Bora Bora - Diver's heaven ?

[IanH]

Well I promised Leadweight a report so here it is:

I’ve just got back from 2 weeks diving in Bora Bora – supposed to be 2nd Honeymoon but don’t let on to my wife !!!

Things I liked:

1. The place - got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. Everywhere was like a picture post card. I have done a fair amount of travelling in my time but this place really is the nuts.
2. Visibility - not the best I have ever encountered but consistently good up to about 20-30m.
3. Fish life - Just so many and very colourful. Mostly completely unafraid of divers.
4. Sharks – OK only black tipped and grey reef sharks (some Lemon) but lots of them.
5. Rays – big but a fearful of divers.
6. Nemo Diving – Good professional outfit, friendly and well equipped
7. Camera – 1st time I have used a camera (Olympus C5050 and PT-015) underwater – it took a bit of practice but I think I’m getting there.

Things I didn’t like

1. Inexperienced divers crashing into the reef and worst of all trailing their octopus and pressure gauge in the reef.
2. Some dive companies feeding fish (incl sharks) – OK it may be the price to pay for an abundance of fish that don’t fear divers but it is too big a price IMHO. I think we are there just to look – don’t touch, don’t take
3. Price - $65 per dive £3 per can of coke. But it was a price worth paying
4. Too many Honeymooners i.e. not much conversation in the bar at night – everyone had gone to bed – can’t think why – or is it that I can’t remember ?

Well that’s about it. If anyone wants a more detailed appraisal – I might be persuaded.

Ian

[jnsgonda]

Ian,

Did you spend the entire 2 weeks in Bora Bora. Where did you stay in Bora Bora? Did you do the Manta lagoon dive I've heard about?

I just returned from the Tahiti Aggressor last week (May 17-24) and were considering returning to Bora Bora and Manihi at some point. (after my bank account recovers!) While researching our trip, I didn't see a lot posted about French Polynesia.

Can you post some pics? or give a website address?

Thanks,

John

[Drewpy]

I would have to agree.....!
Bora Bora is like no place else-I found myself constantly wondering if I was in a dream? It really does a hurting on your credit card balance though. (but worth it!)
:D

[DolphinDiver]

We loved Bora Bora as well. Very pretty place above and below the water.

We did the Manta lagoon dive and did see 4 mantas. The problem was that the vis sucked - about 25 feet because of big waves outside the reef stirring things up inside. Still, seeing that many mantas with such bad vis means they came pretty close!

The best manta experience was on Manihi though. Only saw one but we swam with it for about 5 minutes. Right beside it. Very cool. Of course that's the dive I didn't take the camera, I think it knew.

We like Rangiroa the best though. Wilder with lots more sharks. Of course they did feed them.

The dive masters said if we didn't feed sharks we'd probably not see them at all, especially shy sharks like lemons. The sharks do make the dives fun...

[leadweight]

You dog, you dog, you dog.

That's it, I have to do another Pacific trip. That's the ticket.

[IanH]

JNS

Yes we stayed the whole two weeks - when we are on holiday we just like to veg out - packing and repacking for different destinations is not our thing - getting totally laid back is.

We stay at Le Merdien - I thoroughly recommend it although it is expensive.

What sort of pictures do you want - above or below the water ?

I think I did Manta lagoon although Nemo do not have a dive by that name. One of the most disappointing things about the trip was that I didn't see a manta - 3 big eagle rays but no mantas.


Ian

[DolphinDiver]

Bora Bora above

[DolphinDiver]

Bora Bora below.

[jnsgonda]

Ian,

Thanks for the extra info. Was more interested in below water pics but above water pics would be great as well!!!

I'll try to attach a pic from our trip...

John

[Bacchus]

jnsgonda once bubbled...
Ian,

While researching our trip, I didn't see a lot posted about French Polynesia.

Can you post some pics? or give a website address?

Thanks,

John

if you search this section from last nov/dec you'll find lots of good info and pics from Scuba Jim, Finesse and others that were in FP during that time.

Also here's some links to my trip reports from a trip last December.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19866

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19888

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19927

Steve

[jnsgonda]

Steve,

Those are some of the few reports I found. I think there are less divers going there, especially compared to places like coz., GC, Roatan, or even Fiji. I'm not complaining. I like to choose places where less divers have been and are going.

After spending 2 weeks there, my opinion is: We had a great time and did some great diving, but I think there is better out there for the money. Especially at 99 Fpc/dollar!

Although topside it was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The overwater bungalows at the Kia Ora were worth every penny!!!

John

[Jack R]

jnsgonda,
How was the Tahiti Aggressor. I have done many of them and some other live aboards but haven't been on the tahiti or fiji aggressor.

Have you done other's like palau? How does it compare? Especially the diving part as opposed to the boat itself.

Thanks,
Jack

[jnsgonda]

Jack,

Sorry the reply took so long. I haven't checked the site in a few weeks.

Concerning the Tahiti Aggressor. I cannot say enough good things about the boat itself and the crew. About the hardest working crew I have seen and very safety conscious.

I think the diving itself is very unique with regard to other destinations in that it is VERY weather and "conditions" dependent. In most other places, there is usually somewhere decent to dive if weather, etc is not cooperating (ie, leeward side of island). At all the atolls, there is essentially only 3 dive sites. 1.) the pass itself 2.) the left corner of the pass 3.) the right corner of the pass. Of course the purpose of going on the Aggressor is to dive the swift currents through the passes during the incoming tide. So, the ideal day would be two pass dives a day and two corner dives. BUT... if the conditions are not cooperating you may be diving the same sites throughout the day (the two sides of the passes are not very different).

On the week that we were there (May 17-24) there was a southern swell that was "washing into" the atolls, effectively filling them (think of the atolls as a bowl with all the passes on the northern sides) consederably decreasing the currents through the passes. We were only able to make one pass dive per day always in the afternoon (about 4pm) and the current was only 3-4 knots. The am incoming current was almost non-existant. Therefore the other dives were on the corners.

Because of bad weather, we also spent an extra day diving Rangiroa (2 1/2 days total). Again, due to a storm, we dove the checkout dive site (aquarium) 3 times which everyone thought was boring. I liked it because there was plentiful macro subjects for good pics (see attachment). On our last day, the captain wasn't sure if they were going to make it out of Rangiroa at all the following week.

Even with good conditions, I thought the variety of life was limited compared to other places (fiji, hawaii, etc). We specifically went there to see sharks and it did deliver.
Also, very plentiful and tame turtles in Rangiroa. Almost no small nudibranchs (tree types of flat worms we saw), crustaceans to speak of. I'm happy I went. We had a good trip, but I wouldn't do it again.

As for perspective, I've done a liveaboard in Fiji (Fiji Aggressor) and the BVIs and land based diving in Sea of Cortez, Hawaiian Islands, Belize, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua, Jamaica, and dive at home in Southern California.

Hope this helps,

John