Allison, the prime US agent's dive shop website is:
2012 VOLIVOLI BEACH
This is a 2012 trip report. I know she was doing some FAM trips for agents and I was thinking of booking a group in September, still planning. Maybe after Beneath the Seas dive show in March. Quote below.
"Fiji isn't the bathtub Caribbean. November starts into their wet
season/Summer going thru March and into April. We were there in Feb 2011,
caught outer bands of cyclone centered in Vanuatu so first couple of days
was a stiff learning curve for some of our warm water only wussie divers,
kicking against currents and getting on and off the dive boats in choppy
seas. Those who dive Monterey Bay of course had no problem. After first
kick up couple of days, things settled down and the water was warm low to
mid 80s and smooth as glass - great diving. June this year we got some wind
and water was high 70s but it didn't keep us out of the Passage. Older
crowd (my husband Andy) got a bit cold towards the end of the second week of
diving and could have used a 5 mil. Usually 3 mil is fine unless the person
generally gets cold more than the norm. It is the Pacific Ocean - deep!
It is "warm" water diving but it does have seasons. Younger ones sometimes
dive in trunks but I don't recommend it. You want a full suit to ward off
coral burn and critter stings in the water. We noticed the usually intense
colors in the Passage weren't as brilliant in June as it had been in Feb and
think it had to do with the angle of the sun. In 2009 we were there end of
September - a bit windy - beautiful weather and water in the mid to high
70s. No problem getting to the passage with those high powered engines on
the Ra Divers boats. I assume your people take out trip insurance - a must
when traveling to remote destinations. No refunds at this tiny resort.
Fiji is definitely adventure travel. That is why we love it! You sometimes
have to work to get to experience those places that offer the best diving in
the world. Currents are what you want in Vatu-I-Ra Passage. Currents bring
in the food that causes the coral to open up to feed. The nutrients also
bring in the small fish that bring in the big guys to feed on the smaller
fish. Good fins and decent leg strength and it is fabulous.
I compare diving Fiji to Florida. The best and warmest diving you can get
in Florida is during hurricane season. If you don't get a huge tropical
storm and hurricane, the diving is spectacular - flat seas and warmest
water. That is how it is in Fiji. June July and August have great weather
with little rain because VBR is on the dry side of the island anyway. Even
in wet summer season Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, VBR gets less rain than they get
over on the eastern side at Pacific Harbor/Beqa Lagoon area.
