Thinking about Fakarava and Rangiroa in December

[FairyBasset]

Hi all!
Have never been diving in the South Pacific before and am thinking about doing a liveaboard as well as some land-based diving over Xmas and New Year.

My buddy likes Mantas and coral reefs.
I like sharks and currents.
So we would ideally like to move around and see a mix.

Is it the season for whale sharks or mantas at that time?
Which are the best areas for liveaboard tours, if there are any available.

I heard the weather could be very changeable at that time of year, so not sure if it is better to postpone til a different time.

Thanks very much for any help and recommendations you can give.

 

[Wingy]

At fakarava you will get soft corals...At both you will get sharks, currents and mantas. The Paul Gaugin is the only LOB that I know of that does the tuomoto's. I was in FP in January last year and the weather was fine. All the diving at Rangi and Fakarava is landbased out of RIBS unless you take the Gaugin option. I didnt find the weather a hassle at all, it rains some days, most days, but that doesnt interfere with the diving. Have fun.

 

[Cali_diver]

Having done both the Paul Gauguin and land based in Fakarava, I would highly advise you to stick to land based in Rangi and Fakarava if your main purpose is diving.

 

[FairyBasset]

Thanks so much for your input. Any reason why the LOB isnt as good as land-based diving?
Would you recommend then to do both Fakarava and Rangiroa, not just one or the other?
I may have up to 3 weeks, so would be open to moving round a little.
Am not sure yet if I will go there, as may go to Phillipinnes.
Trying to work out which I would prefer at the moment.

 

[Wingy]

Having done both FP and had a quick look at PG/Sabang in PI I personally would say go to Rangi and Fakarava if you can. There is not much to do in Rangiroa except be at one with the earth, sky and ocean - you can go and check out the pearl farm or you can drop out of living for a while and just enjoy being on one of the most remote beautiful spots on earth for a while. Due to an engine fire on one of air Tahiti's fleet my flight to Fakarava was cancelled so I can only give you second hand advice, but Rangiroa blows my mind for big stuff and big currents, both of which im particularly fond of. The Paul Gaugin LOB is not so much a dive focused LOB but a round the atolls LOB - a cross between a small cruise ship and a dive LOB. Splitting your time between Rangi and Fakarava is the best option with three weeks as the diving at Rangiroa is all about the passes whereas the diving at Fakarava has a bit more reef life. Shooting through passes gives me a thrill and I could do it daily but not everyone is into that. The beauty of the tuomoto's is the peace there and how everything is so close to nature...plus the people are beautiful. Forego hotels and stay at Pensions with the locals - Tiena and Marie is my favourite. With three weeks you would have enough time to do 7 days diving on Rangi and 7 on Fakarava and then why not check out Tahiti (good shark dives and absolutely beautiful island) or catch the ferry across to Moorea which is also spectacularly beautiful and there is some diving there but pretty average.

I liked Sabang in the Philippines but I dont know if three weeks there would bore you to tears. Combine with Anilao and Malapusca perhaps or Apo reef as friends have suggested. I know there are threshers and I know the Philippines gets the odd whale shark and there is some big stuff....but big stuff REALLY big stuff is the domain of French Polynesia so far that I have experienced, perhaps on par with Papua New Guinea. Id suggest hitting youtube and looking at clips of both to see what appeals to you..if you want fewer people, thats another plus for FP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BVBVfsf7HU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPCRECg77bo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmvoP6t6YpA

 

[FairyBasset]

Thanks so much! By the way, I assume I have to fly to Tahiti and then transfer by plane to the islands. I heard there is an air pass or something similar.
Does anyone have a good idea about how to do this? Thanks

 

[Wingy]

Yes you fly to Tahiti with Air Tahiti Nui and then you buy an island pass with Air Tahiti. All flights go via tahiti - you would need to buy a tuomotos air pass https://reservation.airtahiti.pf/AirtahitiIBE/OnlineBooking.aspx

I dont bother using travel agents just book direct online. As you have to come through tahiti in and out to the tuomotos Id really suggest having a look around tahiti and moorea for a few days. People will say there is not much to see in Tahiti but there is...lava tubes, blow holes, ancient maraes, waterfalls (the triple falls are beautiful) and the gardens are just beautiful. Also worth going down to teahapoo where they have the billabong pro big wave classic (wrong time of the year in december though, the waves come from the other side of the island but great beach to chill out on and have one of Raimanas famous hotdogs. Hotels in tahiti can be hard to come by and expensive due to cruise shippers which is why I went onto moorea as there are more hotels (equally expensive lol) and a few cheaper pensions which are not booked out as quickly as possible. I stayed at the Pearl in Moorea because the worlds best breakfast and cakes are just a short walk away at Caramelline Patisserie.

I would recommend Rangiroa Paradive and have heard nothing but good things about Serge in Fakarava and also Fakarava Dive Spirit gets a good wrap.

 

[FairyBasset]

I checked out Paul Gaugin - its a huge cruise ship! Absolutely not what I had a mind for a dive trip!

I read the Dec-Jan is hammerhead season (great - my favourite!).
Does that mean there won't be mantas or whalesharks around at that time?
Would you guys say Dec-Jan is a good time of year to go, or better to plan April or September?
Shame I will miss the humpback season in Moorea in Dec-Jan.

 

[Wingy]

Ahh thats the hard part to answer..in January i saw no whales at Moorea, but one at Tahiti. Tahitians mentioned mar - may as the whale season. In Jan I saw great and scallopped hammerheads, silkies, white tips, black tips, mantas out in the society islands (bora bora) but not rangi....not that it mattered much because there were so many eagle rays around. Dolphins are year round at Rangi. Be great if we could order up everything we wanted to see - dial a humpback sounds awesome but its luck of the drawer

 

[FairyBasset]

Wingy, have you been there several times or just once? And is it worth to go to Bora Bora then also?