Vanuatu diving any good?

[glbirch]

Headed for Australia and extending my trip for a little vacation. Trying to figure where to go and noticed that Virgin Blue flies into Vanuatu.

Anyone been there recently? Are there any live-aboards? I'm doing some research but find I'm a litttle pressed for time...

 

[ScubaYakker]

The diving off of Port Vila is primarily wreck diving. There are a number of ships that have been sunk for divers. Santo is famous for the USS Coolidge - a luxury liner pressed into service for the US Army/ Unfortunately, when entering port, she hit a 'friendly' mine and ended up sinking. The bow sits at 60 feet, and the stern at about 300. It is a vry unique dive. There is also Million Dollar point - the biggest underwater dump you'll ever see, courtesy of US military.

Happy Travels
Mark dolphinadventures2004@yahoo.com

 

[almitywife]

i LOVE vanuatu - its my fav diving location. we even were married there

why?

less than 4hrs from sydney by plane
you can get reef, deep, rust and fish
warm
viz usually very good
local people very very lovely

sadly i will say, over christmas i noticed that the tourist dollar is ruining Port Villa and its now hetic and i saw more and more buildings which isnt the port vila i fell in love with 10yrs ago

BUT

dont dive port vila.... get out!!!

over christmas we went to Tranquility/Moso Island, trip report here. VERY VERY basic but the diving was great. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/pa...stmas-07-vanuatu-tranquility-trip-report.html

or you can go to Hideaway Island, about 20mins by bus from Port Vila airport. nice diving, nice accomodation, great food and you can do Tranquility as a day trip if you want Hideaway Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary - Vanuatu - The diving resort

BUT

if you can - i suggest you get up to Santo, sydney/port vila/santo or brisbane/santo to dive The Coolidge. A shore wreck the size of the titanic, Dive the SS President Coolidge in Vanuatu with Aquamarine

any questions ask away - i really LOVE vanuatu, been there about 6 times i think now

 

[almitywife]

otherwise dive shops based in Vila is Big Blue (mike and maggie crawford) and Nautilis

the flight from Vila to Santo is a small hopper flight and only takes about 45mins/1hr

 

[Heg]

I agree with Almitywife re Vanautu - love it
HOWEVER

I disagree with Almitywife re Port Vila area dives. We just got back from our second trip to Vanuatu two weeks ago. Based ourselves in P.V. Did 13 dives with Big Blue all in the P.V area and all fantastic. They go to out to all the dive sites around Hideaway Island anyway and out to Pango Point etc. We also did a day trip out to Tranquility to do two dives out at Moso which were stunning. However the journey out there is awful and the resort on the island is VERY basic. Glad we weren't staying there.

Use Big Blue if you go to PV. Mike and Maggie are great and their boat is a lot faster than Nautilus boat. They have really good quality hire gear too if you are not taking your own. Tell them Jo and Rob Birch sent you. Welcome to Big Blue Scuba - Vanuatu |

 

[almitywife]

....the resort on the island is VERY basic. Glad we weren't staying there.....

heheheeheh - hey! that was my christmas your diss'ing

and what i was lamenting was more the loss of the Port Vila i remember before the tourists...... the diving is still good and yes, Mike and Maggie run an EXCELLENT outfit (Mike ran the compressors for my wedding march when i got married btw-refer my profile pic)

.....Tell them Jo and Rob Birch sent you. Welcome to Big Blue Scuba - Vanuatu |

noooo - you tell them Lorraine and Theo sent you!

 

[Heg]

So whaddya think of the 'new' 6 storey Sebel hotel then? Bit of a blot on the landscape huh? WHY do they let them build these things...

 

[almitywife]

So whaddya think of the 'new' 6 storey Sebel hotel then? Bit of a blot on the landscape huh? WHY do they let them build these things...

ugghh - hideous and all the tourist crap shops around it, ie the scootter place near it and the traffic!!!!! its so hetic now - back in 2000 you could cross a street at lesuire and siesta meant siesta and the town closed down! heheh, we spent one day in Vila (visiting Mike & maggie and others) and at 9am people were sitting around the pool and when we came back at 5pm they were still sitting around the pool - whats up with that?

i remember one year just sitting outside the Olympic and having a burger and watching everyone race around like ants - i really really feel sad about what the tourist dollar is doing to Vila.

glbirch - vanuatu is a wonderful and beautiful place so dont let my moaning turn you against it but this is why i suggested getting out of Vila because its so nice once you get away from the tourists

oh - did you get to hideaway? mmmmmmmmmmmm coconut pie!!

 

[BlueDevil]

The Coolidge is an awesome dive and it would be a real pity to spend the time and money going to Vanuatu and not do the Coolidge. Another great wreck off Santo is the Henry Bonneau, just off Bokissa Island. It is swimming distance from shore but is in 40m of water (however usually done as a boat dive). A really picturesque wreck with usually very good viz.

If going to Santo consider Bokissa or Aore island as possible places to stay - both are nice resorts.

 

[Heg]

Are there any dive outfits in Santo that don't focus on the Coolidge? Wreck dives are ok, but not rerally my thing and I've heard that Santo has some spectacular reefs. We may go up there on our next trip to Vanuatu, but I don't want to spend every dive on the Coolidge.