Fiji Islands - Diving

Matangi Island Resort Diving
diving details »Matangi Diving Facts

Matangi's experienced dive staff picks the day's dive sites based on the tidal flow.

Diving a site at the wrong side of the tidal change will mean that the soft corals will not be open to their full beauty.

Diving a site at just the right (tidal) time will provide you with an experience you won't forget! Matangi Island Resort's dive staff has been diving these waters for many years, and know the best dive sites to visit based on the tides and weather.

PADI Certification courses are offered at the resort.

Discover Scuba, Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Open Water Referral and refresher courses can also be arranged.

If you are considering taking a scuba course, please check with us in advance of your trip, to allow the resort proper time to prepare for your arrival.

Matangi offers shore dives and snorkeling off the resort's front beach. Unlimited complimentary shore diving is available with a 5 day/10 tank pre-paid dive package.

Matangi has a small reef where you can find clown fish in their host anemones, lion fish and many other types of tropicals. The diving in front of the dive shop at Matangi is truly an underated "muck dive".

Just a few yards from the dive shop you can find giant clams, numerous live shells, nudibranchs, several varieties of shrimps and small crabs, garden eels, and if your really paying attention, a Cockatoo wasp fish, frogfish and an occasional rare seahorse.

Matangi's dive boat will depart each morning around 8:30am. Matangi generally does 2-tank dives in the morning, and return to the resort for lunch at approximately 12:30pm.

The resort provides coffee, hot tea, water, snacks and fresh towels aboard the boat.

Matangi's dive boats are covered, but you should always wear sunblock, especially if you are sensitive to the sun.

Please make sure to keep hydrated and drink a lot of water.

Dive Guides

Once at the dive site set up your gear up on the boat, and then do a giant stride into the sea from the platform located on the stern.

If you have a problem entering the water with your gear, they will assist you and carry your tank to the platform, or hold it in the water for you.

When you are ready to come out of the water, your divemaster will assist in getting your gear in the boat, you are not required to climb a ladder wearing a tank.

There will be a guide in the water at all times during your dive.

Matangi Island Resort's guides give thorough dive briefings.

If you are traveling alone, the guides will buddy you with another diver.

diving guides are there to assist you, and to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable dive. Every six divers will have a dive guide.

Dive Gear:

Once filled with your dive gear, the bag will be collected from your bure by Matangi's dive staff.

Your gear will be washed daily and stored neatly in the Activities Center for the duration of your stay.

If you did not bring your own gear, the resort can supply the gear you require, at an additional charge.

Dive sites:

All of Fiji's dive sites are selected according to the daily tides and the weather.

Matangi does not dive deeper than 130 ft.

Visibility varies with the time of the year and the dive sites, but usually averages between 50-100 plus feet.

Water temperatures vary from 78°F in Fiji's winter (June-Sept) to 80°F+ in Fiji's summer (Oct-May).

The dive boats do NOT anchor on any of Fiji's dive sites.

The boat will drop the divers and guide and then follow the divers. When you are ready to surface let the guide know and he will point you in the direction (away from the reef) where to surface where the boat will pick you up.

Matangi Island Resort highly recommends that ALL divers carry safety sausages.

Unlimited complimentary shore diving is available with pre-purchased 5 day / 10 dive package. The dive staff ask that that you always dive with a buddy, and that you check in with the dive staff at the Activities Center prior to entering the water.

If you don't have a buddy, check with the Dive Staff to see if they are able to dive with you.

Additional Afternoon Dive:
A minimum of 2 divers are required for an afternoon boat dive, at an additional charge.

Matangi may use a smaller boat if there are only a few divers. The afternoon dive (a single tank) is only done in conjunction with a 2 tank morning dive. A 2/tank afternoon dive may also be arranged.

Dive Sites:

Some of the  best dive sites in the area that Matangi dives regularly are:

• Great Yellow Wall
• Edge
• Golden Dream
• Noel's Wall
• Frank's Place
• Motui I
• Motui II
• Cross Channel
• Ringgolds
• Raranitiga I
• Rananitiga II
• Still Waters
• Elbow Reef
• Purple Wall
• White Wall

Complimentary night diving can be done from the resort's shore.

There are plenty of night creatures to entertain underwater photographers.

Night diving from one of Matangi Island Resort's dive boats is available (weather permitting) with a minimum of 2 divers, at an additional charge. Dive lights are available for hire.

Generally diving boats will leave for a night dive at around 6.30pm and return for the resort for dinner after the dive.

Special Day Trips

All Day Dive Trips offer divers at Matangi an additional realm to diving. Day Trips offer divers a 2 tank dive. The resort provides a picnic lunch, allowing a third dive after lunch.

These Day Trips open up wonderful areas including the SomoSomo Straits, Qamea, Motui, Nanuku, Ringgolds, and Miller Reefs. The destination for the Day Trip is decided based on tidal and weather factors. Matangi requires a minimum of six divers for the Day Trips.

Matangi Island Resort Diving Facts

About the Dive Operation:

• Matangi Private Island Resort owns its dive operation
• PADI Dive Resort certified, Matangi Island Resort PADI#S-36024
• All divemasters and dive Guides are PADI certified DiveMasters or higher

About the Diving:

• two (2) morning dives (standard)
• optional shore & night dive on request
• minimum 1 diver required for boat dives
• unlimited shore diving available with 5 day/10 tank pre-paid dive package
• crew will dive with you if you require a dive buddy for a shore dive
• maximim 6 divers per dive guide
• Matangi does not allow diving alone
• 8 - 20 minutes from resort to dive sites

About the Dive Boats:

• Matangi Diver, 8.5m
• Gukitai – 8m (no head)
• both boats are covered plate aluminum custom built dive boat to Australian marine standard specs, 200 horsepower engine, head, VHF marine radio, GPS navigation, EPRB, basic first aid kit, emergency oxygen kit, life vests

Dive Groups, Dive Clubs- Group Dive Trips:

• 10 divers minimum for Group Booking
• 28 maximum divers
• contact us for details on dive group offers

Dive Instruction

• Dive Instruction Available
• Dive Instructors are not on Matangi Resort's permanent staff
• Diving courses must be arranged in advance of arrival

Diving Courses Offered:

• PADI Discover Scuba Course
• PADI Open Water Diver
• PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course
• PADI Referral Dive Course
• PADI Emergency First Response
• other PADI courses available on request

Dive Equipment:

• Nitrox is not available.
• tanks included in price
• Full rental gear available at additional cost
• BCD, regulator, 3mm shorty wetsuit, fins, masks, snorkel, flashlight, lead weights, weight belt

Special Facilities for Underwater Photographers & Videographers

• Rinse tanks
• DVD burning
• 110 volt charging station
• computer
• special guide

Map of Matangi Island and Dive Sites
Click map to load large version

Favorite Dive Sites:

• The Corner, Noel’s Wall, Yellow Wall, 7 Peaks, Purple Water, Varaniu, The Wreck, Jack’s Place, White Wall

A Selection of Dive Sites:

MOTUI I AND II

Name of Dive Site: GREAT YELLOW WALL
Description: An atoll 10 miles off Matangi with a vertical wall drop off starting around 15 feet. Visibility can be 100+ feet. Famous for its abundance of yellow soft corals, also present a variety of hard corals, fans, whips and basket stars. Likely to see sharks, barracuda, blue-fin trevally, tuna and mackerel in the blue whilst on the reef you can see black spotted toad fish, Vlamings unicornfish, surgeonfish, fusiliers, butterflyfish and many species of damsel. Easy to find nudibranchs on the wall at any depth.
For photographers: Wide angle macro

Name of Dive Site: NOELS WALL
Description: An atoll 10 miles off Matangi Island with a vertical drop off 30-1000 feet with cannons and swim-through’s at 30 feet. Spectacular colours with purple and white soft corals, red encrusting algae and bright yellow ascidians. Memorable site in that it offers the best of both worlds – a great detailed wall dive with nudibranchs, hard and soft corals, feather and sea stars and abundant reef fish as well as the pelagics swimming past throughout the dive, including trevally, barracuda and bronze whalers.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

QAMEA 5 MILES+ DUE WESTALONG QAMEA COAST – BETWEEN TAVEUNI/QAMEA

Name of Dive Site: SEVEN PEAKS
Description: Named after the seven coral peaks between which the dive is navigated. A stunning and exciting dive for the diversity of topography and marine life. A huge variety of fish species, notably the titan triggerfish, brushtail tangs, princess damsel, blue-lined surgeonfish, and the peacock grouper. Three spot dascyllus can be found amongst the Acropora heads. Patches of spectacular soft corals saturated by anthias and basslets. In the channels between the peaks, sightings of white tips, bronze whaler sharks, mackerel, banded sea snake, blue-spotted ray, giant clams and beautiful cowries.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: WHITE WALL
Description: The tunnel from 30-60 feet leads you to the outer reef wall which drops to over 240 feet. Below 70 feet the wall is covered with white soft coral giving it a completely white appearance. Long sea whips extend out from the wall, longnose hawkfish sit amongst the soft coral heads. On top of the reef there are spectacular overhangs, a number of tunnels to swim through and beautiful soft corals. A very exciting dive.
For photographers: Wide angle, macro and video

Name of Dive Site: PURPLE WALL
Description: It has an outer wall with the reef top at 20 feet dropping to over 200 feet. The wall is covered with purple soft corals, sea whips and large gorgonian fans. Trevally, mackerel, barracuda and white tips are quite common, manta rays less frequent. Also a variety of nudibranchs, anthias and fusilers.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Special Dive Trips:

• Full day dive trip to Somosomo Straits - requires 6 divers minimum