Without an iota of doubt, Rarotonga is home to the top scuba diving sites in the Pacific. This makes it a popular destination for both beginners and experienced divers. With more than 40 diving sites around the island, scuba diving in Roratonga presents a very favorable chance for Cook Islands adventure. With a diverse environment to explore from wrecks to reefs, there is always something for all levels of divers. Most importantly, there are several dive operators including the Big Fish, Pacific Divers, and Dive Rarotonga among others.
Getting Started—Cook Islands Diving
If you are a complete novice in scuba diving, automatically you need to attend the free learn-to-dive lessons before you can even think of getting your diving suit on. After giving it a whirl, sign up with one of the dive companies and they will take you through a guided dive to the many spots around Rarotonga island.
Learn Scuba Diving in Rarotonga
If you toured Rarotonga with an aim of Cook Islands adventure and to learn diving, then you nailed it. You are in the best place to learn scuba diving. Whether you want to do a short PADI scuba diving course or PADI open water diver course, there are lots of companies that are on standby to get you ready to explore all the delights that lie beneath the waters.
The best thing to smile about is that the PADI open water diver course offered here is internationally recognized and is ranked as the best scuba diving course around. Covering only three days, you can get certified and continue with your under-water Cook Islands adventure. After certification, you can go exploring on your own the next time you visit Rarotonga.
Best Scuba Diving Sites in Rarotonga
There are a couple of diving sites in Rarotonga and different companies will take you to different spots around the island. But there are some sites that are overly popular and easily accessible. In case you picked a tour guide, the guide will pick the best locations for you. But if you decide to take a diving spree without any guide, then here are the highly-rated dive sites in Rarotonga.
The Top Diving Sites in Rarotonga
Maritime Reefer: Strategically placed close to the Dive Rarotonga headquarters and adjacent to the airport, the Maritime Reefer was a fishing vessel that was designed and sunk in 1981 by Dive Rarotonga. Frequent cyclones have broken the wreck into two and left it to a depth of 26 meters. With plenty of lionfish and resident giant morays, the Maritime Reefer presents a picturesque advanced scuba diving experience in a reef rich area.
Alberto’s: With a depth range of 6-12 meters, this diving site is suitable for all divers. With a full array of reef fish and lots of coral bommies, Alberto’s is a bizarre shallow diving site for novice divers. Only a hop from the capital, Avarua, Alberto’s presents a distinctive site for finding lionfish, stonefish, not to mention the moray eels.
The Caves: Another shallow dive site that is suitable for all levels of scuba diving. Also situated near the capital, the Cave are fantastic diving site. These caves are a perfect introduction to the overhead environment for the novice scuba divers as there are lots of exit points with plenty of light from above.
Jade Reef: with a depth range of 16-26 meters, this diving site is suitable for the advanced open water divers only. If you want to get the best out of your Cook Islands adventure, then here is your chance to complete it with a close sight of the whitetip sharks. At 26 meters, there is also plenty of spectacular coral to explore with lots of huge overhangs.
Best of the Rest
Of course, there are other dive sites around Rarotonga island with some only appropriate for the experienced divers. So, always confirm with your tour guide or the guiding company before you take part is any form of diving.
Enjoy Your Diving on Rarotonga
Whatever your scuba diving level, Rarotonga is undoubtedly the best place in the Pacific to not only dive but also to learn scuba diving and get your certification. With several diving sites to explore, you will always have something new to discover in Rarotonga.
