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Dive Review of Nai'a Fiji in
Fiji and Tuvalu/Fiji

Nai'a Fiji: "Awesome Diving/Crew/Boat!", Jan, 2015,

by Lisa Vitale, TX, US (Contributor Contributor 15 reports with 9 Helpful votes). Report 8132.

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 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments We flew into Fiji a couple days early and stayed at the Westin Denarau. The Nai'a came and picked us up and we were off on our 10 day trip.

It was about a 1 1/2 hour drive to the boat. Our room was very nice, lots of space for your personal items and space to put your luggage. The shower was the largest of any liveaboard I have been on so far.

We were briefed, got our dive gear together and went on a check-out dive. A total of 4 to 5 dives were planned each day. Diving started with the first dive at 7 AM. Dives were at 7 AM, 10 AM, 1:30 PM, and 4:30 PM, then a night dive after dinner. The first dive occurred before breakfast (which I love!) but a continental breakfast was served before, with a hot breakfast after.

Dive briefings were very detailed. Joshua and Amanda did a great job with the briefings. Diving off the skiffs was easy. The crew helped you with your gear. We did back rolls off the skiffs. Skiffs were staggered so all divers were not in the same area at the same time. When you were finished with your dive, you surfaced, a skiff would pick you up and take you back to the boat. Divemasters were very good at showing you things so it was a good idea to stick near them.

The reefs were in great shape and the corals were beautiful. Fiji is known for their soft corals, but the hard corals far more abundant than the soft corals and extremely healthy and beautiful. The diving was great, dive sites were all very different with lots to see on each dive. Visibility was about 40 to 60 feet most dives, not the greatest, but that's why the corals are so healthy and abundant!

The food was amazing! I have been on many liveaboards and it ranks as one of the best for food. The crew was fantastic! Everyone was so very friendly and helpful. I enjoyed the kava parties and hanging with the crew learning about Fijian culture. The cruise directors, Joshua and Amanda did an awesome job. Joshua lead talks on the marine life most days that were very informative.

I saw the February 2015 Undercurrent with the review of the Nai'a and specifically the comment the female diver suggesting "sexism" occurring onboard with the cruise director. I did not witness or experience anything like this from any of the Nai'a crew (and specifically Joshua). I have been on MANY liveaboards and have found that typically there is always that one passenger that really gets on your nerves, I choose to ignore them, and I most definitely stay very far away from them when diving if they are bad divers. It was very clear to me that protecting the reefs was their top priority and I find it hard to believe they did not emphasize this. I do believe there are two sides to every story, and it would be nice to hear from the Nai'a about his incident. I suspect there is more to the story.

I highly recommend the Nai'a. It was one of the best run liveaboards I have ever been on and would not hesitate to book another trip with them!
Websites Nai'a Fiji   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Indonesia, Maldives, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Australia, Galapagos, Belize, Honduras, Cayman, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Mexico, Sea of Cortez
Closest Airport Getting There Flights were easy, Fiji Airways direct from LAX.

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, dry Seas calm, choppy, surge, currents, no currents
Water Temp 78-81°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 40-60 Ft/ 12-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Dive your computer.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 2 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 There is a nice camera room with space for your cameras and items you want to keep dry. It could possibly get a bit crowded if everyone on board had cameras.
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Subscriber's Comments

By Ms Lynda Durfee in VA, US at Feb 25, 2015 10:30 EST  
I did the 7-day itinerary in early Nov 2014 (see my review). Better visibility (usually about 100), but water COLD (as low as 74 F). Agree, there's usually one (or two) jerks on every trip (none on my trip) and while it's always worth voicing your complaints to the cruise director, as your wrote, it's best to just avoid them. Josh and Amanda were great, especially Josh's daily "classes" on fish behavior, habitat, etc.
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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.

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