Fiji Islands - Fiji Resorts

Matana Resort, Dive Kadavu
diving details » Matana/Dive Kadavu Diving Facts

Fiji Diving

Travelers come to Matana Resort and Dive Kadavu for the Fijian Islands SCUBA diving.

Kadavu and its reefs are famous for their variety. Dive Kadavu says to "Expect the Unexpected" .

Expect to see hard and soft corals and plenty of species of reef fish. Beyond that anything is possible, sharks, mantas, jacks, tuna, grouper, sea snakes, rays, nudibranchs & more.

Soft corals come alive on the reefs in an explosion of pink, yellow and red. There are numerous buoyed sites as Blue Tang, Evil Trench and Yellow wall on the famous Namalatta Reefs which are just 15 minutes by boat away.

The diving from Matana Resort is mainly at the local reefs on the north of Kadavu Island where the resort is located. There are plenty of swim throughs and caverns plus excellent coral and fish.

If the weather is good, a full day dive trip to the Great Astrolabe Reef, to the south of Kadavu Island, is possible and well worth it..

The waters of Fiji have a kaleidoscope of brightly colored fishes including clowns and lion fish. And for the snorkel er you can enjoy great snorkeling right off your bure just steps away..

Matana Resort / Dive Kadavu have a fleet of 4 purpose built dive boats.

Two morning dives are the standard offer with optional afternoon and night dive possible with a minimum of 4 divers required for the optional dives.

Each morning the dive boats leave at 8:30 to 8:45 am. After two dives, with a surface interval at a lovely beach, the boats arrive back at the Resort at approximately 12:30 to 1:00 pm.

The waters around Kadavu are a little cooler that those of other parts of Fiji. Dive Kadavu recommends a full-length suit at all times (2-3mm) to protect against the water and the risk of coral cuts. The water temperature May - October ranges from 22c to 26c and Nov - April 26c to 30c.

Matana Resort / Dive Kadavu Diving Facts

About the Dive Operation:

• Mantana Resort owns its dive operation, Dive Kadavu
• PADI Dive Resort certified, Dive Kadavu PADI #S-36299
• All divemasters and dive guides are PADI certified Rescue or DiveMasters

Areas Dived:

• North Kadavu - local sites Nabukelevu-I-ra, Namalata Reef
• The Great Astrolabe Reef (day trip)

About the Diving:

• two (2) morning dives
• optional afternoon dive
• optional night dive
• no minimum number of divers for morning dives
• minimum 4 divers required for afternoon and night dives
• shore diving available, free with pre-paid dive package
• maximum 10 divers per dive guide
• 5-30 min.

About the Dive Boats:

• 4 purpose-built dive boats
• Dive 1 has 2 x 200hp
• Dive 5 has 1 x 200hp
• Dive 3 & 4 (Catamaran style boats) have 2 x 60hp each
• All are covered for shade & have Yamaha motors. Radio, Life Jackets, Oxygen and first aid on board.

Dive Groups, Dive Clubs- Group Dive Trips:

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

Dive Instruction

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

Diving Courses Offered:

• PADI Discover Scuba Course (any time)
• PADI Open Water Diver
• PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course
• PADI Referral

Dive Equipment:

• Nitrox is not available
• Full rental gear available at additional cost,
• Scuba Pro and Sherwood dive gear

Special Facilities for Underwater Photographers & Videographers

• none

Favorite Dive Sites:

• Sea Fan Alley, Cabbage Patch, Blue Tang

A Selection of Dive Sites:

Dive Site:		Sea Fan Alley
Location:		Nabukelevu-I-ra
Type:		Wall and Sea Mountain Dive
Depth:		30+ m.
Fish Life:		Schools of Barracuda, Manta Rays, Hammer heads
Reef Life:		Sea fans with a mixture of hard and soft Corals
Description:		Drift Dive this dive, as there is a lot to cover, in amongst soft and hard corals there are clown triggerfish and turtles. Cruising by expect to see schools of jacks
Time From Resort:		25-30min
Dive Site:		Cabbage Patch
Location:		Nabukelevu-I-ra
Type:		Stationary Dive
Depth:		20 m. max
Fish Life:		Sea Snakes/Clown Fish/Manta rays/Eagle Rays/Walu
Reef Life:		Cabbage coral in amongst soft and hard coral, swim through
Description:		Expect to see a lot of pristine cabbage coral, looks like an underwater garden, spectacular swim through with ghost pipefish inside. Dive site can be drift dive depending on the current and a very easy and mellow second dive.
Time from Resort:		25-30min
Dive Site:		Bure's Jewel
Location:		Namalata Reef
Type:		Stationary Dive
Depth:		20 m. Max
Fish Life:		Lion Fish/Triggerfish/Clown Fish/Nudibranch
Reef Life:		Hard coral dive with a lot of small things to see, many varieties of Nudibranch's in numbers at this location. A macro photographers dream.
Time From Resort:		10min
Dive Site:		Yellow Wall
Type:		Stationary Dive
Location:		Namalata Reef
Depth:		25 m. Max
Fish Life:		Sweet lips/Sergeant major/Pipefish/Garden eels/Walu/Wahoo
Reef Life:		Thick Yellow soft coral in amongst a series of arches and swim throughs
Description:		This is one of the premier dive sites in Kadavu, dive through series of swimthroughs and archways covered with yellow soft corals and nudibranchs, slight -med currents will bring the soft coral out to feed. Visit the friendly sergeant major fish and see the dive guides give them breakfast.
Time from Resort:		10 min
Dive Site:		Canyon
Location:		Namalata Reef
Type:		Stationary /valley diving
Depth:		23 m. Max
Fish life:		Schools of Clownfish varieties/Eagle rays/garden eels/Napoleon Wrasse
Reef Life:		Swim through of hard coral /Canyon like valleys/series of coral heads
Description:		This is like canyon diving, start by swimming through a big swim through and check the ambient light creep through the crevice like tunnel. Following that experience swimming through arches of different kinds to where you'll find on top of the coral head many different varieties of clown fish, also pop corn shrimp can be found on this divesite.
Time From Resort:		12 min
Dive Site:		Crazy Maze
Location:		Namalata Reef
Type:		Drift dive/Swim throughs galore
Depth:		Varies between 3-18 m.
Fish life:		Giant Goliath grouper/turtles/pop corn shrimp/barracuda
Reef Life:		Swim throughs galore
Description:		Follow your dive guide through 11 swim throughs in spectacular formations, this is a very long but satisfying dive, the swim through weave throughs the sea wall at all kinds of angles and each one has its spectacular formation of colors and fish life.
Time From Resort:		12min
Dive Site:		Evil Trench
Location:		Namalata Reef
Type:		Advanced Deep Dive/Cavern Dive
Depth:		35 m. +
Fish life:		Schools of Jack/Grouper
Reef Life:		Mainly Rock Formations
Description:		Extreme deep dive but amazing.Descend to 30mtrs to the trench and slip into the abyss and exit onto the sea wall where wahoo,sharks and grouper will meet you for a friendly bula.
Time From Resort:		14min
Dive Site:		Featherstar
Location:		Namalata Reef
Type:		12-16 m.
Depth:		Night Dive Only/Stationary
Fish life:		Nudibranch (30-40cm long!!) /Octopus/Stone Fish/Lion Fish/Turtles
Reef Life:		All night soft coral /Basket stars/Featherstars
Description:		A very good site for beginners to learn how to night dive. Consists of two coral heads and a max depth of 16mtrs. As well advanced divers will enjoy this site also because of the marine life that can be found here.One big attraction is the giant size nudibranch that can be found wondering around looking for food,also the turtles.
Time From Resort:		5min
Dive Site:		Aquarium
Location:		Namalata Reef
Type:		10-18 m.
Depth:		Drift Dive
Fish life:		Blue and Black ribbon eels/Schools of yellow tall snapper/School of fish passing through.
Reef Life:		Soft Corals and sea fans,Sea anemones.
Description:		This dive has a variety of big and small fish and also has a rare ribbon eel which is the black variety. It is a very easy dive provided that you are able to drift dive.
Time From Resort:		12min
Dive Site:		Blue Tang
Location:		Namalata Reef
Type:		10-18 m.
Depth:		Drift Dive
Fish life:		Mantis shrimps/octopus/flounders/blue Ribbon eels/Barracuda/sharks/Blue tang surgeon fish
Reef Life:		Soft and Hard Coral,Swim through with a lot of small varieties of soft corals.
Description:		This dive site is one of our premier dive sites because of the varieties of fish and types of coral. This dive site from the beginning to end is full of encounters of all kinds.
Time From Resort:		12min

Special Dive Trips (weather permitting):

• The Manta Encounter - 3 tank all-day dive trip to a dive site that consistently produces close encounters with manta rays. Some of the mantas encountered on the dive site have been up to 20 feet wide.
• The Great Astrolabe Reef - all-day dive trip to the Great Astrolabe Reef to the south of Kadavu Island.