Scuba diving tahiti nov.2010

[Tomcrus]

Looking for information about diving in Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. What shops what sites.

[cruzegirl]

Looking for information about diving in Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. What shops what sites.

 

 

Hey Tomcrus,

Ah, Tahiti brings back wonderful memories. I loved it there. And want to go back soon.

I used Bathy's dive shop for Moorea and Bora Bora. We were at the Intercontinental on Moorea and they are based there. So I got to meet them ahead of time. They are a newer dive shop so their equipment was new in 2008. Their tanks are great. Short tanks and loved them. If you use them, you'll see what I mean. Very safe.

In Moorea our first dive was with Black Tip reef sharks. It was great. Check out my photo gallery and you'll see photos from Tahiti. Loved it.

Any other questions, just ask.

[dond3131]

We were there in 2000 and I dove on every island we stopped at.Sorry I don't remember who I used but I was happy with all of them.Tahiti itself was so-so as far as the diving but every other island was great.I think Bora Bora was the best,i foolishly tried to keep up with a Manta Ray.LOLOne thing for sure,you are going to love everything about the trip!

[cruzegirl]

We were there in 2000 and I dove on every island we stopped at.Sorry I don't remember who I used but I was happy with all of them.Tahiti itself was so-so as far as the diving but every other island was great.I think Bora Bora was the best,i foolishly tried to keep up with a Manta Ray.LOLOne thing for sure,you are going to love everything about the trip!

 

 

I agree. Papeete, Tahiti is not all that exciting. A big city, lot's of shopping but I don't know, I didn't like the "atmosphere" there. I absolutely loved Moorea. My favorite. Bora Bora was 2nd. It's beautiful there and great diving but a slightly commercial attitude. Moorea was very humble/loving.

[SanDiegoHeather]

I loved FP! There was one tour in particular in Bora Bora that was a huge plus. My husband and I went in Nov/Dec 2007. The IC is overrated. We stayed there in Papette and also in Moorea.

 

We took the Princess ship tour in Huihaine to Tahaa and I wouldn't miss is. I know there is a competing one but the ship tour turned out better. We did all of the other tours on our own and the turned out better. It was a small ship - 600 passengers or so, and we all talked.

 

Are you going to Rangioria? - drift snorkeling (private) was crazy, but only 50% made it without throwing up... I booked that cruise because of a 3-D IMAX I saw about drift divinb..

 

It's really late for me - email me at heathercruzer@aol.com and I'll pull you up the details.

 

My husband and I went to Tahiti IC 3 nights, 10-night Princess cruise (ours went to the Marqueses Islands which they have stopped), 3-nights IC Moorea. Weather was great - exchange rate was horrible.

[SanDiegoHeather]

Also - I also did the "snorkeling" with the black tip sharks in Bora Bora - I wouldn't miss that tour anything. It's so shallow that diving is ridiculous. I'll get the name of the tour operator - an independent that Ritz Carlton uses as their prefered vendor, and believe me - it was awesome.

 

The Bora Bora tour started with snorkeling at the reef, them swimming with the sharks, then lunch (mostly Ceviche again), then stingray swimming, etc. It's an all day tour - around $100pp.

[Tomcrus]

Hey Tomcrus,

Ah, Tahiti brings back wonderful memories. I loved it there. And want to go back soon.

I used Bathy's dive shop for Moorea and Bora Bora. We were at the Intercontinental on Moorea and they are based there. So I got to meet them ahead of time. They are a newer dive shop so their equipment was new in 2008. Their tanks are great. Short tanks and loved them. If you use them, you'll see what I mean. Very safe.

In Moorea our first dive was with Black Tip reef sharks. It was great. Check out my photo gallery and you'll see photos from Tahiti. Loved it.

Any other questions, just ask.

 

Thanks for the info. My wife (non-diver) and I are traveling on the Sapphire Princess. I will be doing a 2 tank dive in Moorea offered as a ships tour. I have also contacted a shop called, ”TOP DIVE” in Tahiti and arranged for a 2 tank dive there. One of these dives will be in the lagoon and we will be diving on a wreck (cargo ship) and a Catalina flying boat.

Best Regards

TomCrus

[Tomcrus]

We were there in 2000 and I dove on every island we stopped at.Sorry I don't remember who I used but I was happy with all of them.Tahiti itself was so-so as far as the diving but every other island was great.I think Bora Bora was the best,i foolishly tried to keep up with a Manta Ray.LOLOne thing for sure,you are going to love everything about the trip!

 

Thanks DOND3131

Thanks for the info. My wife (non-diver) and I are traveling on the Sapphire Princess. I will be doing a 2 tank dive in Moorea offered as a ships tour. I have also contacted a shop called, ”TOP DIVE” in Tahiti and arranged for a 2 tank dive there. One of these dives will be in the lagoon and we will be diving on a wreck (cargo ship) and a Catalina flying boat.

[dond3131]

Thanks DOND3131

Thanks for the info. My wife (non-diver) and I are traveling on the Sapphire Princess. I will be doing a 2 tank dive in Moorea offered as a ships tour. I have also contacted a shop called, ”TOP DIVE” in Tahiti and arranged for a 2 tank dive there. One of these dives will be in the lagoon and we will be diving on a wreck (cargo ship) and a Catalina flying boat.

 

Top Dive,I do remember that name,I haven't lost all my marbles.I dove with them in Bora Bora,they had a great shop and boat.If I remember correctly they must have had some a small resort tied in with them because I have pictures of a edgeless pool taken next to there shop.It was a beautiful setting.Having brought my underwater camera,I teamed up with their photographer and we went off by ourselves to get some great pictures of undisturbed marine live.It was awesome to say the least.

Since it was 2000,all my pictures were on film made into prints,but I'll have to dig some of them out and scan them and post a few.Pictures don't do the whole area justice,wait to you see it in person!I remember having breakfast on morning pulling into port and seeing a double rainbow,you have no idea how much fun this trip is going to be!

[dond3131]

Hey Tomcruz

 

I tried to scan some pictures but they came out to small to appreciate very well.I know I must be doing something wrong,I'll keep playing with it.In the mean time if you really want to get a feel for where your going,open google earth and start clicking on all the pictures on all the islands.As I sit here typing this my wife is watching the bachelor and they are in Tahaa,which is only 12 miles from Bora Bora and its bringing back so many memory's.My wife got a beautiful black pearl at a pearl farm on that island.We had taken an excursion to a Motu,which is a very small island on the edge of the lagoon,and on the way we stopped at the farm and she bought a ring.As we were walking around on the Motu she changed her mind and wanted to get a necklace instead,so she told the guy that was driving the boat and he took her back to the farm and she exchanged it for what she wanted.I stayed on the island and snorkeled and on the way back to the ship they brought her out in another small boat and we caught up with each other in the middle of the lagoon and she got back on to the excursion boat and we went back to the ship.She will never forget that shopping trip!That whole trip was a like a whirlwind,we tried to do as much as possible on every island and I tried to dive every island in the morning so we could do a land tour in the afternoon.I guarantee you are going to be blown away beyond your wildest imagination.Make sure you have your credit card balance way down!LOL

I do have one question.Are you sure you are on the sapphire?I didn't see it list on princess's site and that's a big ship,they like to use small ships so they can get inside the lagoons and most of the ships do 5-6 islands.We were on Renaissance 4 which is now Tahiti Princess.

[cruzegirl]

I thought I heard that Top Dive was purchased by Bathy's. I'll have to look that up.

And the Intercontinental hotel is NOT overrated. It's gorgeous. Can't wait to go back.

Either way, you'll love it. It's my #1 trip of all time. And there have been several. lol.

[Laurie S.]

That's correct, Bathys has bought out Top Dive.

[gvre]

Haven't heard they were bought out but if they have they probably have the same crew. I have done over 60 dives with them on all the Islands they have shops at. They were the best!

 

Richard

[Tomcrus]

Donde3131

Yes It's The Sapphire. She will be doing a back to back,LA to Sydney to LA. Starting in Sept.2010 and ending Nov.2010. We are doing the Sydney to LA leg.

Tomcrus

Hey Tomcruz

 

I tried to scan some pictures but they came out to small to appreciate very well.I know I must be doing something wrong,I'll keep playing with it.In the mean time if you really want to get a feel for where your going,open google earth and start clicking on all the pictures on all the islands.As I sit here typing this my wife is watching the bachelor and they are in Tahaa,which is only 12 miles from Bora Bora and its bringing back so many memory's.My wife got a beautiful black pearl at a pearl farm on that island.We had taken an excursion to a Motu,which is a very small island on the edge of the lagoon,and on the way we stopped at the farm and she bought a ring.As we were walking around on the Motu she changed her mind and wanted to get a necklace instead,so she told the guy that was driving the boat and he took her back to the farm and she exchanged it for what she wanted.I stayed on the island and snorkeled and on the way back to the ship they brought her out in another small boat and we caught up with each other in the middle of the lagoon and she got back on to the excursion boat and we went back to the ship.She will never forget that shopping trip!That whole trip was a like a whirlwind,we tried to do as much as possible on every island and I tried to dive every island in the morning so we could do a land tour in the afternoon.I guarantee you are going to be blown away beyond your wildest imagination.Make sure you have your credit card balance way down!LOL

I do have one question.Are you sure you are on the sapphire?I didn't see it list on princess's site and that's a big ship,they like to use small ships so they can get inside the lagoons and most of the ships do 5-6 islands.We were on Renaissance 4 which is now Tahiti Princess.

[islandwoman]

I was in French Polynesia in November 2009. We dove Moorea and Bora Bora, but not Tahiti. I would not recommend diving Moorea at this time unless you just want to see Lemon Sharks that hang around only because the tour guides feed them. The reef is dead :(

Bora Bora was better, although that reef was under pressure from the Crown of Thorns Starfish. I hope there is still live coral there by the time of your dive. We did two dives with the Paul Gauguin dive operator and the other with Top Dive Bora Bora (ship's excursion). Top Dive Bora Bora was OK, although it was a very rushed dive trip. Of the sites we visited, I liked Toopua best.

If you have a chance to dive Rangiroa, don't miss it. The two dives we did there (Tiputa Pass and the Outter Reef) were by far the best of our trip.

[eastwest]

If you want to see big sharks, French Polynesia is the place to be, esp. Moorea. For drift dive, Rangiroa Tiputa Pass is a must! We used Bathy's in Moorea and Topdive in Tahiti, Bora Bora and Rangiroa.Both have good service and equipments -that was Nov.2009

 

Enjoy your dives!

[CountessP]

I booked a package via Top Dive, and got a discount for booking all divings in Moorea, Tahiti, Rangiroa and Bora Bora with them. They did a good job. Don't remember the particular dive sights, but saw tons of sharks. In Tahiti I remember a reck called Catalina.

Hope that helps.

[Cruisebird]

Bathy's has bought Top Dive and they are the contracted excursion now for Moorea on Princess. I would prefer to not dive with a ship excursion, but I can't seem to find any other recommended dive shops for Moorea.

 

Has anyone dove with "Fun Dive"? They come up on Google when I put in Moorea Dive Shops.

 

Any help is appreciated.

[Laurie S.]

Why can't you dive with Top Dive as an independent? I don't like ship excursion dives, either and will be purchasing a package with them when I'm in Tahiti prior to the start of the cruise.

[Cruisebird]

Laurie....They sent me a response back and told me they couldn't take us on Moorea as they are already contracted with the ship. I've had that happen to us on Caribbean Islands once or twice, but there are always other recommended shops to turn to.

 

We don't have time in Papeete to dive so we can't purchase a 6 dive package. If you've already figured out your arrangements and talked to them, please, please let me know. I can't get a response from another dive shop in Moorea yet. I know they are on Island time!

[Laurie S.]

We're going to Tahiti three days early to do some diving, including on Moorea, so we'll probably make our arrangments once we're there. I know Blue Nui Divers have been mentioned as being on Moorea, but their website (http://www.bluenui.com) doesn't list them there. They might be worth contacting, and I have read very good reviews about them. I guess I'll check into Fun Dive, too, as a backup.

[Cruisebird]

Are you going to Raiatea? I just got a response back from Hemisphere Dive and they too are contracted with Princess so we'd have to book through the ship. I can't even find any recommendations for dive shops on Raiatea. If memory serves me I even searched on PADI site. Have you looked for anyone there?

[Laurie S.]

Yes, we are diving at all the islands. There's another shop, Te Mara Nui Plongee, but no website for them. We want to do a night dive on the Norby, so we'll have to check into who will do that for us. What a pain!

[Laurie S.]

Does anyone know who Princess is using at Huahine, Rangiroa, and Bora Bora for diving? I want to make sure we have alternate plans in case they're all messed up now.

[Cruisebird]

Of those three islands we are only doing Bora Bora. We have reservations with Top Dive there. Evidently they are not contracted with Princess for that island.

 

I'll let you know what else I might find for Raiatea.

 

I really thought dive shops would be more plentiful on these islands. Luckily I have 6 months to get things reserved. This is one of the few times I haven't found the Boards to be very helpful. I'm pretty amazed at how little info there is on these islands and the Royal Princess specifically.

 

Probably has to do with the small number of passengers..odds aren't in my favor that there are many divers.