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Dive Review of Dive! Tutukaka in
New Zealand/Poor Knight Islands

Dive! Tutukaka, Mar, 2013,

by Paul Pruitt, CA, US ( 2 reports). Report 6921.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations N/A Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Dive Tutukaka is an outstanding operation that serves New Zealand's best dive site, the Poor Knight Islands, three hours north of Auckland. Excellent dive boats of various sizes are matched to the divers ability and desires. They stress the cold water, but to those of us from Northern California it was almost tropical, however they dive everyday of the year, so winter diving I am sure is much colder. We wore 5 mm suits but no hoods. We were there in March, in my opinion the best time to visit New Zealand, equivalent to late September in the States. Kids are back in school, the resorts are open but empty, and the weather is perfect. Poor Knights is about a hour boat ride from the harbor in Tutukaka,and Dive Tutukaka makes it easy if not inexpensive. They rent everything or mix and match with your gear. We had 4-6 divers with every instructor, all guides are PADI Instructors and will be as hands on or off as you request. While a week at Poor Knights would get repetitive 4-6 dives can be great for divers / photographers. The area is pristine, with every size of marine life available. Biggest surprise was the 2.5 foot sting ray just resting in the sand between walls of the reef. Meditation Rock is the living Aquarium of the South Pacific with corrals, fans, sponges, nudibranchs, worms, and tropical fish all in residence. Diving in the cave along with the dive boat is a special experience.
Websites Dive! Tutukaka   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 62-67°F / 17-19°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 60-120 Ft/ 18-37 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Surface with at least 50 bar on the gauge
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? no

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Micro heaven, schools of tropicals that should not be here, but the EAC, (think Finding Nemo) is the water river that flows just off the islands and delivers tremendous variations of life to their protected bays and caves.
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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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