Fiji Water Temperature Answer and Pics

[BFRedrocks]

I had been asking around quite a bit about what the water temperature was going to be like when we dove in Fiji in May. I got a few good responses, but now having returned from our trip, I can answer my own question more directly. At least from April 30 - May 8 when we were diving in Beqa Lagoon, the water temperature was an almost perfect 84 degrees F, with a slight "drop" on our night dive and deep (>100 ft) dive to 83 degrees F. I usually wore a 3mm wetsuit in the morning and basically a 3/2 mm shorty (Fourth Element thermocline shorts and shirt) in the afternoon.

For those wondering, the diving was absolutely fantastic, and while the viz may not have been as good as Cayman, the colors of the soft corals, the sharks, and the nudibranches made diving in Fiji my best diving trip ever! Here are a few rookie pictures I took with my Sealife DC1400 on its maiden voyage.

 

[diver 85]

It is known as the 'Soft Coral Capital of the World' for a reason...........Remembering back, I wore a 3/2 shortie while we were there in Sept '10...Did you get to dive the TS dive with any success???........We did, 2 'showed up'(1st time in 3 weeks any were there), a 14'er then a 18'er on 2nd dive...Here's one of the 'smaller one'.....

[/URL]14 ft. Tiger shark...Beqa Lagoon, Fiji by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[BFRedrocks]

It is known as the 'Soft Coral Capital of the World' for a reason...........Remembering back, I wore a 3/2 shortie while we were there in Sept '10...Did you get to dive the TS dive with any success???........We did, 2 'showed up'(1st time in 3 weeks any were there), a 14'er then a 18'er on 2nd dive...Here's one of the 'smaller one'.....

Unfortunately no TSs showed up when we did the dives. We did get about ten 10 to 14-foot Bulls, plus a whole slew of 8-10+ft lemons and nurse sharks, but no TS. Great photo of the "smaller one."

 

[diver 85]

Unfortunately no TSs showed up when we did the dives. We did get about ten 10 to 14-foot Bulls, plus a whole slew of 8-10+ft lemons and nurse sharks, but no TS. Great photo of the "smaller one."

What was pretty amazing to our group, the 3rd shark dive group of the week, was the TSs were 'there' on our dive, again 1st time in 3 weeks...The 1st 2 groups went on Mon & Tuesday of the week, we(a large group from Louisiana) went on Friday, the last dive day @ BLR......That Friday nite during dinner, when they showed the shark dive video, a little more than half of the resort's guests were NOT happy campers---having to sit there & watch the 2 TSs......Our group just sat back & smiled...

More pics of the shark dive here---click link....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/sets/72157643466806175/

EDIT:.......We(3rd group) got LUCKY......We told the resort it might have the LSU Tigers(our 3rd group) bringing in the Tiger---Sharks..???

 

[marine9]

I may be going to Fiji next year with a group. Still up in the air.
However, please advise some of the better dive sites, if possible.
Thanks in advance.