Dive Review of TOPdive/MaiTai resort in
French Polynesia/Rangiroa

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TOPdive/MaiTai resort: "Pass flying in Rangiroa", Jan, 2023, by DEE FOSTER, CA, US ( Reviewer 4 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 12745 has 1 Helpful vote.
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	The diving- This is not for the faint of heart or persons without excellent buoyancy control. TopDive consistently ran us outside the reef, took us down and waited at 90ft in relatively poor visibility while the dive guide looked for a giant hammerhead. We would waste at least 10 minutes doing this, then we'd fly thru the pass on the incoming tide on a 2-2.5 knot current. You had to stay with the dive guide, and he wouldn't hook in with a reef hook anywhere, so everything hurtled by. We've dived Rangiroa 3 other times, and this was not up to snuff. For some reason the dive guides were obsesssed with this hammerhead reputed to be in the vicinity. On one dive, we got blown to the outside of the reef on what was supposed to be an incoming tide. So we drifted outside the atoll on the surface (not where you want to be) for half an hour with one of the dive guides. The other dive guide on the dive got blown inside the lagoon, which of course, is the safer place to be. When we finally were able to convince our dive guide we didn't want to waste air looking for the hammerhead, we had absolutely lovely dives on the reefs outside the lagoon. Corals were pristine, tons of beautiful tropical fish, and gentle current. Those dives we really enjoyed! On two of the reef dives, dolphins showed up and wanted to be petted! They actually nudged me and my husband (gently) to get our attention. Normally I would not touch the wildlife, but these dolphins were so used to divers that they initiated the action! They would go from one diver to the next asking for a belly rub, spending more time with the divemaster, who they clearly recognized. Absolutely magical!!!!! Dive boat was a rigid inflatable with no shade cover. We sat on the tubes and bounced our way out, back-rolled in, and then climbed in on a ladder. Kinda rustic but not that bad. No camera rinse tank, no head and no shower. Pretty basic but it worked as travel time was 10-15 minutes. On one of the trips back in, we saw dolphins leaping 10 feet into the air and doing backflips in the standing waves at the pass's entrance. Very cool!!! Overall we had fun, but the time wasted looking for the shark was kind of annoying. Again- this is tough diving- currents are ripping. On our last day they were taking an older diver to the infirmary, as he had gotten a bit ripped up on the coral in the pass. Nothing major, but enough road rash that I would guess his diving was over. So unless your buoyancy control is excellent, do yourself a favor and don't go! The hotel was quite nice, comfortable, with good air conditioning. Nice Polynesian furnishings and a comfortable bed. The view from the hotel into the lagoon was stunning, as were many of the sunsets. The food at the hotel was very nice, not spectacular, but still very good. Service was on Polynesian time, so leisurely, very leisurely. Wine was not so great, but it's hard to keep wine good in a tropical climate. Makes me wish I liked beer!
Websites	TOPdive MaiTai resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Tahiti, Fiji, Solomon Is., Palau, Australia, Caymans Honduras, Belize, Catalina Is. CA, Hawaii
Closest Airport	Rangiroa	Getting There	LAX to Papeete, to Rangiroa
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	82-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	50-60 Ft/ 15-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Had to stay with dive guide, as currents can be overpowering
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
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		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Nothing on boat, but they had a rinse tank at the dive shop.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of TOPdive/MaiTai resort in French Polynesia/Rangiroa

TOPdive/MaiTai resort: "Pass flying in Rangiroa", Jan, 2023,

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/MaiTai resort in
French Polynesia/Rangiroa