Solomon Islands & Vanuatu Advice

[jorgie6]

We're in the pre -planning stages for a dive trip to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu for late summer 2018. Would appreciate any suggestions or advice from anyone who has been there.

Our basic plan is to fly Fiji Airways from LAX to Honiara via Nadi. Fiji Airways flys to Port Villa in Vanuatu and back to Nadi. I have priced out different itineraries and Fiji Airways seems like the way to go. Will also be flying Solomons Air for a side trip to Munda and Air Vanuatu for diving around Luganville on Espiritu Santo.

We plan to try and keep a relaxed schedule ...and not make airline connections too tight...we'll be on island time.
Looked at a liveaboard out of Honiara..but the cost is just out of our budget. We plan to dive a few days around Honiara/Tulagi then head to Munda. On the return we'll fly to Vanuatu for some diving around Luganville. We enjoy wreck diving...having lived on Guam for 7 years..with lots of wreck diving there, at Turk Lagoon and Coron in the PI. I also have an interest in macro photography...our reason for choosing Munda...hoping for a good mix of diving.
If anyone has suggestions or recommendations for dive operators, lodging or land tours please start typing. We prefer modest accommodation and really aren't the high end resort type. While flying to any of these locations did anyone have problems with baggage allowance? I plan to put my camera equipment in my carry-on bag and am concerned about the 7kg limit.

Really appreciate the advice I receive on this board.

 

[FindingMenno]

Can't tell you much about Solomons (except that it is on my list...), but a little about Vanuatu. I was there on a sailing yacht with own tanks etc so can't tell you too much about operators and hotels.

Accommodation, the default place for divers seems the Deco Stop Lodge. Our ship was moored in front of the Beachfront resort which was very nice.
Diving wise the main attractions are Million Dollar Point and the Coolidge. We did Million Dollar Point by ourselves, flag down a pickup truck by the side of the road and negotiate for a few dollars a ride and return. Million Dollar Point is easy to navigate, enter the water from the parking, head out to start at the little freighter, and than take a right to see the dump.

For the Coolidge you need a guide, we went with Allan Power who has been there for ages. Very nice guides. Beware that the Coolidge are proper deep and usually deco dives. You need to be comfortable with that.

When in Vanuatu also worthwhile to spend some time in Port Vila. Very nice little town. In the bay there you can dive the Shorts flying boat wreck and the Star of Russia clipper wreck, both nice (especially the Shorts).
Reef wise I wasn't too impressed by Vanuatu, there is a nice reef off Epi island, and Cooks reef is supposed to be very good but remote and difficult to reach/anchor with the weather.
There was also some decent diving at Aniwa island but unfortunately not enough time to explore...

 

[Wingy]

I did the Coolidge with Coral Quays last year - can highly recommend - they're bungalows are nice and a little out of the main strip. Opted for Coral Quays over Alan Powell for a couple of reasons - doing deep deco dives nice to have a one on one guide with twins and bail out bottle just in case, diving on demand time wise depending on how busy they are and if you are a techie (I'm not but was curious) they cater from OC to CCR to sidemount and gas blending station is amazing. As above you sort of can't miss million dollars point..just wade in and you're surrounded by bulldozers and assorted war junk. Vanuatu overall reef wise is ok but nothing spectacular. Up in Santo Cindy's reef wasn't a bad dive.

I also did the star of Russia and the flying boat - good fun nice wrecks easy dives. The twin bombies etc reef sites in Vila are ok. I dived with Big Blue in Vila. Vila I stayed at Breakers - really nice place.

If you plan on going to Tanna to see Mt Yasur (Which you should) PM me for details

 

[jorgie6]

Thanks for the info, really appreciate it. We spent 7 years diving on WWII junk in Guam and have become addicted..so we will have to check out Million $ Point!
What time of year did you go..how were the visibility and sea conditions?

 

[Wingy]

September - water temp 22c - 24c - warmer in Vila slightly cooler in Louganville. A couple I met at Breakers did a DSD (him) and OW 2 dive day (her) used the seeemingly standard 3mm rental shorties and were cold in Vila. My guide at the Coolidge and Million Dollar point commandeered my thermal shield to keep him warmer - distinctly cooler inside the lower decks of the old girl - while I was toasty using a full 5mm. Viz was pretty good in Vila, fairly milky in Louganville but certainly not Braille diving

Water conditions while I was there were basically flat and glassy.

 

[FindingMenno]

I was in Luganville early October and my computer shows 26c as temp. For the Vila dives in September it was more around 24c.
The Star of Russia and flying boat can get a bit lower in viz as they are in the bay, I think it dropped down to about 7 meters or so. In Luganville it was very clear. Sea conditions were usually calm.