Scuba Diver Magazine, Australia
SILHOUETTED under a luminous late afternoon sky, Naiía cruises toward her home port near Nadi in Fiji. The wind is behind us and so is a week of outstanding diving. Drawn together on the top deck by the warmth of a tropical winter and a camaraderie live-aboard divers know so well, the passengers swap sea stories, sip cold beer and soak up the fresh air and sunshine while it lasts. Soon this fantastic voyage will finish, existing only in our memories and on the pages of a photo album.
I can remember every one of my live-aboard diving trips as clearly as my childhood expeditions to the dentist - though the experiences couldn't be less similar! One represents pure pleasure and the other nasty pain (followed by partial paralysis and utter humiliation). Since my first live-aboard trip more than 10 years ago, each seaward journey is etched like a new calendar year in my mind. But the realm of live-aboard diving has changed dramatically during the past decade. My first trip aboard a quaint wooden boat boasting two heads and a nifty dining table that converted into a double bed is a far cry from Naiíaís spacious salon, ensuite bathrooms and diving from inflatables.
Youíve probably heard the cliched line summarising live-aboard dive holidays as "Eat, Sleep & Dive". About five years ago I wrote a story in this magazine proclaiming the virtues of this very same approach. But a recent surge in the popularity and accessibility of live-aboard diving has altered this course. Live-aboard dive boats are no longer for the hardy, experienced and courageous. The days of sacrificing comfort to get to the finest dive sites are long gone. And though the infinitely better diving found further away from civilisation is still the major reason people choose a ship over shore, todayís focus on comfort and a cultural experience is attracting all kinds of divers - young, old, demanding veterans, absolute beginners, macho guys and mild-mannered gals. Top live-aboards no longer cater for divers who religiously avoid wasting time or money on anything superfluous to bottom time. They are designed to provide a complete holiday experience - an escape from ordinary tourist haunts, service and facilities equivalent to or better than a land-based dive resort, a variety of activities and places, great company, relaxation and quality diving.
Inevitably, as the number of divers and travelling divers grow so do the choices in live-aboard holidays. Once you have decided on the country and/or region you want to explore, it is important to find a vessel that suits your particular needs. Luckily for us in the Asia Pacific, live-aboards are many in number and varied in style and price.
REACHING THE BEST DIVE SITES is the absolute priority of an A-Grade live-aboard. What element could be more important? The great advantage of diving from a ship is the variety of creatures, terrain and conditions available during a single voyage. In the "old days" live-aboard diving was synonymous with "unlimited diving" which proved to be little more than sharp marketing and quite often a swift pull on the proverbial leg. Hereís the truth: A good live-aboard will plan itís itinerary to enable the maximum number of good dives. The quality of diving offered is far more important that the quantity possible. Physically fitting in more than four day dives plus a night dive is rare. In fact, only the outrageously dedicated or mad would do that many every day. There is the not so minor issue of nitrogen and no-decompression limits to consider. Not to mention basic human requirements of food and sleep - it is supposed to be a holiday, after all! Keep in mind also that being at sea means being flexible - you are somewhat at the mercy of the weather. But a well planned itinerary will include top-class dive sites that double as places the ship and her passengers can take refuge from wind and waves. However, if the location and weather permits, you may well be able and encouraged to dive a particularly stunning or easily accessible site as many times as you like. On the other hand, a moveable base means you may be able to customise or alter your itinerary according to guest desires or ocean life whims. If sharks are mating or sunken treasure is discovered, chances are youíll want to stay where you are.
SOME LIVE-ABOARDS OPT FOR less travelling time between sites in order to offer more dives per day. Others make the most of being without boundaries and choose longer passages but with much greater diving variety. Find out when these passages will happen. Most top live-aboards will plan to dive fairly uninterrupted throughout the day and motor to a new location at night.
CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, live-aboard diving is no harder than shore based diving. In fact, it is usually much easier. The ship will either moor right on the site or anchor nearby in less fragile territory. (Surely, these days there is no excuse to anchor large or small boats on precious reef!) While some people prefer to dive directly from the ship, the advantages of using skiffs (inflatables, dinghies, tenders) are many. You and your gear are loaded into the skiff and dropped in precisely at the point you want to dive. Better still, skiffs will pick you up wherever and whenever you happen to end your dive. Thereís no need for long swims, backtracking, navigating a return path to the boat, fighting currents or cutting short your dive to stay with others who have dived deeper or used their air more quickly. Individual diving needs are catered for in every possible safe way. The aim is to maximise bottom time in the best spots. And the efficiency and ease of diving from a live-aboard depends greatly on the skill of the skiff drivers.
EVEN MORE CRUCIAL IS THE DIVEMASTERíS prowess in both briefing and leading divers. The really successful live-aboard dive boats boast divemasters/cruise directors with extensive local knowledge and experience handling diverse groups of people in the water as well as the ability to find the unusual or especially beautiful "critters" divers travel so far to see. Briefings should be detailed enough to enable divers to find their own way around and avoid clusters of bubbleheads. However dive guides should be immediately available for passengers who wish to be led or supervised.
CREATURE COMFORTS LIKE air conditioning and private heads (bathrooms) for each cabin (or stateroom) is standard fare these days in the top live-aboards. Although living on a ship invariably means space is at a premium, a well-designed passenger vessel will have cabins large enough to swing a cat in. Find out how often cabins are cleaned and linen changed. Some vessels will also have clothes washing and drying facilities. Look for stowage space so you and your roomie are not tripping over each otherís bags. Multi-media equipment can encompass everything from a CD player to video editing rooms and satellite television. Expect at least video/slide presentation equipment and sound systems from upmarket vessels. Useful additions are good marine/local reference books as well as books and videos for fun. Sunny and shaded deck areas and a comfortable lounge/salon are a must to save you from cabin claustrophobia and bring you together with other divers - especially at dawn and dusk, the most wonderful times to be at sea.. Photographers who, on the other hand, prefer the company of silicon grease and cotton buds, will need a dedicated camera room (preferably on the main deck to avoid climbing stairs with cameras) where they can spread out and fuss between dives. Most operations will offer E6 processing as an extra service. It is no coincidence that live-aboards attract a lot of photographers and videographers - they go where the best pictures are!
A BACKACHE AFTER A DIVE TRIP means you had to work too hard for it to be a holiday. Good live-aboards recognise the desire to dive fast and relax. Apart from setting up your gear at the beginning and rinsing it at the end of the trip, you shouldnít have to lift your scuba unit at all. Good crew will be on hand to put your tank on you and take it off, load and unload it from skiffs and fill it immediately upon your return from a dive. Competent crew are the key to your comfort onboard in the same way friendly local crew are a cultural link for visitors. Live-aboard dive boats cater perfectly for sophisticated travellers in search of some unique cultural insight into the country and ocean they have come so far to experience. A vesselís crew provides an ideal opportunity for passengers to learn about real people and make real friends. In less-developed nations where so many great dive boats are based, a ship and crew who establish respectful relationships with local people in remote villages are invaluable. Shore visits to such places are invariably fascinating and an extra dimension to your journey that other travellers could only dream of. In all travel, even dive travel, its the people you meet and the company you keep that sets one journey apart from another.
THE COST OF A LIVE-ABOARD dive trip sometimes shocks land-lubbers - although there are budget-price boats in busier regions like Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. If you consider the worth of having all your diving, meals, transport and accommodation included in the price (and no shops to spend money in), life at sea becomes a more streamlined and valuable option. As well as superior dive sites, you have more time to dive and to relax, a continually changing vista, unmatched intimacy with a genuinely natural environment, the company of like-minded folk and the hospitality of locals. But the main reason people return time and time again to the same live-aboard dive boat is that each new journey is a truly unique experience.
ASK BEFORE YOU BOOK
Save yourself from disappointment and ensure your holiday suits your particular needs by asking as many questions of your booking agent as you can. Be specific about the information you need and be assertive about getting accurate answers.
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Naiía proved my arrogant assumptions about Fiji diving totally invalid. It was a pleasant surprise to find that Naiíaís Fiji was much more than the worldís "soft coral capital". Even the seven-day journey showed off an excellent variety of among the most healthy reefs and dramatic underwater terrain I have ever dived, including several sites where sharks and other pelagics are a feature. The routes (see map) take divers far away from the standard tourist haunts and oft dived areas to places well out of reach of smaller, less capable vessels. The pinnacles, dubbed E-6 and Mount Mutiny, rising from 3000 feet are especially exciting. Likewise the current-flushed passages at Gau Island where many grey reef sharks, big eye jack schools and curious barracuda live alongside luscious coral bommies and rare macro critters. Naiíaís good reputation as an environmentally and culturally sensitive operation has enabled her to continue to travel to new locations that divers (and, in fact, all tourists) are yet to explore. Special annual trips to Tonga to research and watch humpback whales, and the remote Lau Islands, for example, are also planned. The combined effect of an outstanding host and crew, home-like onboard atmosphere and comfort, especially warm and memorable shore visits plus top-quality and diverse diving made Naiía my best overall live-aboard diving experience so far.
HIGHLIGHTS
Vessel layout; comfort and space both in cabins and common areas (even a full load of 18 divers have plenty of room to gear up and laze about); casual and cheerful ambiance thanks to attentive, good-humoured and welcoming local crew and knowledgeable cruise director; detailed dive briefings and talented guides; good camera room and dunk tanks; stunning reefs, shark dives, variety of locations; genuinely unique village visit featuring a meke (dancing, music and kava) and the inspiring friendliness of Fijian people.
LIMITATIONS
Long passages between sites (almost always during night); four dives per day maximum; little spare and/or rental dive gear; head on main deck could be cleaned to passenger standards.
SPECIALTIES
Naiía works with University of South Pacific biologists researching and documenting life on and around Fijiís coral reefs. As owner and host, Rob Barrelís personal interest in dolphins and whales coupled with his academic qualifications in cetacean anthropology led to the design of Naiía specifically as a platform for studying these animals. The 1996 Tonga Humpback Whale Expeditions with Auckland University scientists is the first of what will hopefully be an ongoing observation of and interaction with this whale population. Professional photographers, videographers and naturalists are regularly special guests aboard Naiía for the benefit of passengers. Barrel is also an accomplished underwater video professional happy to offer assistance and advice on filming and editing.
SHIPíS LOG
Designed by W. de Vries Lentsch and constructed in Holland for Caribbean passengers cruises, Naiía (Hawaiian for dolphin), was brought to Fiji in 1993 to be entirely refit specifically for diving and discerning passengers. Barrelís heady tale of making the Naiía dream a reality is a another story alone, especially for anyone silly enough to try designing and building a live-aboard themselves.
LOCATION
The 300-odd Fiji Islands are among the worldís most beautiful, accessible and loved. Nadi is just a three-and-a-half hour flight from Sydney. Naiíaís base is at Lautoka near Nadi for most of the year and at the countryís capital, Suva, during Summer.
WEATHER & TEMPERATURE
Fiji is tropical but considerably milder than Papua New Guinea and the Solomons. The dry and cooler season is officially May to October. Water temperature is 77 at the coolest in June to September and up to 85 in Summer.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Australian passport holders are permitted a 120 day tourist visa on arrival with return ticket. Fijian $20 departure tax. Shop with Fiji dollars or major credit cards at resorts or in cities. English is the official language but Fijian and Hindustani spoken otherwise. No malaria in Fiji! Drinking water is safe.
CONTACT
Naiía Cruises Fiji, PO Box 3179, Lami, Fiji Islands, tel:(679) 450 382; fax:(679) 450 566; e-mail: naia@is.com.fj
Internet surfers, keep your eye on the new and developing Naiía website at http://www.naia.com.fj.
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RATING GUIDE: *poor ** fair ***average ****good *****excellent
CRUISE DIRECTOR/HOST *****
Rob Barrel, an American captain from Hawaii who has spent much of his life at sea on yachts, is also Naiíaís designer and co-owner. The ship has much of his heart and soul invested in it and his pride in and enthusiasm for Naiía, Fiji and diving adds tremendously to a visitorís experience. Diving background includes work on live-aboards in Palau and Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Accomplished video pro. and divemaster.
CREW *****
Twelve affable and attentive Fijians for whom Naiía is almost home - almost as many crew as passengers! Join the nightly crew kava ("grog") and singing sessions if you enjoy heavenly voices and spirited strumming.
DIVE GUIDES ****
Available every dive if desired. Assisting Barrel is Rusi Bale, a Fijian dive guide and former fish collector, whose amazing knack for finding tiny critters has made him somewhat of a living local legend.
DIVING LOGISTICS *****
Detailed briefings with maps on arrival at each location help divers escape the group and find their own way. Numbered tanks set up with scuba gear at beginning of trip, remain on back dive deck for trip duration to be filled and prepared between dives by crew. Divers dress, gather mask/fins and accessories and walk to back deck to be assisted onto two waiting skiffs (5.8m NAIAD rigid inflatables with 60hp Yamaha outboards) with scuba units already loaded. Competent skiff drivers spot and pick up divers quickly wherever they surface then return to Naiía. Usually three day dives plus a night dive. Itineraries can be tailored to suit guests.
DIVING SAFETY ****
Extensive briefings include suggested safe dive profiles but the onus of responsibility rests on passengers. Professional instruction/supervision is available on request. Buddy system not compulsory. First dives gentle to refresh skills and check out equipment. Crew monitor divers in and out. Use of computers urged. Do not allow sharing of computers or flouting computersí instructions. Recompression chamber in Suva. Naiía carries enough oxygen for two peopleís use from furthest point of routes to Suva.
DIVE SITES *****
Wide variety and pristine state; rich coral and fish life; excellent macro opportunities. Visibility average30m, best viz in winter. New dive site means whole new region not just relocation on the same reef. Deep drop-offs and sea mounts; shallow bommies; lagoon passages and drift dives; grey reef sharks and (sometimes) shark feed; manta rays and hammerheads often sighted. Still finding new sites and species.
THE VESSEL *****.
Steel-hulled motor sailor, 120 feet long with 30-foot beam. Superior comfort and stability under sail and at anchor. Plenty of space for diver and camera preparation, gear stowage and relaxation - even with full load of 18 passengers. Naiíaís 103-foot rotating wing spar (for maximum efficiency) is a formidable sight. Cruising range 6000 miles. Average cruising speed 10 knots. Magnificent interior carpentry by local craftsmen using Fijian hardwoods. Two 17 cfm diesel-driven compressors.
CABINS/HEADS *****
More spacious staterooms than on most ships and all with ensuite bathrooms. Air-conditioned and serviced daily. With 29 tonnes of fresh water - shower as you please!
FACILITIES *****
Large sun deck; dive preparation deck doubles as shaded area with seats; spacious main salon/dining room; two large freshwater dunks tanks; excellent camera room with plenty of 240 and 110 volt power outlets.
AMENITIES ****
Hi8 and multi-system VHS decks; light box, slide projector and screen; stereo system; reference and fiction library; movies and documentary videos; games; complimentary sulus and soap.
FOOD ****
Chef, Manasa, prepares three varied and delicious full meals each day plus home-baked snacks ready for gobbling immediately after each dive. Evening meal is three course (with complimentary wine); light breakfast also available before first dive (Vegemite by the jar!); American, Asian and Fijian dishes; plenty of fresh fruits, salads and seafood. Special dietary requests catered for.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT *****
Outfitted to international standards; captain and crew give safety talk.
RENTAL EQUIPMENT ***
Small amount of dive equipment for hire, check availability before you arrive; Suunto Companion computers; two Nikonos V, 35mm and 28mm lenses, macro tubes and framers and SB103 strobes.