Diving in Fiji

[Hintermann]

Hintermann,
For us Fijians, the water is cold (around 77 degrees, depending on where you're diving). For most visitors, that's still pretty warm. If you're on a liveaboard and doing 3-5 dives a day, I would recommend the thicker suit, especially if you have a tendency to feel the cold.

Happy diving in Fiji!

Thank you. I live in the UK although I have done very little diving here. I have been on 14 liveaboards, sometimes with 5 dives a day and so far only used the 2.5mm shorty. But then I carefully chose the time I went and the water was always over 26*C, which seems to be my personal cutoff point.

For Fiji next week and for Bali/Komodo in June 2014, I will definitely take the 5mm full suit. But definitely no hood - it makes me feel uncomfortable during a dive.

 

[jamesdiving]

Hinterman, I was in Komodo this June and funnily enough the water temp never dropped below 27C - I dived in a pair of shorts and a rash vest the whole time, even in the south. My buddy was none too thrilled that he'd taken my advice to spend 500 SGD on a 5mm suit and a hood before we left for the trip. Incredible diving btw.

For Bali it depends where you're diving - Tulamben is warm but I hear Nusa Penida can be 20C at times...

 

[calypsonick]

Karasic,

You may have already made the bookings but I can recommend Lalati Dive Resort on Beqa Island. I went with my wife and daughter and they took good care of us. My daughter did the Discover SCUBA program with Instructor Sabine and it was awesome. Some pics from the two days there in the link below.

Lalati Exploring & Diving on Beqa Island, Fiji - 13&14 April 2013

The resort's site here:

Lalati Resort & Spa | Boutique Luxury Honeymoon Dive & Adventure Resort on Beqa Lagoon Fiji

Have a great trip !!

Nick

Hi!

I'm a vacation diver with over 10 years of experience, but only with 50 dives. I'm going to Nadi, Fiji Islands and want to see if someone can recommend a company to dive with and places to see.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Shasta_man]

Just got back from Fiji last week for a week on the Nai'a in the Bligh Waters and Koro Sea. It was ~79 degrees F everywhere. Here and there it hit 80 degrees F, but the 79 was more prevelant there. I wore 3MM fullsuit the whole time but dive guides wore "Fiji style wetsuit" of T-shirt and shorts, with low top boots, usually well worn with holes in them. Some wore the Fiji all use dive socks, which work underwater and on the soccer field. It could feel a little cool here and there but never felt cold but temperature tolerance is definitely specific to the individual. If you are comfortable in hot humid temps, you may be cool at 79, while if used to cold temps, 79 is nothing. I was baking to death on the dive deck, while a dry suit diver we had along sat comfortably in his full undies outfit waiting for the dive. He was from Florida so he was used to very hot and humid.

 

[cbm32]

I have never dove with Lalati, but having dove four different areas in Fiji (far from a sampling of every area to be sure) Icoule not recommend the Bega area at all. With the exception of the shark dives, my experience was that Bega was 4th out of 4 in terms of quality diving.

---------- Post added July 19th, 2013 at 02:19 PM ----------

I should have included that I dove the first area for 2 weeks, the second for a week, then Bega for a full month and the last area for 17 days.

The dive op at the first area was by far the worst, but it was by far the best diving and they have totally revamped the dive op at the resort. They have cleaned up their act in the dive op area a LOT and are now ready to really take care of divers properly.

The dive ops at the other three areas, including Bega, were very very good..no complaints at all with the dive ops in those areas. But, the diving just didnt live up to the first area at all with, again, Bega being by far the worst.

 

[diverrex]

I have never dove with Lalati, but having dove four different areas in Fiji (far from a sampling of every area to be sure) Icoule not recommend the Bega area at all. With the exception of the shark dives, my experience was that Bega was 4th out of 4 in terms of quality diving.

---------- Post added July 19th, 2013 at 02:19 PM ----------

I should have included that I dove the first area for 2 weeks, the second for a week, then Bega for a full month and the last area for 17 days.

The dive op at the first area was by far the worst, but it was by far the best diving and they have totally revamped the dive op at the resort. They have cleaned up their act in the dive op area a LOT and are now ready to really take care of divers properly.

The dive ops at the other three areas, including Bega, were very very good..no complaints at all with the dive ops in those areas. But, the diving just didnt live up to the first area at all with, again, Bega being by far the worst.

Where were the other three areas?

 

[cbm32]

The head of the Bligh Waters, Kandavu, and the Yasawas.

I will give you that it was the rainy season and so viz wasnt the best in Bega Lagoon....but the weather wasnt real cooperative diving Kadavu either. I did a LOT of dives in Bega Lagoon in the month I was there and neither the corals nor that marine life compared to the other areas.

 

[Dive Wananavu Fiji]

After working for a year on the Coral Coast I can agree that it rains far more over the Coral Coast and Kadavu than it does in other areas around Fiji. The weather paterns typically come in from the SE, hit Suva and track west along the Coral Coast. With the amount of rain there are more rivers in that area that run into the ocean and can lead to less than great vis especially during the rainy season. If you already have a trip planed to the Coral Coast I recommend to go diving at Pacific Harbor. The diving may not be as great as other areas in Fiji but it is "Above Average" diving and the shark dive is one of the best feeding shark dives around. Personally after having dived around the Yasawas, Vatu-I-Ra Passage aka "The Bligh Water", all along the Coral Coast I would have to say the Bligh Waters are my favorite. My wife and I moved to Rakiraki "Sun Coast" because were were tired of the rain along the Coral Coast. We couldn't be happier. We have world class diving on our doorstep and we're reminded about that when were diving along side the Nai'a out in the Passage. Site like Mellow Yellow, Mt Mutiny, Pure Magic, Instant Replay and of course E6.

If you want to see how our diving is around the Vatu, Bligh Water check out our dive logs on our website (link is in our signature). We try to update them daily (sometimes a bit less) when we are diving. This week no diving since our resort is booked for a wedding, which is too bad because the weather is PERFECT. Murphy's law right? Oh but my point. No matter where you choose in Fiji the local Fijians make a trip to any Fiji destination worth it and if you get good-to-world class it's even better.

 

[Shasta_man]

We had perfect weather a couple weeks ago as well. Mt Mutiny was pretty awesome with all those soft corals between 60-80 feet, and the profusion of fish on the top. I'd like to go do the sites again because now I know my way around them and what to expect.

 

[Heg]

Karasic,

You may have already made the bookings but I can recommend Lalati Dive Resort on Beqa Island. I went with my wife and daughter and they took good care of us. My daughter did the Discover SCUBA program with Instructor Sabine and it was awesome. Some pics from the two days there in the link below.

Lalati Exploring & Diving on Beqa Island, Fiji - 13&14 April 2013

The resort's site here:

Lalati Resort & Spa | Boutique Luxury Honeymoon Dive & Adventure Resort on Beqa Lagoon Fiji

Have a great trip !!

Nick

Stunning photos. Love the one one of the bat fish