Trip Report Solomon Islands May/June 2015 - Solomon Island Dive Expeditions

[jorgie6]

We're looking at a trip to the Solomons in 2018. At this point our budget will only allow for a liveaboard OR some time at Uepi. What would be your choice? We really enjoy wreck diving...(done Truk 4 times) Did you do any diving on the wrecks around Honiara? One option would be to stay in Honiara to dive the wrecks then fly to Uepi or take the liveaboard. Thanks!

 

[mikeycanuk]

There was only 1 ship and 1 4 engined Japanese bomber we dove on the Bilikiki.

You steam out of Honiara but no diving there.

Personally we would do the Bilikiki again but we like pretty fishes and reefs. Plus the food is 1000% better then Uepi. Uepi has sharks, lots of em! That was the only plus. The owners are past their prime. If you've seen the Uepi promo vid's you will see how they note lunch is delivered to your cottage. That's so you get what they give you, no choices! We we starving by 4pm. And the dive boats aren't dive boats, we put our gear on in the water, not so good with 8 people in a drift. I could go on but like I said we would (are at some point) going back aboard the Bilikiki.

 

[jorgie6]

Looks like your timing, like ours missed the typhoon that hit late June. We were there July 4 aboard the Bilikiki followed by a week at Uepi. How did you get there? We did Toronto to LA, short Venice 9hr layover. LA to Syndey with a quick connection to Brisbane for 3 days. From there to HIR.

There was only 1 ship and 1 4 engined Japanese bomber we dove on the Bilikiki.

You steam out of Honiara but no diving there.

Personally we would do the Bilikiki again but we like pretty fishes and reefs. Plus the food is 1000% better then Uepi. Uepi has sharks, lots of em! That was the only plus. The owners are past their prime. If you've seen the Uepi promo vid's you will see how they note lunch is delivered to your cottage. That's so you get what they give you, no choices! We we starving by 4pm. And the dive boats aren't dive boats, we put our gear on in the water, not so good with 8 people in a drift. I could go on but like I said we would (are at some point) going back aboard the Bilikiki.

Thank you for your input. Sounds like our $$ might be better spent on the Bilikiki or SIDE. We lived on Guam for seven years and did lots of pelagic/drift/muck/macro in Micronesia, Philippines , Bali. How do you rate the macro stuff during your trip. That's my main interest. My husband "lust for rust" hence, 4 trips to Truk Lagoon. We were thinking of also flying on to Vanuatu/ Espiritu Santo for Million dollar beach , etc. The Coolidge is too deep for us. I'm in the research phase right now. The weather the past few years, particularly during our last few years on Guam (2013-15) the weather has been just plain weird with the El Niño. On our last trip to Bali we dodged 2 typhoons during our transit in Taiwan and an erupting volcano on Java. Sounds like the Solomon's have had some earthquake problems as well. Thanks again.

 

[billt4sf]

Thanks for the fantastic review! Can't believe I am just finding this now!
We are glad you had such a good time on Solomon Star. Now, you must come back and visit us on our new vessel Taka - she is even more comfortable and luxurious with all the same great diving. We are introducing new itineraries in 2017 to include more of New Georgia and the Western province. In fact, we are about to do an exploratory trip next month all the way up to the Shortland Islands and Choiseul. Belinda is now managing our land based operation at Munda - so you have another opportunity to diver with her there!

What do you mean by "new vessel Taka"? your website says that Taka was built in 2004.

 

[WetPup]

Taka used to operate as a lob on the Great Barrier Reef. It's new to the Solomons.

 

[Centrals]

...PART 2:

02/06/2015 - Marovo Lagoon

Dive 2: Unidentified Japanese battleship WW2 wreck, Wickham Harbour
10-15m visibility. Long wreck lying face up on sandy bottom at ~20m. Many big snappers, groupers, spadefish. Fish are relatively calm and allow approach. Turtle on resting on ship's bow as we descend onto wreck. Runoff from neighbouring Vangunu clouds the upper layer as we end our dive. This is from rain that has been falling all day.

Unidentified Japanese BATTLESHIP of WWII vintage?
I cannot find any reference on this!