THE BEST DIVING IN FIJI

We recommend a 3 mm or a 5 mm between May to September - the middle of Fiji's winter. Currents, which keep the reefs healthy, can be chilly and in summer months there can be harmless but irritating stinging tentacles in the water. Winter hoods can be handy to keep you warm and to stop dreadlocking on long hair. Don't even consider purchasing wetsuit gear in Fiji. Even if you can find some gear it can be very expensive, possibly been on the shelf along time and there is little choice. Good dive shops generally have quality gear. It is not illegal but is bad practice to wear gloves and to touch the reef. Having good buoyancy is critical for many dives in Fiji. An SMB and reel and a reef hook can be good ideas in light of the currents that our soft corals love. If you intend to do a lot of shark diving in Fiji it is recommended that you bring a black wetsuit and fins and cover light coloured hair with a hood.

The usual stuff. Hats, sun tan lotion - reef safe is recommended of course. Water purifying tablets can be a good idea or a 'life straw' - most of our resorts provide filtered water to drink. You can drink the tap water in Fiji - we have for 10 years + If you have spare masks, old dive gear or an elderly 'Go Pro' the Fijian villages would be very grateful. Medicines can be very useful - it's often out of the way to find a chemist and they can often be poorly stocked.

Fiji has a hyperbaric chamber in the capital Suva, yet this is quite a journey from some of the islands. You should be careful with your own depths and deco, especially on the shark dives, which are around 23 m deep and involve a very 'flat' dive profile. Almost all of Fiji's diving can be done at depths more shallow than 30 metres/90 ft. All our dive resorts will need to see your dive qualifications. Stick to your depth limits and drink plenty of water to avoid decompression issues. COVID is well contained in Fiji and restrictions have been removed. Mosquito repellent is definitely required after sunset and after rain. Air conditioning is rooms keeps the mosquitoes away but if you are going fan only it is easy to purchase a bug spray on the way to your resort or ask housekeeping to do a clear out. Nets around beds with no air con rooms are normal. There is a slim risk of Dengue Fever in the wet season.

The dry season, between May to October, generally provides better viz and the weather is more stable without the risk of tropical cyclones. However, as many of the best reefs in Fiji involve driving dive boats into the South Easterly trade winds the flat seas of the summer seaon can mean divers get to the best reefs in Fiji more frequently. The 'BOGI WALU' (pronounced 'bongey waaaah-lu' means 8 days, and is the Fijian idiom for a prolonged period of strong winds and often a front of rain - expect these in May and September. There is the chance of heavy rain between November to April and when divng closer to land the viz can be badly affected as rivers can run into the ocean. It takes a few days to clear after these floods.

Fijian immigration requires you to be carrying a passport with 6 month's validity before your entry date to Fiji. A return or onward ticket is required. There is no entry or departure tax.

When diving in Fiji you need to charge torches, camera and strobes. Our power is 220 volts and sockets are a 3 pin Australia/ New Zealand style. Purchasing batteries in Fiji for torches is tricky and unreliable as often products have spent a long time making it to our tiny island. Again - the rule is to bring extra batteries, chargers and adapters. You won't regret it!