Best place to Scuba or Snorkel in French Polynesia?

[pingsplace]

I will be on a 10 day Tahitian Princess cruise in Feb/08. I would like to know which island is best for snorkeling and which island is best for scuba diving. The ports of call are Papeete, Bora Bora, Moorea, Rarotonga, Huahine, and Raiatea. Any info or advice is much appreciated. Thanks!:)

[BurBunny]

I will be on a 10 day Tahitian Princess cruise in Feb/08. I would like to know which island is best for snorkeling and which island is best for scuba diving. The ports of call are Papeete, Bora Bora, Moorea, Rarotonga, Huahine, and Raiatea. Any info or advice is much appreciated. Thanks!:)

 

I'd skip snorkeling or diving in Papeete - it's okay, but the other ports are so much better.

 

Rarotonga also isn't as good as the others. Tendering can be problematic there at times, and the coral isn't as healthy. But if there's nothing else that appeals to you here, the diving isn't bad, just not as good.

 

Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine and Raiatea are all terrific. Huahine was my favorite - the sea life there is incredible. Be sure to do a manta dive in Bora Bora. Moorea is just all around fabulous. In Moorea and Bora Bora, I'd recommend booking independently with Top Dive. They have shops on both islands, and do a terrific job. If there are two of you diving, you can get a package of 10 dives and share them for a discount.

 

If you're also planning a pre or post in Moorea, I'd also recommend taking a day and going out with Dr. Michael Poole on his humpback excursion. You may or may not be able to snorkel with them, but you will almost certainly get very close and it's a great experience.

[thunderbird56]

I will be on a 10 day Tahitian Princess cruise in Feb/08. I would like to know which island is best for snorkeling and which island is best for scuba diving. The ports of call are Papeete, Bora Bora, Moorea, Rarotonga, Huahine, and Raiatea. Any info or advice is much appreciated. Thanks!:)

 

I agree with Burbunny's recommendations. The waters around Bora Bora are spectacular. Plenty of chances to snorkel with rays and sharks. Moorea has many great dive sites. If you're a fairly experienced snorkeler, our favorite excursion last year was the Tahaa Coral Gardens Drift Snorkle out of Raiatea. The current is swift and strong but the sights are amazing. Have a great trip - wish we could go back with you.

[pingsplace]

I agree with Burbunny's recommendations. The waters around Bora Bora are spectacular. Plenty of chances to snorkel with rays and sharks. Moorea has many great dive sites. If you're a fairly experienced snorkeler, our favorite excursion last year was the Tahaa Coral Gardens Drift Snorkle out of Raiatea. The current is swift and strong but the sights are amazing. Have a great trip - wish we could go back with you.

 

Thank you for your response. I'm actually going to be an inexperiened diver. I'm planning to get PADI certified in BC, Canada in January/08 before going to French Polynesia.

 

Will I need a wet suit or does Top dive provide them or is the water warm enough with it? Any recommendations for an underwater camera? I heard from the scuba shops that Olympus 770 is only good for snorkeling.

[BurBunny]

The water will be fairly warm, but depending on your cold tolerance, you might be more comfortable in a 3mm suit. Write to TopDive and see if they have them available to rent. I always take my own exposure protection, so have no idea what they have available.

 

If you're a new diver, I wouldn't invest quite yet in a camera system. An underwater point and shoot disposable will be enough to give you some memory shots. You need to first focus on your buoyancy skills before adding another task such as photography. You don't want to be hurting the reef while you're trying to photograph it.

 

The disposables do a remarkably good job if you get quite close to the subject or are shallow. Otherwise, if you're looking to get a digital anyway, I'd go for one of the Canon or Olympus models which have their own housing. They will allow you to grow into your photography.

 

By the way, dive shops are one of the worst sources of photography info. They rarely know anything beyond what they carry, and often don't carry very good equipment :-x. Ask here, or on a dedicated scubaboard or underwater photography board for more complete info.