Dive Review of Hemisphere Sub/Hawaiki Nui in
French Polynesia/Raiatea

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Hemisphere Sub/Hawaiki Nui, Jun, 2009, by Elizabeth Crapo, ca, usa ( Sr. Reviewer 9 reports). Report 5017.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The dive shop has two locations, one at the Hawaiki Nui hotel and the other on the other side of Uturoa, the main town. The Hawaiki Nui is home to a wreck dive, the SS Nordby, a sailing ship that sank in a storm in the early 1900s, now an easy swim from the hotel dock. Another excellent dive is a pass about a 5 minute boat ride away. The coral was rather drab, but there were nice tropical fish, a manta ray and some eagle rays. There were at least a dozen blacktip reef sharks. Unfortunately, like many dive operations in French Polynesia, these guys feed the sharks -- the dive guide carried a bag of fish and threw a chunk out at regular intervals. Luckily the sharks were not aggressive in spite of the food in the water. In fact, there was an instance where a couple of these sharks were mobbed by a school of jacks (apparently they rub up against the sharks' rough skin to dislodge parasites from their own bodies). Still, they didn't behave like truly wild sharks. The staff was helpful and the boat spacious, but no camera table or anything like that. Raiatea is not someplace you would go just for the diving, but definitely do a few dives if you come here. The Hawaiki Nui was expensive for what you get, typical in French Polynesia. But, it's comfortable, the staff is great, and the food was good. They decorate your room with flowers the day you check in. Other activities worth considering are a motu picnic/lagoon cruise, a visit to the neighboring island of Taha'a, and taking a drive around the island (highly recommended, to check out the mountains and rural villages). There is a very important marae (ancient temple) on the southern end of the island. There were very few tourists while I was there, a double-edged sword. There were no crowds, but on the other hand, booking tours can be difficult as many require a 4-person minimum. In a gesture of diver-friendliness rare in the airline industry these days, Air Tahiti (the inter-island carrier, not international) allows divers an extra 5 kg of baggage over their regular allowance for dive gear -- show them your c-card when you check in, and check their website for further details.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	[Unspecified]
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, rainy, cloudy	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	75-°F / 24-°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	75-100 Ft/ 23-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Hemisphere Sub/Hawaiki Nui in French Polynesia/Raiatea

Hemisphere Sub/Hawaiki Nui, Jun, 2009,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Hemisphere Sub/Hawaiki Nui in
French Polynesia/Raiatea