Pacific Diving?

[Opes]

I am currently looking for a place to dive some Pacific reefs.

I have started my search in Fiji and the GBR but there are so many other options. I am looking for an "affordable" dive resort, with nice beaches, great diving, and nice locals.

I have dove almost every Caribbean Island and am ready to get out and see some nice hard coral reefs. If it gives you any insight into my tastes, my favorite dive destination so far has been Roatan and Utila.

I am open to any suggestions. Where to go? What time of year? etc.

Cheers!

Josh

 

[route66]

I am currently looking for a place to dive some Pacific reefs.

I have started my search in Fiji and the GBR but there are so many other options. I am looking for an "affordable" dive resort, with nice beaches, great diving, and nice locals.

I have dove almost every Caribbean Island and am ready to get out and see some nice hard coral reefs. If it gives you any insight into my tastes, my favorite dive destination so far has been Roatan and Utila.

I am open to any suggestions. Where to go? What time of year? etc.

Cheers!

Josh

Hi Josh,
I have been in many bodies of water in the world diving. This was a great trip. Have fun on your trip. try to get to a scuba show close to you. lots and lots of information.

Save your money and check out this trip. 3 to 4 dives a day and your night dives. The shark diving was GREAT!! :thumbsup:

Liveaboard Scuba Diving on NAI'A - Fiji and Beyond
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www.naia.com.fj/

 

[Patwa]

I am currently looking for a place to dive some Pacific reefs.

I have started my search in Fiji and the GBR but there are so many other options. I am looking for an "affordable" dive resort, with nice beaches, great diving, and nice locals.

I have dove almost every Caribbean Island and am ready to get out and see some nice hard coral reefs. If it gives you any insight into my tastes, my favorite dive destination so far has been Roatan and Utila.

I am open to any suggestions. Where to go? What time of year? etc.

Cheers!

Josh

Good move on diving the Pacific!

diving the Pacific is nothing like the Atlantic/Caribbean.....imo, Pacific reefs are the main course, the atlantic/caribbean is akin to an appetizer or salad course

if you're looking for something affordable, stay the heck away from Australia or Fiji....but make no mistake, it's worth saving up your ducats for such a trip! I learned to SCUBA dive on the GBR, and I know, one day, i'll go back

Best affordable options for diving in the Pacific is the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysian Borneo, from personal experience.

Philippines: pretty cheap all over the country, amazing reefs...been there twice already

Indonesia: stay away from expensive and tourist-heavy Bali....amazing reefs in Flores (and cheap to get to from Bali)....West Papua is (relatively) expensive to get to as it's on the far east end of he country, but it has the world's highest concentration of reef coral and fish.

Malaysian Borneo: prolly the most expensive of the three, but WAY cheaper than Australia! Borneo does have Sipadan, one of the top 5 dive sites in the entire world...been here twice already, too

HTH

z

 

[snorvich]

Best affordable options for diving in the Pacific is the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysian Borneo, from personal experience.

Philippines: pretty cheap all over the country, amazing reefs...been there twice already

Indonesia: stay away from expensive and tourist-heavy Bali....amazing reefs in Flores (and cheap to get to from Bali)....West Papua is (relatively) expensive to get to as it's on the far east end of he country, but it has the world's highest concentration of reef coral and fish.

Malaysian Borneo: prolly the most expensive of the three, but WAY cheaper than Australia! Borneo does have Sipadan, one of the top 5 dive sites in the entire world...been here twice already, too

Pretty Good advice. Sipadan is probably over dived but the rest is pretty accurate.

 

[Patwa]

Actually, Sipadan is not as overrun as you might think. There are a set number of divers allowed on the island on any one day....and the process is heavily monitored by the Malaysian Government, and it shows. If you think you'll be knocking elbows with other divers and dive operators, you'd be misinformed.

While diving Sipadan all I saw was pristine reefs, abundant fish and coral, and loads and loads of turtles and sharks - just as the books and websites described in my planning.

I have shots i've yet to post of my dive trip to Sipadan last Decemeber....sit tight..coming soon!

So yeah, one of the best dive sites i've ever visited, all things considered.

z

 

[Paul B]

You are correct that Caribbean diving is nothing like Pacific diving. I also have dove almost every Caribbean Island and am totally spoiled by Tahiti and Bora Bora.
I went on a ship that had a dive shop aboard but it was not cheap. I don't think you can go there cheap.
But there are dozens of sharks, whales, manta rays and moorish Idols all over the place. You have to be careful you don't jump on a shark as you enter the water from a boat.
In the Caribbean there are none of these and very few sharks.
It is a completely different experience and I don't even dive the Caribbean any more.

 

[Patwa]

I'm actually FROM the Caribbean, and I have absolutely no interest in diving there as yet (now, if i had a gun to my head, i'd prolly head to Roatan or Utila, and maybe the Southern reefs of Cuba....but that's it....hahah).

Ignorant tourists, ignorant governments, agricultural run-off, cruise ships, rampant mining/drilling, etc have all contributed to the near-death of the Caribbean and Atlantic reefs. It's a damn shame.

 

[Opes]

Thanks for the advise guys.

I will look into the places you stated. What do you recommend for airlines to those destinantions?

What is the best time of year to go?

Thanks!

 

[Patwa]

low season is best: less tourists, more space, and locals eager to sell you stuff at cheaper prices coz of the lack of tourists!

If you're flying from North America, the best bet is to fly into Hong Kong....or maybe some Chinese city like Shanghai. Delta offers competitive rates, if not the lowest around to HK.

Zach

 

[route66]

Best is where the big stuff is! SHARKS!! The Red Sea is far the best And Costa Rica.

 

[snorvich]

Best is where the big stuff is! SHARKS!! The Red Sea is far the best And Costa Rica.

Yes, Cocos Island is awesome. Only doable by live aboard, however.

 

[Kengar]

May not be cheap, but the Peter Hughes boat doing Bali/Komodo was world class. There is a site called Cannibal Rock that is, bar none, the most lushly populated reef I've ever seen. Not one spot of underlying rock was visible the coral growth was so dense.

Palau offers a nice variety of sites, from Blue Corner (strap on you reef hook and let the current fly you like an underwater kite as the sharks zip in and out of the bazillion pyramid b'flies and niger triggers) to Ulong Channel (mammoth scroll corals) to Chandalier Cave, with option to go to Pelelieu (major WWII battle)

Re Sipidan, I haven't been there since September 01 -- in fact, got turned around mid-flight and stuck in Taipei for a week on the way back due to 9/11 -- and I believe the on-island operations are no longer running (but I could be wrong), but the reefs were pristine. Acres and acres and acres of acro forest, with huge schools of massive bumphead parrotfish grazing, turtles everywhere, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Paul B]

I took this WindStar ship in Tahiti. It has a fully equipped dive shop on board but it is not specifically a dive ship. It is an excellent cruise ship and the only ship I go on any more.
The back opens up into a dock.

 

[Reeferhead]

I took this WindStar ship in Tahiti. It has a fully equipped dive shop on board but it is not specifically a dive ship. It is an excellent cruise ship and the only ship I go on any more.
The back opens up into a dock.

Unfortunately, Windstar isn't sailing to the Pacific at the moment. Our line of choice the Star Clipper is in the same boat. Neither will risk sailing past Somalia so they're stuck alternating between the Caribbean and Mediterranean. We just got back from Sailing Greece and Turkey. The trip was nice but the little diving we did sucked. One of the Windstar ships left Athens the same day we did, even saw them again in Santorini.

 

[Paul B]

Neither will risk sailing past Somalia

I was on it's last trip to Tahiti, they told us the Tahitian Govt, charges too much to dock there

One of the Windstar ships left Athens the same day we did, even saw them again in Santorini.

I also took that trip on the WindStar to the Greek Isles and Santorini which is fantastic. I have been to many places but Santorini had to be the most beautiful

 

[ace_92101]

I am currently looking for a place to dive some Pacific reefs.

I have started my search in Fiji and the GBR but there are so many other options. I am looking for an "affordable" dive resort, with nice beaches, great diving, and nice locals.

I have dove almost every Caribbean Island and am ready to get out and see some nice hard coral reefs. If it gives you any insight into my tastes, my favorite dive destination so far has been Roatan and Utila.

I am open to any suggestions. Where to go? What time of year? etc.

Cheers!

Josh

I've dove Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Iindonesia, Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, Vietnam as well as a lot of locations in the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. Feel free to send me PM if I can help.

 

[patro]

recently went to fiji. amazing snorkeling and awesome diving. overall it isnt as expensive as other places. i would suggest the manamuca islands

 

[route66]

Nice! I hope you enjoyed your trip on liveaboard.