Diving excursions off the Paul Gauguin

[sdanielt]

I see dive excursions are listed on the RSSC/Paul Gauguin for $90. for a two hour excursion. Does anyone know if that actually includes two dives? I assume it is but I haven't seen anything stating it's actually two.

[LovinDivin]

The $90.00 is for a (1) tank dive off the PG. Reason being is that the certified divers go out around 8:30 in the morning and the beginning divers at around 10:30. Also, there really isn't room for double tanks on the zodiacs. If you are doing the dive in Raiatea, it is with an outside operator and is a (2) tank dive. We will be on the PG again next month. The diving is totally amazing, not to be missed! And I can't say enough good about the dive masters, the ease and the fun of going to the dive sites in the zodiacs off the sports platform. We are going to do every dive once again....our favorites being "The Ledges" and "Shark Gallery."

[Leejnd4]

Yes that is only one dive - the fact that the excursion is only two hours kinda seals the deal. No way to do a 45-55 min. dive, a reasonable surface interval,, and another dive in such a short time. The two hours includes boarding the zodiac and traveling to the dive site, and back to the ship. So one is all you get.

 

The cost is definitely rather steep (most dive ops give you 2 or even 3 boat dives for that amount of money). But I try to think of it as comparable to a shore excursion - you always pay a premium when you do an excursion with the cruise ship, rather than a private operator, and what you are paying for is the convenience factor. And that truly cannot be beat when diving from the PG!

 

Allow me to chime in and say that the dive crew on the PG are truly fantastic...and that's another reason to justify the higher per-dive price. I've been diving in some pretty amazing places, from Bali to Costa Rica to Belize, not to mention frequent diving here at home in SoCal...and this dive crew is just the best I've worked with. They totally take care of you from start to finish, and give you an appropriate amount of underwater supervision based on your experience. And being able to just climb into the zodiac off the back of the ship, zip out to the dive site, and zip back is incredibly convenient.

 

If you are hellbent on getting in as much bottom time as possible (understandable - this was some of the best diving I've ever done!), you may be able to do both the dive excursions (if there's room). They allowed me to do that twice on our 11-day cruise. This meant I went along with the beginners, but at that point they were comfortable enough with my abilities that they knew they could focus on the others and trust me to keep up with the group. There were other times I would have liked to do two dives, but on the other hand by only doing one, I was able to go do something else on shore. And these islands are truly paradise - you do NOT want to make the mistake of missing them by spending all your time underwater!

[DEBBO1012]

What dive equipment would you suggest we take on our September PG cruise? We usually take everything, but have heard their equipment is very good and would be nice to not have to drag our dive bags around.

 

Also, we will be pre registering for the dives, any suggestions on which dives are "not to be missed"? Thanks.

[RachelG]

My husband and son loved the diving. My husband has all his own gear, but did not take it as I had heard that the gear provided by the ship was fine. He was totally happy with what was provided. He has dived a lot of places and agreed that the dive crew were among the best he has ever encountered.

[LovinDivin]

With airline weight restrictions for bags to the other islands, we only take our own masks and our own wet suits. I have a thing about having my own wetsuit which is full length. But as far as BCs, regs and fins the PG equipment is good and the equipment cost is included in the dive price.

 

Also, as mentioned above, our group did an afternoon dive one day, when there wasn't anyone else interested in the beginner group and thus did do 2 dives that day. A 1-tank dive off the PG surpasses most 2-tank dives anywhere else! It's 1st class diving....we were spoiled!

[Leejnd4]

At the time I did the PG, I did not yet have my own gear, so I used theirs. It was fine, but now that I have my own I take it with me everywhere. As a frequent diver, I simply do not trust rental "life support equipment" (which is what dive gear really is). You need to know that they do NOT provide computers, and their gauges read in Bar, not PSI as we Americans are used to (not that big a deal, but when underwater I just feel it's always best to have what you're used to in the event of an emergency, when the ability to think fast can mean life or death).

 

Also, it depends on what you are used to for bouyancy. They provide standard jacket-style BCD's, and I dive with a back-inflation BCD. If you use a backplate/wing, or back-inflation BCD, it can be awkward trying to maintain horizontal with a jacket-style.

 

Please don't take this as a criticism of their gear - it looked well-worn, but well-taken-care-of. But for me, I just don't use rental gear anymore, and would encourage any diver to bring their own.

 

As for dives not-to-be-missed, what's your itinerary? I was on an 11-day cruise that included Rangiroa and the Marquesas...if you get to Rangiroa, the Tiputa Pass is DEFINTELY a must-do - it was on that dive that I saw my first hammerhead shark, and the pass itself was a total E-ticket. If you get to the Marquesas, Nuku Hiva was where I saw my first manta ray - one of the most awe-inspiring moments I've ever experienced underwater!

 

If you're on the standard 7-day itinerary, don't miss Bora Bora - beautiful clear water. I was able to do both Table Top and Tapu - both great dives. Moorea has Shark Gallery - fantastic! TONS of lemon sharks on our dive, which have such a menacing look to them.

 

All the dives are great, tho, seriously. :)

[Leejnd4]

Oh, and one more thing - if you are staying in Papeete pre- or post-cruise, don't bother trying to dive there. I did a couple local dives with the dive shop onsite at the Intercontinental, and they truly stunk. Not much to see, not worth the money. Not only that, but the DM was horrible there - worst I've ever dived with.

[drifting_away]

Thank you for the great input LeeAnne! :)

[sdanielt]

Thanks all for the info! I'm even more anxious now!

[egret]

I don't mean to start an argument, but, just got back in March from the PG. The dive in Raiataia is with an outside operator and was a one tank dive for us. It was with some folks from the PG but also about six or seven from the Tahitian Princess. Nice folks but it was a big bunch compared to the dives from the PG itself.It also included a van ride from the dock to the dive operator, then some waiting to get evyone organized, then a boat ride out through the lagoon to the dive spot, ditto on the return. Alot more complicated than going down to the marina on the PG and hopping into the zodiac.

 

The regulators on the PG read either PSI or BARs, potluck on what you get but they clearly explain how to tell how much time you have left, when to signal etcetera before every dive. One or two times the rig had a computer as a guage that had an lcd display.

 

There was a family on board from Montreal two adults and two children that brought their dive gear with them. It looked like a pain in the neck to me to lug that stuff around when the gear on the PG seems in good condition. I always wore a shorty wet suit but I think I would have been fine without it. Several guys on the last two cruises went without a wetsuit and said it was not needed.

[Leejnd4]

Egret, I recall reading that the dives at Raitaia used an outside operator. We didn't stop at that island, so we didn't have to deal with that. We did use an outside operator at one of our stops, but I can't remember which one! (I'll have to go back to my trip notes...I think it was one of the Marquesas islands). It wasn't a big deal - this operator had its boat tied up right near the pier, so we tendered in, took a short walk to the boat, and all our gear was already on the boat and off we went.

 

As for gear, it's really an issue of personal preference. I dive a LOT - I try to get out at least a couple times a month locally, and I do a lot of dive travel. I'm a stickler for underwater safety, so I do regular skills & drills dives so that in any emergency, my response will be automatic. At this point I'm so accustomed to my own gear that being underwater with anything else would feel odd, and if there was an emergency I could find myself responding incorrectly for the gear I'm wearing.

 

If someone is an infrequent diver, then it doesn't make much sense to even own your own gear...nor would you be so used to your own that using someone else's would be a problem. So my comments for bringing your own gear are really directed to people who, like me, dive regularly with their own stuff.

 

I don't find it to be a problem bringing my gear with me. I don't bring a wetsuit - I was perfectly fine wearing their shorties (they seemed clean enough). Because my BCD is a back-inflation, it's not huge and bulky. My reg and computer roll up nicely and fit in a small pouch. I bring my own mask and snorkel in a mesh bag. I don't bring fins - WAY too heavy and bulky, and I don't have a problem with wearing rental footwear.

[DEBBO1012]

Sorry I didn't mention my itinerary. We're doing the Sept. 2 week itinerary wtih Cousteau leading some of the dives and lecturing. In fact, he is the reason we're doing the PG this year instead of keeping it on our "bucket list".

 

I'll probably take my own stuff. I don't mind dragging it around...I've drug it everywhere anyway...just didn't want to have to deal with it on a cruise with the small rooms, dealing with the wet stuff, etc. Hubby and I each have our own dive bag so our individual bags, including everything, only weigh around 30 lbs. We usually stick shoes and other stuff that we would normally pack in another suitcase in the outside pockets of our dive bags so the weight reaches 50 lbs. Works for us1

 

Thanks again for all the replies. If anyone would like to chime in on which dives are must dos, please do.

[Leejnd4]

Oh, I should have mentioned - you don't HAVE to deal with your stuff! Bring it to the dive shop at the beginning of your cruise, give it to the crew, and they'll take care of it for you for the entire cruise. They'll rinse it for you, hang it to dry, and set it up for you before every dive. If you prefer to do your own gear set-up, they'll leave that part to you -- or, they'll do it for you...whatever you want. It truly is a LUXURY diving experience!

[islandwoman]

There are no formal nights, so that frees up room and weight for your dive gear.

 

[DEBBO1012]

I'm definitely taking my own stuff.

[khd96]

For the on board diving what are the procedures and tips for sign-up? Do you need to sign up pre-cruise (and if so how) or do you simply "drop in" on the first day of the cruise?

[Leejnd4]

The dives are booked the same as shore excursions. If you have a cabin booked on the PG, some time before the cruise you will be given the opportunity to book your shore excursions online, and most of the dives can be booked that way.

 

Sometimes, dives are added once the cruise is underway. This happened to us a couple of times in the Marquesas - they weren't sure they were going to offer any dives there because the visibility is so iffy, and they used an outside operator there and apparently they don't always know until a day or so in advance if they are going to offer it.

 

If you don't book your dives in advance, you can always book them on the ship at the tour desk just like you would any other shore excursion. Or, if the dive op desk is manned, whoever is there can book them for you as well. Just remember that there are limited spaces, so I booked every dive I could online as soon as the shore excursions were opened for booking.

[gazuccio]

Lee Anne,

 

As I have just noticed Aquatica is no longer the dive shop at the IC. It is a group called Bathy's Club which dives in moorea and Bora Bora. My fiance and I are staying at the IC and were planning a couple of dives before heading out to the PG. I guess there is one dive spot in Tahiti Iti that is a deep blue hole and then there is some wrecks. So I am wondering if they are better than Aquatica.

 

We are diving every advanced and certified dive the PG is offering (I think 13). It was nice to hear that we may be able to do a couple of dives a day if we want to go with beginners. We too are bringing our dive gear as I have an issue about usung someone's regulator (unless in an emergency). We have had our own "stuff" even before we started diving. We thought it was better to learn on your own gear than on something else. So we are really looking forward to diving off the PG. Thanks for the info about the PG hanging our stuff, that is way too cool and keeps us from keeping it in the room! AWESOME! I appreciate any tips you may have and we are excited to say the least to be diving there. We even bought a camera and strobe in hopes of capturing some of the beauty we encounter.

[Leejnd4]

Rudy & Lisa,

 

If you'd like to read my write-up of my diving experiences on the PG, check out this thread on Scubaboard:

 

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cruises-liveaboards-charter-boats/186824-paul-gauguin-tahiti-anybody-done.html

 

I also posted a bunch of pictures in there. (Note that I didn't take the underwater shots - they were taken by Dominique, the DM and head of the PG dive op.) I hope you enjoy them. :) It looks like a long thread, but the dive reports and pics are on page 2, so you don't have to read the whole thing.

 

So Aquatica is no longer the dive op at the IC, huh? Wow, I wonder why? Maybe I'm not the only diver who had a problem with their terrible service! Not knowing anything about the dive possibilities in Tahiti, I trusted them to take me to a good spot. I have no idea why they took us to some boring sandy-bottomed nothingness. They sure got a lot of my money for putting me through a horrible experience. Do let us know when you come back how things go with the diving at the IC.

 

If you have any further questions after reading my dive reports on Scubaboard, let me know! :)

[Friscorays]

Leeanne,

 

Thank you for the link to your posts over on scuba board. I enjoyed your trip accounts and pictures. I also appreciate that your cleared up some of the misconceptions on cruising that some of the posters had (the whole older crowd only interesting in being herded from shop to shop in between gambling and binging on liquor and food thing).

 

I recently got my open water certification although my girlfriend could not / did not secondary to some health and water issues. I'm planning on diving Motu Nui Nui, Toopua, Tapu and Shark's gallery while she hits the spa.

 

What level of proficiency do you think is necessary for the Tiputa pass dive? I will probably complete the advanced open water dives before the trip but am not sure if this would constitute enough scuba experience for what I understand is a challenging dive.

 

John

[mgnewman11]

Thank you all for your information about diving on the PG. I am going 10/10/2008, and will be traveling with 5 other couples, some of whom dive, some do not...alas, my wife is a nondiver, but i am working on it :D

I MUST agree with LeeAnn about gear. I dive twice a year, about 40 dives per annum. That is only a moderate amount, but I own and use my own gear. I will definitely bring my reg, BC and SpareAir, and once you pack all that, why not the rest of the kit?. Even if the gear on the PG is meticulously maintained, I want my own stuff once my life is on the line. And let's face it, that is what is going on, even on the least challenging dive. whatever the airline charge for overweight is worth in, IMHO.

 

Mark Newman

[Leejnd4]

Leeanne,

 

Thank you for the link to your posts over on scuba board. I enjoyed your trip accounts and pictures. I also appreciate that your cleared up some of the misconceptions on cruising that some of the posters had (the whole older crowd only interesting in being herded from shop to shop in between gambling and binging on liquor and food thing).

 

I recently got my open water certification although my girlfriend could not / did not secondary to some health and water issues. I'm planning on diving Motu Nui Nui, Toopua, Tapu and Shark's gallery while she hits the spa.

 

What level of proficiency do you think is necessary for the Tiputa pass dive? I will probably complete the advanced open water dives before the trip but am not sure if this would constitute enough scuba experience for what I understand is a challenging dive.

 

John

 

I'm glad that you found my trip report on Scubaboard valuable. I was dismayed to see so many misconceptions about cruising over there, and horrified to see the PG lumped in with people's perceptions of "booze-cruise party boat" cruising. Hopefully I set a few people straight.

 

The Tiputa Pass - I do believe you definitely should have your AOW before you do it. (They might even require it, although I think they would let an OW diver do it if he/she had enough dives logged). I don't think you should do it unless you have at least 15 or 20 dives under your belt. It's definitely a challenging dive, and you need to have pretty spot-on bouyancy control, as part of the dive is along a wall with no discernable bottom. (That's where we saw a huge hammerhead, doing figure 8's about 25 ft. below us. :)) And even MORE important, you need the ability to remain at depth in the channel in a lightning-speed current! There are boats whizzing in and out of that channel, and while the DM does inflate a lift-bag, there is no dive flag to let boaters know divers are down there, so if you surface you could easily be struck by a boat.

 

We did have one diver with us who seemed to have overstated his abilities before the dive - he was underweighted and was having difficulty staying down even before we turned the corner. Once you turn that corner the current grabs you, and you have to just let go and run with it, and be able to maintain your depth and fly forward in a straight line. This guy started corking in the channel, and poor Dominique was hanging onto him by his fin, desperately trying to yank him back down! At first I found it really stressful worrying about him, but then I realized there was nothing *I* could do about it, and hey I was here to enjoy my dive so I turned around and faced forward and enjoyed the ride. But Dominque was not very happy after that dive, I can tell you that.

 

The safety stop was easy as the current dumps you into a shallow area and you just have to hug the bottom. However, there are a couple other advanced dives on that trip that end with blue-water safety stops (nothing to hang on to, no visual reference for your depth) so you definitely should have some experience doing blue-water safety stops.

 

I hope this helps! I encourage you to try and get some more diving experience before you go, and DEFINTELY dial in your weights, work on your bouyancy, and practice some blue-water safety stops. I wouldn't miss the Tiputa Pass for the WORLD! As of Sunday I'm now at 120 dives, and it remains my all-time favorite dive. :D

[Friscorays]

Thanks so much Leeanne for the Tiputa pass info.

 

It sounds pretty clear that that particular dive will be beyond my skill level when we cruise this August. On the bright side, I now have a solid excuse to make a return trip!

 

John

[scuba diver]

LeeAnne:

 

Thanks for the info. I know that "Best Dive" is like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder (or in this case the diver). However, you make it sound pretty good and the pictures help support your opinion.