Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Nai'a in
Fiji and Tuvalu

Nai'a, Apr, 2003,

by Harlan Cohen, NY, usa . Report 834.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments The Nai'a is a great boat. The crew is friendly and extremely competent. Everyone on board clearly loves what they are doing.

The Fijian reefs (at least the ones Nai'a visits) are in amazingly good shape. There was little or no evidence of bleaching at the vast majority of sites we stopped at. The soft coral is exceptional. While the reefs do not have the sheer number of fish you can see at some dropoffs in Palau, Fiji compares favorably to anywhere else I've been.

The soft corals and abundant fish life are a paradise for photographers, and the dive guides know where all the interesting little creatures live. We saw quite a few sharks, including several hammerhead sightings (I saw one at 110 feet). There were also occasional manta and other ray encounters. There were not as many turtles as in the past, but I'd say I saw at least one a day.

The captain was responsive to requests from the guests to remain at particular dive sites for additional dives.

Nitrox is available, and I'd guess about half the divers were using it.

The set up for photographers is excellent. A separate room on deck with plenty of space for cases, and plenty of room for cameras and othe gear. The Nai'a has the best set-up for photographers I have come across.

On a more prosaic note, the rooms are attractive, and the food is excellent. There is an opportunity to visit a local village during the trip. I did not go along, but those who went said it was fun.

I honestly can not think of a negative thing to say about the diving or the boat. I've taken several trips on the Nai'a over a period of seven or eight years, and my experience has been consistently excellent. Mr. Barrel runs a classy operation with excellent diving. I highly recommend the Nia'a.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Solomons, GBR, Belize, Turks & Caicos, Bonare, Palau, Truk, Pohnpei, PNG, Cozumel
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, cloudy Seas calm
Water Temp 83-85°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 50-80 Ft/ 15-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions No restrictions, other than a 45 minute time limit on night dives.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments The set up for photographers is excellent. A separate room on deck with plenty of space for cases, and plenty of room for cameras and othe gear. The Nai'a has the best set-up for photographers I have come across.
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 487 dive reviews of Fiji and Tuvalu and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. Experience Astrolabe Reef, soft coral, friendly people, kava ceremonies, tropical islands. Let us plan your adventure to Fiji.

Want to assemble your own collection of Fiji and Tuvalu reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.13 seconds