For all you divers: I plan on doing a lot of diving on my Dec. 2 PG cruise. I'm currently in the middle of my Advanced Open Water course, so I'll be finished with that certification before I go. My instructor has suggested that I get Nitrox certified as well. Does anyone know if the PG offers Nitrox fills on board? If not, then it wouldn't be worth it to scramble to get Nitrox certified before I leave...I'll do it when I get back.

Thanks!

LeeAnne, back in March of last year, we were on the PG for two weeks and there was no Nitrox. But the dives are not very deep or long (40-50 min), max depth is 60 feet. Plus, when I was on the PG you there is only one dive a day offered.
Thus the need to get longer bottom time (ie. use nitrox) prolong your dive was not a consideration.

Dominque and his dive staff also have sports platform duties (kayaks, water skiing) for the other guests in the afternoon. Plus, the dive staff is fully engaged on the motu day running kayaks, snorkle gear, etc.

Have fun!

r/wes

Thanks Wes! Oh well, so no Nitrox on board. My instructor suggested that if I have access to it, I should use it in place of air even if there's no additional bottom time needed. He said that it not only reduces the chance of DCS, but reduces post-dive fatique. Have you found this to be true? It would be nice to not feel fatigued after diving so that I can fully enjoy all the other activities going on!

I was going through the shore excursions and was disappointed to see that these are only one-tank dives. $80 is pretty steep for a one-tank dive! We go out on dive boats locally for about the same or even less, and we'll always do two or three dives.

Since I have your attention here ;) Can I ask a few more question? First, I'm assuming that the cost includes the equipment. What kind of equipment do they have? Is it good stuff, well maintained etc? Did you bring your own? I haven't bought mine yet -- I'm getting all my gear as rental from the shop, at no cost as I'm a student, and they are letting me use it as much as I want for free until our class is over (which won't be for several weeks). So I don't need to buy my stuff yet.

In the shore excursions I noticed there are a few islands where there are multiple dives listed. Only one of these days (Bora Bora) has dives in the AM and PM, so that I know I can do two dives that day. But the places where they have multiple dives listed in the AM, such as Moorea -- are they done simultaneously or consecutively, so I'd be able to do both? Do they have enough dive staff to be taking out divers to two different sites at the same time?

And last...are there any places where you'd suggest I go to an LDS rather than use the PG dive staff?

Thanks for your help!

LeeAnne, good guestions...$80 includes equipment, PG Dive team has new equipment (believe Scubapro) in good shape (BC's, Fin's, weights, wetsuits, etc)..only brought a shorty, mask and fins..they set your equipment up for you on the morn of the dive, so you walk from you room down to sports platform to your gear and wait for the staff to brief the dive plan for the day--does not get more convenient than this! And at the end of the dive they have dunk tanks for all your equipment--you just plop it in, they will take care of it and then set it up for the next dive. Yes, $80 is expensive since I generally get six tank dives for about $200 in the caribbean. I waited about a year to buy my BC, Reg--gave me some experience to know what I wanted.

Believe the multiple dives in Bora Bora include a night dive...personally I have passed on all night dives--just not my cup of tea. Believe the other dives you see on the same day are for the certified as well as discover scuba. Maybe Susan Walsh will chime in hear, she has been on the PG more than half dozen times and loves to dive--she may have better explanation of the dives as listed.

Lee Anne, when I went it was for a b2b, so as not to repeat dives, I went with on LDS, for
two dives in Bora Bora (Shark dive they feed the sharks, PG team does not) and one with Giant Manta Rays (magnificent dive)...based on Susan's recommendations I skipped Table top and did the LDS in Bora Bora. Will ck my log book for the dive shop name..so I would skip Table Top--ledges and shark's gallery are great dives with the PG

Wes

leeAnne

The Colonel is right on with his advice and observations - the PG based crew is first rate and equipment provided is top quality and well maintained. The dives are wonderful - not challenging, comfortable with a variety of marine life. We were on PG for 3 weeks in November (1 week Society and 2 week Marquesas B2B) and made all available dives. The only negative experience, unfortunately, was at Rangiroa. A local operator was used. Equipment did not include a computer or a depth guage! Clearly an unsafe practice. Also, after getting up at dawn to catch the current through the cut, so mucn time was wasted at the dive operations base that we missed the ride - a major disappointment. I'm not sure how many dive operators there are to choose from there - let's hope they have made a change.

Wow, great info from both of you! :lct:

Wes, where do you dive when you're not cruising? I'm curious why you prefer not to night dive. I went night diving last night in Malibu...we're so fortunate that we live somewhere where we can just toss the gear in the back and head down to the beach for amazing dives. Lobster season opened up here a couple weeks ago, and last night I caught two nice sized lobsters and a big dungeness crab! I'm having seafood for dinner tonight!

The convenience factor on the PG sounds wonderful. Yes it's a steep price, but you get what you pay for I guess!

Wes I would love to get your info about the LDS's that you used.

Anyway, more questions, if anyone has answers that would be great: one of the main reasons I've been doing this AOW class, and diving like a fiend (at least a couple times a week) is so I can do the advanced dives in Rangiroa, in particular that drift dive through the cut. Does the PG always use an LDS in Rangiroa? I'm definitely surprised that ANY dive shop would send anyone out without gauges! Yikes! As a new diver I am constantly checking my computer/gauge...I would not go on a dive without them.

Multiple day dives...the shore excursion writeups list whether they are Discover Scuba, Certified or Advanced. There are a three days when there are more than one dive that aren't Discover Scuba...Rangiroa, Bora Bora and Moorea. In fact on two of these days they have three dives going out all in the morning...two certified, one beginner. It would be great if I could do both certified dives on those days...I guess that depends on whether they are running simultaneously or consecutively. If they are consecutive and I could do both, then I'd probably just stick with the PG crew...but if I can get more than one dive in by using an LDS, I might prefer to do that.

Lee Anne,

Your welcome, my diving is centered on cruising to keep peace in our household..our deal is I get to do a couple of land trips (e.g., dove cane bay, USVI in Feb; and with Sea Dwellers in Key Largo (Speigle Grove dive) last month) while Ida gets unlimited spa use (e.g.facials, massages). She does not dive (even swim), thus we cruise the caribbean (4X in last two years) and tahiti. We now are booked on SS next November for another caribbean/dive/spa adventure. Although, we plan to cruise South America, Asia, AUS/NZ; we have to wait until OCT 08 when I retire in order to take off 2-3 weeks.

Lee Anne, used www.boradive.com in bora bora for a shark dive and Giant Manta Ray (strongly recommend) Ask for Anne or Michael Condesse..and if you collect dive t-shirts they have one that says, "Another dive in paradise" and it truly was.

Have a blast and pls report back.

Wes

I just want to add to the endorsements of the PG dive staff! We just got off the PG on Saturday. As new divers (only 2 dives in Aruba in Jan. besides our certification dives) the staff made us feel very comfortable. We did all of the certified dives except the night dive - also not my cup of tea. We were so very fortunate to end up with a combination whale watching excursion and dive on our last dive. On the way to the dive site we spotted whales. We ended up spending nearly an hour watching the wales from the Zodiacs and at one point got close enough to get in the water and snorkle with them. What an experience - the dive was almost anticlimatic after that! Don't miss the dive party - Dom takes pictures all week and gets great ones of everybody diving as well as all of the marine life.

Steph I'm glad you had a great time! I'm still a new diver myself -- yesterday I spent the day on a dive boat off Catalina Island and did my 19th, 20th and 21st dive. It was wonderful...but I'm REALLY looking forward to the entirely different diving conditions in the South Pacific.

After doing a lot of research I'm coming to the conclusion that I'll probably just stick to the PG dives. There are a lot of other things I want to see on the islands as well, and the convenience factor is worth the extra money. It will allow me to maximize my time so I'm not wasting it finding dive shops and whatnot. What I'm working on right now is improving my breathing so that I can get as much bottom time out of a tank as possible.

Oh, and me miss a party? NEVER!

LeeAnne

You will find the conditions in FP considerably more placid than what you are used to. There is a bit of surge on the bottom and choppiness getting back on the zodiacs, but overall it is very comfortable diving. The Colonel didn't respond to your question about a lack of enthusiasm for night dives, but I think I can answer for both of us! After 30 years of diving and lots of night dives, the appeal of some Wild Turkey on the rocks and some wine with dinner takes some of the luster from getting wet yet again!

To make the most of a tank of air - try Tai Chi - equal inhalations and exhalations - my wife can get 3 days of bottom time from a 50 CF - had to find a way to finish dives at the same time.

If you get a chance to dive the pass at Tiputa, make sure that the dive operator gets you there for the tidal change!

Ted

Thanks Ted! I'm definitely hoping I get to do Tiputa pass, I've read so much about it. I've also been warned by a number of people that it might be too advanced of a dive for me. But then, I wonder how many of these folks learned to dive here in the surgy kelp forests of SoCal? I've already encountered some pretty hairy conditions, including strong currents and getting seriously maytagged on rough surf entries. So I'm not too worried about a drift dive.

As for night diving, lobster season started on Sept. 30, so around here it's all about bug hunting these days...and the bugs come out at night. I'm trying to get in at least a couple nights of diving a week. So far I've caught 8 bugs! Lemme tell ya, no lobster tastes as good as the lobster you catch with your own hands. :D

I'm not sure if I'll do the night dive on the PG, but I'm still so caught up in the excitement of my new sport that I suspect I'll be willing to postpone my single-malt Scotch till after the dive!

The current was running the wrong way when we were in Rangiroa so we did the outside reef (best dive I ever experienced); I have read that the pass diving can involve hooking oneself to a reef to watch the fish pass -- otherwise, very quick drift diving and difficulty to control buoyancy.... I'm not keen on attaching myself to a reef in rushing water.... also, since you mentioned that you would not dive without a computer -- recommend you bring your own because not usually provided on PG (I think twice in about 14 PG dives we had one) Your will love the PG and their staff and will spoil you for all future dives; Caribbean was a major disappointment after French Polynesia.

OH..I thought the only issue of not diving w/ a computer was with the LDS in Rangiroa. So the PG equipment does not include a computer? If that's the case then I may go ahead and bring one. Having only dived with a computer I just wouldn't be comfortable diving without one.

I've read of several instances of people unable to do the pass due to either missing the tidal change, or the tide was going the wrong direction. If the outside reef is such an amazing dive, perhaps that would be the better choice, rather than chancing missing out on the pass. I'm assuming that I'll be able to get information about which dive would be best when we're there. It's good to know that if the pass doesn't work out, there's an fantastic 2nd option!

We made both dives in Rangiroa - one offered outside the reef in the afternoon, and riding the pass the next morning. Alas, as I said before, wasted time resulted in missing the tide - just a long swim in blue water - a real disappointmnet. The tiputa dive is offered subject to timng of the tides.

BTW, we used the equipment supplied by PG and were supplied with computers on all dives. I should have brought mine but elected not to bring any equipment except mask. It was the land based operator on Rangiroa that did not supply a depth guage or computer.

Ted.

Ted, could not have said why Night Dives are not appealing better, but after dinner & good wine, would add a snifter of Hennessy and your favorite cigar...thanks..r/wes

I'm SO glad to learn that the PG equipment includes computers! I thought it did, and I'm glad I got that clarified. I feel better.

Wes, you're touching a nerve...it just dawned on me that I'm going to have to not drink any wine with dinner if I'm going to do the night dive! Horrors! Oh well, I'm still so enamoured of diving that I'll probably suffer through a wineless dinner to see the brilliant marine life lit up by nightlights. And lemme tell ya, no beer tastes better than the one you crack open after a night dive. :) I went diving in Malibu last night, caught a nice big lobster (which I just ate for lunch), and then we had a prolonged "de-briefing" lounging on the sand with Newcastles. Life is good! :D

Hi LeeAnne

On our PG back-to-back, we took our own computers. I don't recall seeing that anyone using the PG equipment had computers. This was 1 year ago. Yes, the PG equipment that they do have is good. We used only their BCs though.

I did the night dive once and my partner did it both weeks. It's through an outside operator (Bora Dive Center, I think). You take the tender to shore. Then the dive op's boat out to the dive site. The dive op brings you back to the PG after the dive (and serves hot tea and Oreos!) I think it's supposed to be Table Top, but our first week conditions were better at Tapu, outside the reef. So they went there. Not sure what the night dive for your itinerary is.

Now to the important point... the dive was early enough that we came back in time to get dinner in the dining room. No worries about a wineless dinner!

Well now, that's the best news I've had all day! :D