Dive Review of TOPdive/Kia Ora in
French Polynesia/Rangiroa

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TOPdive/Kia Ora: "Why did we wait so long to go dive in French Polynesia?", Apr, 2022, by Eric Schindler, AZ, US ( Contributor 16 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 11996 has 2 Helpful votes.
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	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Three days diving in Rangiroa was part of our trip to Polynesia. Top Dive is a well run operation, and an easy 2-5 minute walk along the beach from the Kia Ora. Two dives, each lasting an hour, either outside the entrance to the pass, or drifting into the lagoon is the pattern. This is diving like it used to be! Many pelagics on every dive, 100 foot plus visibility, warm water, and if you are comfortable with current, a real fun time. Dolphins are seen on many dives, and several have acclimated to divers and eagerly approach the guide who had a bit of a "dolphin whisperer" quality about her. They apparently like to be scratched and caressed by her; I will leave it to you to debate the merits of whether this is acceptable behavior with ocean creatures - there are good arguments on both sides. Kia Ora, while pricey, is worth every penny. Lovely resort, outstanding food, and makes for a great place to stay on this atoll. I would not recommend more than three days of diving here as that leaves time to dive other islands, and one gets a good sense of things after six dives. No night diving.
Websites	TOPdive
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Indonesia, Coral Triangle, Caribbean, Mexico, Pacific, etc.
Closest Airport	Rangiroa	Getting There	SFO to PPT and then one hour Air Tahiti to Rangiroa. Competition is lowering fares to Tahiti!
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	100-150 Ft/ 30-46 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	In theory, even Advanced Open Water divers limited to 80 feet or so. But no need to go lower on dive sites offered
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	Schools	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		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of TOPdive/Kia Ora in French Polynesia/Rangiroa

TOPdive/Kia Ora: "Why did we wait so long to go dive in French Polynesia?", Apr, 2022,

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 TOPdive/Kia Ora in
French Polynesia/Rangiroa