Pleasure Diving

Safety
There is a recompression chamber located in Noumea, since July 2004, in case of a diving accident. In all French countries, you always dive with an Instructor who leads the dive.

2) Diving in the South Lagoon

New Caledonia
Surrounded by the largest lagoon in the world, of which the largest sector is in the south, around Noumea. Most of the dive sites are classed as Marine reserves, therefore the wildlife is abundant and very often large. These usually include sharks, manta rays, giant trevally, barracudas and hump-backed whales.

The Ultimate Diving Destination
In the South Lagoon, many of the sites are outside the Great Reef; you will see giant gorgonies clinging to enormous drop offs. You can enjoy the drift dives at the Boulari & Dumbea passes which are located 15 miles from Noumea. The sea current travels sometimes at 4 knots and during the year you may see many manta rays in this location. There are also many sites within the lagoon, of which the most part are marine reserves therefore promoting large numbers of varying fauna.
Within the lagoon there are many small islands and smaller, yet no less beautiful, coral reefs allowing for the discovery of many fish and wrecks from the war and old fishing boats. Some sites are well known for their large numbers of turtles, (Tepava).
Beyond the immediate reach of a single day trip from Noumea, there are many mostly unexplored "virgin" dive areas with glowing reputations (Mato, Merlet Cave, Uatio, and Kouare among some). These offer many natural curiosities such as the famed "Needle of Prony" within the bay of the same name or else the "Pit of Sharks" of Goro, near Yaté. Near the Havannah channel there is the drop-off of Nouare isle, reputed for its strong currents and encounters with the "Big"!

Departures from Noumea

Speedy and sports diving services (half day trips) :

Most dive centres organize morning trips between Boulari (Amedee Lighthouse) and Dumbea (Signal Isle) passes. They use inflatable speed boats.

Relaxing and tourist diving services (day trips) :

A tourist diving operator, AMEDEE DIVING CLUB is based at the Amedee Lighthouse islet and only organises day trips (2 dives), consisting of one morning dive and one in the afternoon. A minimum of divers is required to organize the trips.
Another operator, NOUMEA DIVING, is going everyday for diving, with a 20 m ship "IMPERATOR" offering great comfort with a lot of open space, on board fresh water showers, toilet and compresser. In regard of the remoteness of the dive sites, she only offers day trips (3 or 4 dives) allowing you to take your time, to stay rest, to enjoy cruising and diving both. Weekend trips are also offered with five dives, in the south of the lagoon as far as the well known Kouare Isle. Similar trips with the Imperator are available to the Isle of Pines, Lifou and Ouvea.

Departures from Isle of Pines
There is an operator based here offering diving trips of both half- and full-day, with an inflatable diving boat.

3) Dive sites reachable for 1/2 Day Trips (2 dives)

The half day trips are within the lagoon as well as between the passes of Boulari and Dumbea, on the inside and outside of the reef.
The travel time is about 40 or 50 minutes by boat, sometimes more if the sea conditions are rough or windy. Morning departures are usually at about 8:00 am depending on the dive company and returning around 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm (2 tank).

Each of the 2 passes are very different from the other and they are many accessible beautiful dive sites inside the lagoon :

. BOULARI passage is a marine reserve in which the fauna is abundant and it is not unusual to meet manta rays and sharks. In the pass, many fish inhabit the area and are friendly and approachable.
. UI-UA Grotto (not translated from the french), outside Boulari pass, along the great reef.
. "TABOU" reef is on the inside of the lagoon, in front of Amedee Lighthouse and close to Boulari pass. The diving here is quiet, easy and very colourful characterised by graduate sloping sand and coral, to about 20 metres. The reef, like the passage, is a marine sanctuary and looks like a natural aquarium, with over hundred fish species.
. NAOKO POINT (not translated from the french), a big rock coral about 1 mile from Tabou reef, inside the lagoon.
. TEPAVA, not far from Noumea (20 minutes by boat) is situated great diving along the same reef that has formed the island "l'îlot Maître". is the perfect place to meet turtles, snapper, barracudas, trevelly, yellow ludjans, ui-ua, reef sharks, eagle rays, sting rays, bat fish and many others.
. SEICHE CROISSANT, translated to "dry crescent" this dive site is close to "l'îlot Maître" and the crescent is visible from the island's northern coast. There are many types of fish that have made their home here, especially huge schools of yellow ludjans.
It is not unusual to see eagle rays passing through on the north side of the reef...
. "CANARDS ISLAND" (duck Island) is a reserve rich in fish life, ideal for snorkelling, or diving with a helmet only 4 metres underwater in the "Ocean Walk", or learning to scuba dive
. A little to the north, there is DUMBEA passage. Also a marine reserve, it has a famous site called "Canyon Fossil" along the outside of Abore reef, equally called "Wall of Groupers" for the thousands of female gropers migrating to lay their eggs inside many small caves. During the months of October and November, this site is at its most beautiful. On the inside, you will find left over treasures from World War II, like the huge submarine mine. Along the M'bere reef, the drop offs are very steep with canyons and flora very luscious with black and soft corals.
. The WRECKS : DIEPPOISE, TOHO 5, TOHO 2, Motor Ship SNARK, HUMBOLDT, ARROGANTE, SUN BURN COUNTRY, CORAIL... (please, see the list below the following map).

20 SITES are shown below on the map. This list is not fully exhaustive, however, and shows only the principle sights.