Best dive sites Rangiroa

[Tressamb]

We are currently in Bora bora, and did a two tank. We are headed next to Rangiroa and besides Tiputa pass, what else should I ask to see? We are going to do at least six tanks there, and want to be sure we get the highlights. We are PADI AOW, but we know CMAS doesn't recognize this as advanced, so we need to stick to the more shallow in our range.

 

[Mike]

You'll almost for certain be diving the passes - Tiputa and Avatoru, most likely with only 6 tanks all your dives with be Tiputa, if you're offered anything else I'd be surprised. The experience of the passes changes multiple times a day based on the tides, time of day and weather so 6 tanks on Tiputa pass is just a taste of what it has to offer anyways, you won't be sorry with 6 tanks just at Tiputa pass. When we were there last, one of the owners of 6 passengers dive shop (Ugo) was diving with us almost every day and he told me he was on around his 12,000th dive on the pass.

And that is who I'd recommend you dive with, I would seek them out before Top Dive.

 

[TSandM]

When we dove Rangiroa, we did two dives . . . one was just the outer reef, and the other started on the outer reef, turned the corner, and flew through Tiputa Pass. By far and away the best diving was on the outer reef. We dropped into a pod of dolphins, got a fly-by from a manta, and cruised some of the most lush, healthy, and densely inhabited reef I've seen anywhere in the world. We saw schools of jacks and groups of white-tipped reef sharks. The pass was an anticlimax, because I suspect we weren't deep enough to see any sharks, so it was only fun in that you could see the walls ripping past you.

I loved Rangiroa, and it is still on my top ten list of dives in my career so far, but it wasn't the passes that blew me away.

 

[Wingy]

Tipuata and Avotora passes.....fly diving is awesome.

 

[Mike]

When we dove Rangiroa, we did two dives . . . one was just the outer reef, and the other started on the outer reef, turned the corner, and flew through Tiputa Pass. By far and away the best diving was on the outer reef. We dropped into a pod of dolphins, got a fly-by from a manta, and cruised some of the most lush, healthy, and densely inhabited reef I've seen anywhere in the world. We saw schools of jacks and groups of white-tipped reef sharks. The pass was an anticlimax, because I suspect we weren't deep enough to see any sharks, so it was only fun in that you could see the walls ripping past you.

I loved Rangiroa, and it is still on my top ten list of dives in my career so far, but it wasn't the passes that blew me away.

Diving the pass, isn't just one specific dive, it can involve many multiple parts put together at the start, the middle and the end, all interchangeably mixed up to create dozens and dozens of different experiences and variations. The starts can start in the middle open mouth of the ocean or toward either side with multiple drops downward over different places. On one 'pass' dive we were with at least 50 sharks in the middle shallow portion of about 40 ft. On another we were deep at the start and were with a wall of sharks including a great hammer head and a tiger, on other pass dives we started closer to the sides and were with mantas... On another pass dive we had dolphins at the end. It's a big pass, lots and lots of acreage to cover and experience different things on each dive, thinking of a pass dive as one specific dive I think isn't accurate.

 

[wico6768]

You can dive Tiputa pass repeatedly and never have the same dive, your guides will take you where you need to start, and it goes from there. We are going there again in March, and we have had different dives each time we've been so far. But we dive with Raie Manta. And, they know what we prefer and they plan dives accordingly. So, to see the sharks, dolphin, manta, etc. I think that the sharkclone we saw with them at the beginning of one dive, and the nursing baby dolphin, and then the interacting dolphin, and the mating black tips are some of the most awesome coolest dives we have ever been on. Ever. Those were all separate dives.

I think 6 passengers is fine too. I avoid Top Dive on Rangi, and really anywhere else but Fakarava.

You will do your morning dive and then an early afternoon dive, not two in a row. They will pick you up about 1-2 for the second dive. In Rangi, it's all about what is happening in the passes. You will love diving in Rangi, I am positive about that. Bora Bora pales in comparison, any of the society islands do.

 

[mbs]

Totally agree with Mike, there are so many different ways to dive Tiputa! Unfortunately the viz was crap the week we were there - lots of rain. But it still was wonderful. We didn't dive the other pass as they said the viz would be worse. One one part of the group did a bounce to 200 and me, my wife and the 14 year old (too young to do the bounce with his family ) did a normal dive. We actually ended up seeing more at 100 than they did at 200! A pod of dolphin swam up to check us out. Maybe one of my favorite moments diving so far. On the outer reef there was a squadron of massive mantas doing a fly by. Some photos below. The 3rd shot is on the way into the pass, at about 100 ft in the blue I took a shot straight down showing the layers of sharks below. Do as many dives as humanly possible. Its just spectacular. I would love to get back there some day!

 

[Tressamb]

Thanks everyone for your input! Back in the states now, the Internet was horrible in Rangiroa. We ended up doing seven dives total, one at Avatoru because we wanted to see it. Each dive was pretty awesome at Tiputa, and it's definitely on the list to go back. We dove with Y Aka, and every one of their guides were amazing, the boat captains quick to pick up post dive. They are new, but quite professional and the guides know the passes well. We saw more black tips than I can count, silver tips, a hammer head, enormous manta did a fly by on the shallows at the end of our dive in the pass, turtles, dolphins, eagle rays, etc....it's seriously just large animal overload..... LOVED it. I will do a complete debriefing when I have more time with video links. Oh, and the stories I heard about top dive bora bora leaving a diver behind in the water on a dive!