Gabriella J.
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Dive! Tutukaka was amazing!!! The staff at the front office was always very responsive and helpful. The staff helping us with the gear was super knowledgeable and very patient with my family. The staff on the boats were excellent. We never needed anything. We got back from the first dive and the captain was waiting with hot chocolate for my son and daughter. It was one of the best diving experiences I have ever had and the prices were SUPER reseasonable. We will 100% use them again if we are diving in the area. – via
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The crew were so accomodating. We were the couple who decided to bring a 4 week old baby on board LOL. From the booking (they were very informative about bringing our little one and which boat would be best) to on board, they were so kind about everything! The two women who helped us with the snorkelling gear were lovely and the woman with the brown curly hair explained the health and safety briefing to us so we didn’t have to take our infant upstairs. I feel you don’t often see people who appear to genuinely enjoy their jobs and it was honestly such a relief. 10/10 would go again. – via
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Going to do my best to be fair here, and my only motivation for writing this review is so that divers can make informed decisions when they’re planning their time/spending their money.
Good stuff first!
– The skippers were always very pleasant, the (older) Steve brought energy and fun to the boat
– Dan was super helpful in giving buddy pairs suggestions for planning their dives
Other stuff:
– I made the poor decision to spend 2 weeks in Tutukaka on my own – the town is absurdly expensive; this is not a Dive! Tutukaka problem of course, but I personally witnessed a diver asking the front desk staff for recommendations, with the front desk staff not providing him with anything; I jumped him and suggested a few places he could go (recommendations the surf shop down the road had given me)
– The guides seem pretty inexperienced (most that I came across had basically done all their training/diving only in this one location, and weren’t planning dives well); on one particular dive the guide ran an up/down/up/down profile, and was freaking out about me going down to 26m (I am a DMT with over 300 dives in 18 months, over 350 now, across 9 countries and countless dive sites/conditions/currents); as a result of this I developed an immediate sinus migraine (pretty common to many divers who are forced to do an up/down/up/down profile by some guides, especially when the guide in question wants everyone within an arms length so you’re also getting constantly smacked in the head by other divers’ fins) and couldn’t stop throwing up – I knew what I was dealing with and asked this guide for some space, but she was belligerent (while I’m throwing up into a bag for like the 5th time) making snarky remarks at me (literally while throwing up) and again while I’m getting some rest so the headache could settle. I gently conveyed to Dan this is not appreciated or appropriate, but of course this particular guides ego was far too inflated to offer any sort of apology for her behaviour, not did the operation offer a partial refund for the dive I had to skip due to the limitations of their guides’ abilities.
– In buddy pairs, the diving was far more enjoyable, though the diving in PKIs is pretty below average; poor vis, not much to see other than rays and nudis; don’t believe the PADI website and lists; spend your money elsewhere if you’re a foreigner. the Northern Arch and Blue MaoMao arch were pretty much the only dive sites worth doing – but once and done.
– If you’re travelling with your own gear, be careful. I requested the operation to give my gear a rinse after the migraine incident, and came back the next day to have my gear strewn all over the back of the shop; deeply disrespectful. As divers we all know how much gear costs and we invest our hard earned money in it; thankfully my gear wasn’t damaged or lost, but for the kind of prices you pay, this is not what you expect.
– Again, if you’re travelling with your own gear, they will not rinse it, and they ask you to hang it up in the strong, strong, New Zealand summer sun. NOPE. First rule of caring for your scuba gear – never put it in the sun; I was pretty shocked that they asked me to do this on multiple occasions, which I politely but firmly refused to do. They also give you a filthy tub to rinse your gear in.
– a fellow lovely female diver asked the same snarky guide if there was a place she could have a quick shower as she was leaving in her campervan soon after – “sorry, no”. After the first time I used their toilet I realized she lied. Bizarre. I had met the diver on the same day, and offered her a shower in my hotel room since the dive operation clearly seemed to lack..I don’t know, kindness? Honesty?
– like I said, I’ve dived in 9 countries; idk how many sites and conditions within those and I’ve never come across a crew with less of a vibe. I was a solo traveller, and sure, everyone was nice – contrived – but nice. No genuine kindness whatsoever, though.
– Kelly, Andrea, Ceara, Steve, and Dan were nice tho. Totally not worth the money however. – via
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The dive shop is very good, It should be as it is very expensive. A couple locals are staying with couldn’t believe how much we paid. To be fair they were on par with the others in the area and diving in Australia is looking very expensive now too. Their gear was good. Their staff very, very helpful, entertaining, informative thorough and safety conscious. One thing I did not like was they requested divers to go on the top level of the boat while they changed around our gear which I understand but there was no shade up there and the sun here is devastating. Also for the price we pay I think they should, pardon the pun throw in a towel. I understand they don’t really want to do a lot of laundry. Perhaps they should just actually give you a towel. Print their name on it. Great advertising!
I was disappointed with the actual diving. Not a lot of fish and nothing I haven’t seen other places. Unless you’re a new diver, you likely will not be impressed. No one on the boat was – via
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Took the “Perfect Day” experience out to the Poor Knights islands for a day’s snorkeling, kayaking and paddle boarding.
This was a great experience, once we arrived we had 2 hours of activities before traveling back.
We didn’t have the best of weather on the day we went so the trip out to the islands was very rough and a few people were sick. Definitely try and pick the best weather when you go.
Once we got to the shelter of the islands the water was calm and quite warm and it was sunny .
The fish were amazing and could be seen under the boat when snorkeling, I got some amazing photos with my phone which survived being in the water.
The crew were great and very helpful and knowledgeable. – via
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Took the “Perfect Day” experience out to the Poor Knights islands for a day’s snorkeling, kayaking and paddle boarding.
This was a great experience, once we arrived we had 2 hours of activities before traveling back.
We didn’t have the best of weather on the day we went so the trip out to the islands was very rough and a few people were sick. Definitely try and pick the best weather when you go.
Once we got to the shelter of the islands the water was calm and quite warm and it was sunny .
The fish were amazing and could be seen under the boat when snorkeling, I got some amazing photos with my phone which survived being in the water.
The crew were great and very helpful and knowledgeable. – via
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