Scuba Diving in Fiji: The 47 BEST Dive Shops & Operators 🤿

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The Best Regions and Islands to Dive in Fiji

You can scuba dive from just about every region and island group in Fiji. Each place has its own drawcards, from nearby marine reserves to barrier reefs that extend for kilometres and kilometres.

The Best Scuba Diving Destinations

Discover the underwater world of soft and hard corals, thousands of fish, invertebrates and marine mammals by scuba diving in Fiji’s top dive destinations. The following locations have a wealth of dive sites just a short boat ride away from shore…

• Taveuni – Close to the renowned Rainbow Reef and the White Wall.
• Vanua Levu – Scuba dive in the pristine Natewa Bay and Namena Marine Reserve.
• Kadavu – Dive the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef, the Great Astrolabe Reef.
• Pacific Harbour – Shark dive and explore soft corals in the Beqa Lagoon.
• Mamanuca Islands – Check out wreck dives and the Malolo Barrier Reef.
• Suncoast – Dive among the pinnacles and nutrient-rich Bligh Water.

For more information on each destination, check out the 10 Best Places to Scuba Dive in Fiji.

The Best Places to Learn How to Scuba Dive

For those wanting to learn scuba diving for the first time, there are many PADI and SSI dive centres throughout Fiji, most of which are conveniently based in resorts. Apart from introductory dives, the first course offered to beginners is an Open Water course, which takes at least four days to complete.

With a PADI or an SSI certificate, you’ll be certified to dive worldwide. Here are some top destinations where you can learn how to dive in Fiji:

• Mamanuca Islands – Easily accessible with sheltered dive sites for beginners.
• Yasawa Islands – Sheltered waters and the chance to scuba dive with manta rays.
• Pacific Harbour – Beginner dives are available to dive with sharks and learn with the resort.
• Vanua Levu – Plenty of scuba diving and freediving courses, combined with beginner dives, are available at Natewa Bay and the Namena Marine Reserve.

Find out more about learning to scuba dive in Fiji with The Best Places to Learn How to Dive in Fiji.

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The Top Dive Shops and Operators in Fiji

Dive into the vibrant underwater world of Fiji with our comprehensive guide to the best dive shops and operators in this South Pacific paradise. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a curious beginner, we’ve got you covered with a list of top-notch dive operators and resorts boasting their own dive shops. From the stunning Suncoast to the remote islands of Kadavu, you’ll find expert guides ready to show you the kaleidoscope of marine life that calls Fiji’s crystal-clear waters home.

Get ready to explore pristine reefs, encounter majestic manta rays, and maybe even spot a hammerhead shark or two (don’t worry, they’re more scared of you than you are of them!). So grab your fins, and let’s plunge into the best diving experiences Fiji has to offer!

The Best Dive Operators in Nadi and Denarau

These are the dive shops and operators in Nadi and Denarau that feature their own PADI and SSI dive operations:

1. Purple Turtle – Fiji’s premier dive centre/resort, boasting an in-house PADI Course Director, enabling them to offer the most comprehensive range of PADI courses in the country.
2. Whitetip Marine Adventures – crowned Fiji’s “Dive Operator of the Year” for 2022 and 2023, offering daily scuba diving excursions from Denarau Marina with an unwavering focus on safety and personalised service.
3. Viti Water Sports – tasked with auditing PADI dive centres across Fiji, ensuring top-notch standards and expertise.
4. Hauraki Adventures – delivering exclusive and tailored water experiences in Fiji’s stunning Mamanuca Islands, including scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing trips, and private boat transfers.

Learn more about what else there is to do in the area with The Complete Travel Guide to Nadi and The Complete Travel Guide to Denarau Island.

The Best Dive Resorts and Operators in the Mamanuca Islands

These are the resorts in the Mamanuca Islands that feature their own PADI or SSI dive operations, offering lessons for beginners and trips for certified divers:

5. Ratu Kini Dive Resort – Affordable dive resort perfect for budget-conscious adventurers.
6. Castaway Island Resort – Boasts an award-winning PADI Five Star Gold Palm dive centre, offering quick access to over 30 diverse dive sites.
7. VOMO Island Resort – PADI 5 Star Dive Resort featuring 10+ varied dive sites just 20 to 40 minutes away, promising unforgettable underwater experiences.
8. Nakelo Treasure Island Resort– Explore Mamanuca Islands’ waters, with chances to see turtles, colourful fish, and vibrant corals right off the resort’s beachfront bures.
9. Matamanoa Island Resort – Adults-only haven partnering with Purple Turtle, a reputable dive operator, for exceptional underwater adventures.
10. Subsurface Fiji (collaborates with most Mamanuca Islands resorts) – Enables diving from nearly any Mamanucas resort, ideal for recreational diving enthusiasts.

Learn more about what else there is to do in the Mamanuca Islands with The Complete Guide to the Mamanuca Islands.

The Best Dive Resorts in the Yasawa Islands

These are the resorts in the Yasawa Islands with their own dive operations, including courses and introductory and recreational dives. Here’s where you can base yourself to complete your scuba diving courses in the Yasawas:

12. Mantaray Island Resort – renowned for its exceptional manta ray encounters, offering guests unforgettable underwater experiences.
13. Barefoot Kuata Resort – offers a unique and eco-friendly bull shark dive, almost guaranteeing sightings of these magnificent predators, setting it apart in the region.
14. Barefoot Manta Resort – boasts 40 diverse dive sites, including two purposely sunk wrecks, and offers conservation activities like coral transplanting and giant clam monitoring guided by resident marine biologists.
15. Vertical Blue Divers (services Octopus, Paradise Cove, Navutu Stars and Blue Lagoon resorts) – facilitates diving adventures from Yasawa’s premier resorts.
16. Dive Yasawa Lagoon (based at Coralview Island Resort) – stands out as a PADI International Resort Association member, welcoming divers of all ages and skill levels.
17. Turtle Island Resort – offers an ultra-luxurious diving experience with scuba diving included in the all-inclusive package.
18. Viwa Island Resort – provides an adults-only diving experience with a PADI-accredited operation, offering personalised service and access to the Yasawa Islands’ pristine underwater landscapes.
19. Yasawa Island Resort & Spa – situated in the Yasawa Islands, known for pristine fringing reefs, walls, and diverse marine life, ideal for casual recreational dives.

Learn more about what else there is to do in the Yasawa Islands with The Complete Guide to the Yasawa Islands.

The Best Dive Resorts and Operators in Savusavu

The following resorts have their own dive operations or work with local PADI dive centres, where you can start your Open Water course at the resort! There are also scuba diving and freediving operators based in Savusavu town.

20. Ocean Ventures – The only dive operator in the vast, deep-water Natewa Bay, offering pristine coral reefs with minimal boat traffic.
21. Liquidstate Freediving (freediving courses only) – Specialises in AIDA-standard freediving training, providing safe and structured ways to improve breath-hold, depth, and confidence underwater.
22. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort – This resort offers a unique diving experience led by a team of marine biologists, providing educational and conservation-focused dives in the pristine waters of Savusavu, with access to over 20 dive sites.
23. Dive For Life (operating out of Koro Sun Resort) offers personalised diving experiences in their legally recognised marine park. With 10 protected dive sites, guests can explore vibrant marine life through snorkelling or scuba diving, receiving keepsake tags.
24. KoroSun Dive (operating out of Savasi Island Resort) – Offers a variety of dive sites just minutes from the marina, featuring soft and hard corals, swim-throughs, caverns, and encounters with turtles and reef sharks.
25. Namale Resort & Spa – A PADI 5-Star Resort facility providing world-class diving experiences combined with ultra-all-inclusive luxury accommodations.

Learn more about what else there is to do on Vanua Levu with The Complete Guide to Savusavu & Vanua Levu.

The Best Dive Resorts and Operators in Vanua Levu and Taveuni

The following resorts have their own dive operations or work with local PADI dive centres to access the famous Rainbow Reef:

26. Dive Academy at Viani Bay Resort (Vanua Levu) – Exclusive access to the world-famous Rainbow Reef, including the Great White Wall, with the shortest boat rides to dive sites.
27. The Remote Resort (Vanua Levu) – Personalised service with dive groups limited to small sizes and flexibility to combine world-class diving with luxury accommodations.
28. Paradise Taveuni (Taveuni) – Paradise Taveuni is the only resort on Taveuni offering diving on both pristine Vuna Reef and legendary Rainbow Reef, with over 40 dive sites to explore.
29. Garden Island Resort (Taveuni) – Well-established dive resort with a history of firsts, including Fiji’s first female dive instructor.
30. Taveuni Ocean Sports (Taveuni) – Exceptionally small group sizes, with a maximum of six guests per charter for access to world-renowned dive sites on Rainbow Reef.
31. Salt Diver Taveuni (Taveuni) – Located in Matei, this dive operator is a convenient option located near most of Taveuni’s resorts.
32. Sau Bay Resort & Spa (Vanua Levu) – Status as Fiji’s first PADI Eco Center and has a state-of-the-art NITROX facility.
33. Taveuni Dive Resort (Taveuni) – Family-owned and operated boutique resort and on-site PADI 5 Star Dive Center with experienced local divemasters.
34. Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat (Vanua Levu) – A small informal retreat atmosphere limited to only eight guests and mere minutes away from the Rainbow Reef.
35. Nukubati Great Sea Reef (Northern Vanua Levu) – One of the very few resorts offering scuba diving at Vanua Levu’s northern hidden gem, the Great Sea Reef.

Learn more about what else there is to do in the area with The Complete Travel Guide to Taveuni and The Complete Guide to Savusavu & Vanua Levu.

The Best Dive Resorts and Operators on the Pacific Harbour and Beqa

While the islands around the Beqa Lagoon have resorts with their own dive centres, resorts in Pacific Harbour work with dive shops in Pacific Harbour:

36. Aqua-Trek (based at The Pearl Resort) – Aqua-Trek has been operating in Pacific Harbour since 1999 and is a leader in shark conservation efforts through the use of marine park fees to support local initiatives.
37. Coral Coast Divers – Provides access to diverse dive sites, including soft corals, overhangs, swim-throughs, and a shipwreck, as well as shark dive at their own Marine Park, ‘The Colosseum’.
38. Beqa Adventure Divers – Specialises in world-renowned shark diving experiences in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve and uses custom-built Bladerunner Hydrofoil Catamarans for comfortable and efficient transportation to dive sites.
39. Beqa Lagoon Resort – PADI 5 Star Resort offers a full range of courses from Discover Scuba Diving to professional-level certifications, on-site nitrox compressor available, and features their own private shark dive known as “The Cathedral.”
40. Royal Davui Island Resort – PADI 5-Star Gold Palm Dive facility on-site, plus small group diving experiences with a maximum of six divers per site.
41. Waidroka Bay Resort – Well-equipped PADI dive centre with a fleet of dive boats and set moorings on most sites and over 20 stunning dive sites within 10 to 45 minutes from the resort, catering to various experience levels.

Learn more about what else there is to do in Pacific Harbour and Beqa with The Complete Guide to Pacific Harbour & Beqa.

The Best Dive Resorts in Kadavu

Kadavu’s few resorts have their very own dive school. Here are some resorts where you can learn how to dive…

42. Matava Eco Adventure Resort – Small, intimate eco-resort setting with PADI 5 Star Dive Center status, offering a full range of PADI dive certifications and two custom-built dive boats specifically designed to explore both the outer and inner reefs.
43. Papageno Resort – All-inclusive packages for stays of three nights or more with a combination of diving with other water activities like kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and snorkeling.
44. Kokomo Private Island – Located on the Great Astrolabe Reef, the fourth largest reef in the world, providing divers with access to over 30 unique dive sites that are less frequented by other resorts.
45. Oneta Resort – This PADI Dive Centre is the best base on Kadavu for manta ray diving.

Learn more about what else there is to do in Kadavu with The Complete Travel Guide to Kadavu.

The Best Dive Resorts and Operators on the Suncoast

The Suncoast may have limited dive operators, but it’s home to one of Fiji’s only Fijian-owned operators, while Ra Divers is a prestigious name in Fiji diving:

46. Ra Divers (based at Volivoli Beach Resort) – Three amazing house reefs are accessible directly from the resort through walk-in entry, teeming with macro life. Plus, they are fully certified PADI and SSI dive centres with over 18 years of experience diving the Bligh Waters.
47. Ring Gold Divers – Fiji’s only 100% native Fijian-owned dive centre with PADI scuba lessons, including open water and discovery dives, along with snorkelling, spearfishing, and handline fishing options.

Learn more about what else there is to do on the Suncoast with The Complete Travel Guide to Lautoka, Rakiraki & the Suncoast.

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What Marine Life You’ll See When Scuba Diving in Fiji

Fiji is home to some of the most diverse life in the ocean. Strong currents bring in nutrients to harbour life in Fiji’s coral reefs, luring in macro life species all the way to large pelagic fish and marine mammals. Fiji is home to around 390 coral species and around 1,200 fish species, so listing all of the amazing life you can see in Fiji’s underwater world would have us here for days.

Regardless, a few highlights include native creatures like the twilight fangblenny, as well as colourful reef fish such as Maori wrasse, sweetlips, lionfish, scorpionfish, nudibranchs, and many more.

Fiji also attracts a seasonal migration of humpback whales and manta rays. Other larger creatures include seven different species of turtles, nine different species of sharks, 12 species of whales and acrobatic spinner dolphins.

Some of the seasonal marine sights are as follows:

• Manta Rays – May to October
• Humpback Whales – August
• Bull Sharks – January to October
• Coral Spawning (Balolo) – November
• Turtles – November to March
• Tuna – November to March

Learn more about the best seasons in our full guide, The Best Seasons for Seeing Wildlife in Fiji. Plus, check out more marine life to see while scuba diving in A Traveller’s Guide to Wildlife in Fiji.

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The Best Dive Resorts and Liveaboards

Now that you know a little bit more about the where, when and what of scuba diving in Fiji, you’re finally going to want to know who to scuba dive with. Saying Fiji has around 40 dive operators would almost be an understatement, with many of the resorts having their own on-site PADI or SSI dive centre.

Liveaboards are also an option, with a small selection of year-round providers available.

The Best Dive Resorts in Fiji

While not an all-inclusive list of the dive resorts in Fiji, here are just some of our top recommendations around the islands.

• Viani Bay Resort – Vanua Levu/Taveuni
• Paradise Taveuni – Taveuni
• Matava Eco Adventure Lodge – Kadavu
• The Remote Resort – Vanua Levu/Taveuni
• Garden Island Resort – Taveuni
• Ratu Kini Dive Resort – Mamanuca Islands
• Taveuni Dive Resort – Taveuni
• Waidroka Bay Surf & Dive Resort – Pacific Harbour
• Mantaray Island Resort – Yasawa Islands
• Beqa Lagoon Island Resort – Pacific Harbour
• Castaway Island Resort – Mamanuca Islands
• VOMO Island Resort – Mamanuca Islands
• Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort – Vanua Levu

Get more details on each resort in the 20 Best Dive Resorts in Fiji.

Liveaboards in Fiji

Liveaboards are a great way to visit various dive sites across the islands throughout your stay in Fiji while also doing a bit of island-hopping with like-minded diving enthusiasts. Fiji has a small selection of liveaboards, including:

• Nai’a Fiji
• Big Blue Fiji

Find out more about each liveaboard with the 5 Best Liveaboards in Fiji.