: some sections are pitch black. It's also impossible to tell what's sharp, so always push off with your flashlight if necessary (never touch anything with your bare hand). I wish I had gloves too, as I cut my hand on entry during my 5th dive. I highly recommend this dive too.
From Sydney, I decided to go on an end of October dive-focused vacation. These are quick reviews of my experiences.
Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu, Fiji
Dive shop: Aqua Trek
4 coral dives
2 "ultimate shark experience" dives
The dive shop employees and dive masters were all very professional and catered to your requests. I had booked online, which worked fine (paid in advance). Equipment was great (I did full gear hire). Depending on where you're staying, they also provide pick-up and drop-off service.
Of course, the highlight was the shark dive, which was absolutely incredible [and a bit frightening at times, but I don't think I ever felt unsafe]. They get SO close to you, and you're literally ducking when they get close. It's a strange sight watching the dive masters poke sharks with a metal rods, telling them to go away. Across the 2 shark dives, we saw all 8 possible species: Bull Sharks, Black Tip Reef Sharks, Lemon Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Silvertip Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, and Tiger Sharks. I highly recommend this dive.
Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Dive shop: Allan Power Dive Tours
4 ship wreck dives: SS President Coolidge
The dive shop employees and dive masters were all very professional and catered to your requests. I had booked online, which worked fine (paid at the end). Equipment was great (I did full gear hire). Depending on where you're staying, they also provide pick-up and drop-off service.
This was an incredibly technical, difficult, and rewarding dive. In hindsight, I realized the first dive is actually a test - it's a 1:1 dive where you basically prove that you're competent enough to navigate and stay calm while navigating the labyrinth of the ship wreck. The sheer size of the wreck as you descent is breathtaking; your heart skips a beat when you can't see the bottom (70m). Most dives were around 30m and 40m and involved careful navigation inside the wreck. On my 4th dive (max depth 46m; 61min dive), I was low on air during the return and needed to use the emergency tank that was preset near the first deco stop. You definitely need a flashlight (the dive shop has spares), but possibly bring a backup: some sections are pitch black. It's also impossible to tell what's sharp, so always push off with your flashlight if necessary (never touch anything with your bare hand). I wish I had gloves too, as I cut my hand on entry during my 5th dive. I highly recommend this dive too.
