In Depth  May 1994 Vol. 9, No. 5

Consumer Reviews for Sport Divers A Fijian Primer So Many Islands, So Little Time

Fiji is a confusing dive destina- they should work for money.” to dive. Beqa Divers, at Pacific tion. It has a variety of diving, at — James A. Michener, 1951 Harbor Hotel, runs daily trips a wide selection of islands and (well, maybe not always daily). resorts. Want to dive Mana, Still true, James, and the The Dive Connection is another Matagi, Namena, Viti Levu, British just didn’t get it. The option for day trips; reports say Laucala, Namale on Vanua Levu, Fijians possessed long ago they run a good operation. Qamea on Taveuni, or Mantana what money still can’t buy. on Kadavu? To decipher the Fijian The native Fijians are by far I stayed a couple of nights at puzzle, we chose someone who has the friendliest and happiest the “Pac Harbor” and can safely spent considerable time there. He’s people I have ever met. And say it doesn’t have much to a case of the proverbial “swaying second only to the people, it’s offer. The hotel itself is thread- palm tree” dream at work. His the diving that makes Fiji entire family (including children) memorable. have decided to pack up and move to Fiji. A major part of his where- Beqa Lagoon In This Issue: to-move criteria was great diving, and he’s made several trips to Fiji All planes lead to Nandi. No Diving in Fiji to check it out. He told us up front matter where you start, you A Full Face Mask that he doesn’t keep a dive log and end up at Nandi International is horrible at remembering the names Airport on the west side of Viti The PRISM Rebreather: Low-Tech but Reliable of dive sites, so if we expected to Levu, the largest island of the know that on Thursday at 2:57 he Fiji chain. From here, the The Good Format Tables: 1 was at 73 feet in 27.2°C water closest diving is a 2 ⁄2-hour cab You're Diving What Tables? with 2,100 psi, we would be sorely ride along the Queen’s Road Barracuda Reef by Dive Light disappointed. If we wanted an to Pacific Harbor, followed by For the Double Standard overview of diving in Fiji, though, a 30-minute boat ride out to he was the man to do it. Here’s Beqa Lagoon, a collapsed Flotsam & Jetsam: his report. volcano about 5 miles south of Reef Species Viti Levu. If you’re into shop- Crown Diver Down Flying to Cayman Brac “A hundred years of prod- ping, nightlife, or golf, you Sheck Exley Dies Diving ding by the British have failed can stay in Pacific Harbor and to make the Fijians see why do day trips out to the lagoon

© 1994 Elephant Socks Publishing, Inc. bare, and I didn’t travel halfway a god once repaid a favor and It was not uncommon to see around the world to walk into a gave them the ability to walk on whitetip sharks — or as Fred lobby and hear country-and- white-hot coals. likes to say, “shark butts,” since western muzak. However, I will they don’t hang around long say that sitting in the bar listen- The in-house diving opera- enough for you to see anything ing to intoxicated Japanese tion is run by Fred, who takes else. We also surprised a turtle tourists sing kicker music on daily boat trips out to the or two and saw plenty of little the karaoke is good for one lagoon. Beach diving is unlim- stuff like blue (and black) evening’s entertainment. ited, but what little we did was ribbon eels, leaf fish, and underwhelming. If you’re a nudibranchs. If you have your heart set on photographer or just like to staying in Pacific Harbor, I poke around, you may be able My favorite fish story from would recommend one of the to stay amused for a few dives. Marlin Bay, however, happened many villas that are leased by out of the water. On the dive the week at reasonable rates. boat between dives, I looked However, if you are going to off just in time to see a manta dive Beqa, why not stay on with a 6-foot wingspan do a Beqa, a small island with no complete, out-of-water back roads, nine villages and Marlin On one dive, I was flip — a perfect 10 for both Bay Resort? George Taylor, an trying to decide which of execution and style. American, has pulled off an six lionfish to amazing feat. His resort is close immortalize on film, Kadavu to paradise. A dozen bures (cottages) share space with when my buddy pointed About 60 miles south of Viti huge coconut palms that ring out four more within Levu is the island of Kadavu. the edge of the small bay. Each two feet of my head. The grass runway ends on the bure has its own personal beach, so it’s a simple matter to hammock tied to the coconut grab your luggage off the palms. It takes considerable will plane, walk a few dozen yards, power not to get stuck in one and throw the whole mess into every afternoon with a cold a boat for the short ride up the Fijian bitter. During our two visits, the coast to Mantana Resort and visibility was a bit off (40–70 Dive Kadavu. Food is five star. For break- feet), but the current was fast, your choice is omelet, always manageable, and Fred The resort, managed by French toast, or pancakes — did a good job of tailoring the Debby Minto, is not as upscale always with fresh fruit. Every dive sites to the divers on (or pricey) as Marlin Bay. other meal is — fish. George board. Computers are allowed; Perched on the side of a steep lets you know that fish is his once you’ve established that hill, the bures are comfortable thing. Unless you ask other- you’re competent, you are not and the open-air gathering/ wise, he will serve it for both restricted on depth or time. dining room has a stupendous lunch and dinner. I never Although a couple of dives sunset view. Breakfast is cooked asked otherwise, as the fish were led, we were generally to order and other meals are came to us prepared every free to roam. served buffet-style. which way under the sun and always fresh. People who were Most diving is shallow (I don’t Most reefs in Fiji are privately not fish freaks were served think I ever hit 100 feet), which owned by villages, so the dive chicken, lamb, beef, or vege- gives you plenty of bottom operators have to cut deals with tarian. The chef is Austrian, so time. For some reason, the the village chiefs before any I won’t even mention the coral on the bommies stops at anchors are dropped. Dive desserts. 50–70 feet. Soft corals of every Kadavu was evidently having possible color take up every just such a chiefly disagree- Villagers who staff the resort space that is not already occu- ment during our stay; Eric, are very accommodating and pied by anemones and clams. who runs the diving, apolo- friendly, but this is not unique, On one dive, I was trying to gized that we would miss a few as it happens all over Fiji. Beqa decide which of six lionfish to of the better sites. As a consola- is also the home of firewalking; immortalize on film, when my tion, I suppose, we did some you should definitely ask one of buddy pointed out four more exploratory dives, with the the Sawau tribe to explain how within 2 feet of my head. usual mixed results.

2 © 1994 Elephant Socks Publishing, Inc. That’s not a complaint. I love you need to get permission, Yellow Wall, one species of to jump over the side of a boat but the view of the ocean and coral (white, in this case) and tell myself that I’m going the inland lake that feeds the dominates the landscape as far where no man has gone before. waterfall is well worth the as you can see. I was happy as a clam. hassle. Matagi On a typical dive, we would The review of Garden Island take a short boat ride, roam Resort in the November 1993 A short boat ride from around coral-smothered bom- issue of In Depth was spot on. I Taveuni is the incredible island mies, and get swarmed by your have reliable information that of Matagi. The Douglas family basic South Pacific menagerie. Garden Island is now up for owns the whole island, and it’s All dives were made inside the sale. You can never predict the another no-road, no-car, reef, so currents were never a effect of a change in owner- volcanic-mountain tropical factor. Visibility was quite good ship, so it might be wise to paradise. Matagi is the sister to and we had unrestricted diving. check before booking a trip. Malcolm Forbes’s Laucala One spot we visited was called, Island. Old Malcolm could I think, the Yellow Wall. It was On first meeting, I thought have owned anything anywhere, a spectacular sight: one species the folks at Rainbow Reef so I think that speaks well of of soft coral (guess what color) Divers, next door to the Gar- these islands. blanketed what is not really a den Island, were kind of stuffy wall but a huge bommie. and that we were in for a week The Douglases have built a of regimented diving. I was beautiful resort in a beautiful Sometimes, though, it’s the wrong. I agree with the reviewer; setting, with the best-crafted little things that burn an image they run one of the most bures that I have ever seen. into your brain. My favorite professional dive operations Matagi is impeccable. The dive here was at night, when I’ve ever seen, easily managing Fijians run the whole show; as three of us dropped into a that sometimes delicate bal- Douglas so eloquently puts it, large swim-through with lights ance between personal freedom “You didn’t come all this way to off and were suddenly con- and safety. look at me!” fronted by a hundred phospho- rescent eyes about the size of a The current in the The closest I can come to a nickel. Turning on our lights, Somosomo Straits can be real complaint is that the food we high-beamed what turned ripping. I surfaced from one was only good, not great. out to be a crew of very sur- dive to find the aluminum There’s croquet on the lawn prised flashlight fish. ladder lying horizontal, bounc- and killer volleyball games in ing on the chop. I’m not a big the afternoons. One hint: the Taveuni fan of anchored current dives staff always wins. and would rather consume Heading north, you get to copious quantities of air than Diving off the beach is worth Taveuni (sometimes called the resort to grabbing stuff on the burning a tank or two. During “Garden Island”), home of the bottom (even dead stuff) to our stay we saw baby lionfish shark god and the international pull my way back to the boat. and (oh boy!) copulating date line. Take a short stroll The problem here, as else- nudibranchs. The boat diving down the road from the Gar- where in Fiji, is that if you try is quite good and the dive den Island Resort and you can to drift dive, the boat can go in operation is smooth, though a straddle yesterday and today — one direction while the divers bit conservative — we were told or is it today and tomorrow? go in several others. to honor a maximum depth of 120 feet and were quizzed Be sure and check out the One dive-site name I will about depth and time after natural water slide (wear an old always remember is the Great each dive. bathing suit) and take a trip to White Wall. What a trip! Bouma Falls, one of Fiji’s many Descending in the current, you Not to be outdone by Kadavu waterfalls. Another hot tip is to get one shot to stab yourself or Taveuni, Matagi has its own rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle into a tunnel, just to be spit out monochromatic wall dive. This and make a run up the over the dropoff at 100 feet. time the soft coral is purple switchback road, 3,800 feet to Kicking back and blasting down and it’s called — you guessed the top of the volcanic ridge the wall, you are confronted by it — the “Purple Wall.” I man- that runs down the center of a panorama as white as a Colo- aged to sneak down to a little the island. It’s a wild drive, and rado ski slope. As on Kadavu’s over 140 feet (at the suggestion

© 1994 Elephant Socks Publishing, Inc. 3 of the dive guide, which kind of added bonus of getting two Kadavu; Garden Island Resort, contradicts my earlier com- distinct dive vacations for the Taveuni ment) and look back up the price of one plane ticket. wall. I was lost in a sea of Diving undulating purple. For those who want to sail the seas and dive until water- Taveuni - 9.5 Advice logged, there are live-aboards Matagi - 9.0 in Fiji, but that’s another story. Beqa - 9.0 Consider at least a two-week Kadavu - 8.0 visit to Fiji. Stay one week on Accommodations one of the western islands, then (1–10, Pacific scale) head up north for the second Pricey/upscale: Marlin Bay week. This will ensure the Resort, Beqa; Matagi Island widest diversity of geography, Resort, Matagi climate, and diving, with the Moderate: Mantana Resort,

level. The buckles for the spider adjustment are not the easily adjustable or quick-release A Faceful of Mask types found on fancier masks, and fine-tuning the fit of the Just the Ticket for Underwater Duets mask once under water is almost impossible.

Last year we asked three of our editors to take a look at two of the better- These masks may be inexpen- known full face masks: the Interspiro Divator MK II and Diving Systems sive, but they’re not toys. Don’t International’s EXO-26. We wondered if full face masks, with their be lulled into thinking that you advantages of a dry face in cold water, freedom from jaw fatigue, the don’t need to practice with ability to sing underwater (along with other forms of communication), them before you take a plunge and the safety of a continuing air supply after passing out, held any into open water. They’re still appeal for sport divers. Our editors had mixed reactions, ranging from full face masks. A few ditch-and- approval (“I like this toy”) to claustrophobia (“It grabs the back of your don exercises with a competent, head like the Alien”). The units we tested were well built and performed attentive buddy are absolutely flawlessly during our field analysis. Each unit has automatic lens defog- required. When practicing or ging; each is communications-adaptable; each provides a Class A second- doing real dives, carry a backup stage regulator as part of the purchase price. All list for around $700 — mask with you at all times and so we were surprised when we saw a dive-equipment catalog offering a have your octopus ready. Be “full face mask” for $64.95. We couldn’t resist. aware that unless you can turn off the air at your second stage, On test dives, the IST “Blue- Scubapro reg and found that I the regulator will tend to free- Light Special” provided a solid could easily inhale and exhale flow as you break the seal when seal and decent visibility in a through either my mouth or removing the mask. It will stop very low volume mask. It’s my nose. I tried a Poseidon and once you’ve got the mask off. definitely not an Interspiro or a Conshelf SE2, and both an EXO-26, but you can buy 10 worked nicely. The rubber nose If you’d like to try using a full of them for the price of either pocket on the mask provides face mask, but can’t mortgage of the top-of-the-line masks. easy nostril-pinching/ear- the farm at this time, IST’s Full With the IST, you use your own clearing capability. To keep the Face Mask is an inexpensive regulator. Removing the rubber lenses from steaming up, the way to try out the technology mouthpiece from your reg, you IST has to be defogged with and experience the sensation insert the metal or plastic part either saliva or a commercial of diving with a dry face and of the second stage through the product. The mask is attached without a large object in your hole in the mask and secure it to your head by a “spider” mouth. It can be ordered from with a cable tie. The mask then consisting of three rubber Mr. Diver, Inc., at becomes your mouthpiece. I straps: one over the top of your 1-800-532-2228; ask first installed an ancient head, two more at about cheek for item no. 35012.

4 © 1994 Elephant Socks Publishing, Inc.