7 DAYS ON THE NAI'A LIVEABOARD
JUST AFTER OUR TAVEUNI DIVE RESORT
Known as the "soft coral capital of the world", the South Pacific paradise of the Fiji Islands offer Northern California Rainbow Divers (NCRD) every kind of tropical diving imaginable! Colorful anthias hover and dart above brilliantly colored soft corals. Fiji's reefs are alive with rays, sea turtles, eels, invertebrates such as nudibranchs, crabs, and shrimps, reef fishes such as frogfish, pygmy seahorses, cuttlefish, pipefish and wrasse. At many dive sites, bommies and channels are fed by currents bringing in large pelagics such as sharks, barracuda, snappers, tuna, even the occasional manta ray or hammerhead!
Fiji's coral reef system is a complex web of barrier reefs surrounding large lagoons and islands. Coral growth and fish action are most robust on those outer barrier reefs. Marine life is especially concentrated within the reef passages and channels that link lagoons with the deep ocean. Diving these thriving, colorful reefs and channels will be the focus of our cruise.
The Fiji Islands are also home to a vibrant local culture. One of the highlights of this trip is a visit to a rural Fijian village, where we will chat with locals, tour the village and participate in a ceremony where the local chief grants us permission to dive in Fijian waters. Feel your lips go numb as you catch a buzz from Fiji's traditional ceremonial drink, kava, that we share as a tribute. This is a true South Pacific adventure, and the Fijians are so friendly you'll never believe they were once cannibals!
Our half-boat charter will not be exclusively an LGBT experience. We have room for nine LGBT divers and our friends and will share the boat with four buddy teams who have signed on independently with Nai'a. With a choice of so many uncrowded dive sites, Fiji is a great destination for both new and experienced divers to enjoy a spectacular week aboard one of the most comfortable, well-designed dive yachts in Fiji.
All diving will done from skiffs, using an easy backward roll for entering the water and a sturdy, well-crafted ladder for exiting the water. All dives will be guided, although buddy teams will not be required to follow the guide. All divers are responsible for their own dive profiles, air consumption and dive times. No arbitrary dive times will be imposed, yay! :-)
October is lovely springtime in Fiji, and water temperatures are expected to average 75-78° F or 24-27°C. Most divers would find a 5mm or 7mm full-length wetsuit to be comfortable. Layering with a hood, beanie or hooded vest is recommended for divers who tend to feel the chill after repetitive dives. Air temperatures in October could be in the 80°F's during the day, falling to mid-60°F's at night. There may be a little rainfall during the trip, typically at night, but there should be plenty of sunny days, starry night skies and fresh air!
If you might like to join us for a pre-cruise land-based dive resort in Taveuni from September 23-28, 2013, you'd have the opportunity to dive two distinct regions of Fiji: Bligh Water in central Fiji and Taveuni further north. Both are world-renown for their vast expanses of hard corals and incredibly colorful soft coral reefs.
ITINERARY:
The "Nai'a Triangle" of Lomaiviti, Bligh Water and Namena will be the focus of our itinerary, covering about 500 nautical miles. This central region has proved the most consistent in the quality and health of terrains, animals and conditions. Lomaiviti's coral reefs and islands are Fiji's most dynamic and varied: voracious sharks to vibrant soft corals.
Saturday, September 28, 2013: The planned itinerary for our 7-day charter starts and ends at Lautoka Wharf, just north of Nadi, where the international airport is located. In the early afternoon, the crew will pick us up in Nadi for a short 30-minute ride to the boat. After a checkout dive this afternoon, Nai'a will head north and east around the flank of the main island of Viti Levu to reach Bligh Water.
Sunday, September 29 through Thursday, October 3, 2013: Several different dive sites in Bligh Water are available, including Vatu-i-ra, E6, Mt. Mutiny, and Cat's Meow, depending on localized weather conditions. From there we'll choose our sites according to weather, tides, and our divers' inclinations. Generally we'll visit the islands and barrier reefs of Namena, Wakaya, and Gau.
Friday, October 4, 2013: Typically, up to three dives are offered on our last dive day before making our way back to Lautoka Wharf. After the day's diving, the crew will rinse and hang our gear for drying before we disembark the next morning.
Saturday, October 5, 2013: After a continental breakfast, the crew will drop us off for a day of relaxing or touring and shopping in Nadi town before catching our evening flight back home.
INCLUDED:
- 7 nights aboard the Nai'a liveaboard
- transfers between the boat and airport or Nadi-area hotels
- air-conditioned, double-occupancy cabin with ensuite bath
- all meals and between-meal snacks
- coffee, tea and sodas, plus house wine with dinner
- up to 5 guided dives a day, conditions permitting
- air fills and use of tanks, weights and weight belt
- divemaster and dive guide services as provided by the boat
- onshore excursions as described
- marine park fees and all government taxes
NOT INCLUDED:
- dive gear rental
- 32% Nitrox fills (US$150/week)
- fuel surcharges of US$123 per person
- optional dive courses onboard
- international flights to Nadi, Fiji (airport code: NAN)
- alcoholic beverages, except for house wine with dinner
- international Nadi airport departure tax (FJD$100), usually included in your airline ticket
- discretionary tips and crew gratuities (~10% of cruise price)
- optional boutique purchases onboard
- any items of a personal nature
- travel or dive accident insurance, or medical evacuation
FLIGHTS:
You should plan to arrive in Nadi, Fiji, no later than the morning of September 28, 2013. After our liveaboard cruise ends, you may plan to depart Nadi on Saturday afternoon, October 5, or later. Typically, we'll take the evening flight out of Nadi, giving us ample time to relax and explore Nadi town before our flight home.
Fiji Airways (formerly known as Air Pacific) is the recommended carrier flying to Nadi, Fiji (airport code: NAN) from the United States. The price of economy seating on this flight typically runs ~$1,200 roundtrip, including fees. The Fiji Airways flight leaves Los Angeles airport (airport code: LAX) in the late evening and arrives in Fiji early the next morning (two calendar days later owing to crossing the international date line).
We have a travel agent available who can assist you in booking your international flights. If you will also be participating in our pre-cruise visit to Garden Island Resort, September 23-28, 2013, it's cheaper to include your domestic flights on your international ticket, and a specially priced air package can be arranged to include domestic flights to/from Taveuni.
CAVEATS:
Please do not commit to air flights or other logistical arrangements until you have received confirmation of your space from the Trip Leader once your initial deposit has been received.
All divers on this trip should be comfortable diving in currents and have good buoyancy skills. Divers are required to carry valid, in-force dive accident insurance, such as may be obtained from Divers' Alert Network (DAN).
Divers must agree to NCRD's Event Terms and Conditions to participate in this trip.
PRICE:
$3,295 per person, Double-Occupancy, Std Cabin (ensuite bath)
$2,545 per person, Double-Occupancy, Cabin #9 (ensuite bath)
This a specially discounted price for members of Northern California Rainbow Divers. If you are not a paid member of this safety-minded, fun-loving club, please consider joining in order to sign up for this trip.
This trip is SOLD OUT. Please contact the Trip Leader if you would like to join the waitlist for this trip.
PAYMENT PLAN:
| 1st: |
At registration
|
US $750 to hold your space
|
| 2nd: |
April 1, 2013
|
US $850
|
| 3rd: |
May 15, 2013
|
US $850
|
| 4th: |
June 27, 2013
|
US $845
|
PAYMENTS:
Trip payments may be made by PayPal or by personal check.
If using PayPal, please make payment to this email address: paypal@rainbowdivers.org All PayPal payments should be increased by 3% to cover transaction fees charged by PayPal to the club.
If paying by check, please make payable to NCRD and send to:
NCRD
3600 Forest Avenue
South Lake Tahoe CA 96150
