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Dive Review of Bilikiki Cruises in
Solomon Islands

Bilikiki Cruises, Jul, 2010,

by Sean Bruner, AZ, US (Contributor Contributor 16 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 5603.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Diving on the Bilikiki was five times per day, every three hours, including a night dive. Everyone dove nitrox with computers. Dive sites were varied and easy, with shallow dives (50 - 80 ft) and coral gardens at safety stop depth to keep it interesting. Diving is from small boats ("tinnies") with backroll in and a ladder up. Dive times averaged one hour, but you could stay longer if your air and computer were good. Coral was magnificent and most dives featured a wide variety of indo-pacific reef fish and a number of critters. The cabins were large enough with en-suite bathrooms. A nice touch was hot showers and shampoo on the dive deck making showering in the cabin largely unnecessary. The crew was very accommodating to divers and photographers, handing down equipment and helping divers into the tinnies, unloading the tanks from the tinnies to the ship, providing good even nitrox fills and washing the wetsuits in the middle and the end of the trip. Food was nutritious and filling, full breakfasts, soup at lunch, salad and veggies and main courses of fish or meat, including a steak and lobster tail dinner on the last night. The best part of the trip were the managers/dive guides James and Aiko. James' briefings were the most complete I have ever experienced and both he and Aiko were attentive and knowledgeable and always in a good mood, funny and helpful. Unfortunately, they have left the Bilikiki and are uncertain whether they will return in six months or move on to new endeavors, but we were lucky to have them for this trip. Finally, the visits to the villages made the trip especially interesting. Overall, a very good trip.
Websites Bilikiki Cruises   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Indonesia, PNG, Palau, Fiji, Galapagos, Revillagigedo, Bonaire, BVI, Cozumel, Sea of Cortez
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather cloudy, dry Seas calm
Water Temp 82-85°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile ?
Enforced diving restrictions Nitrox limits
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments There was a camera table in the diving area on the back of the boat and a large dry table inside the salon. Upstairs there was an area with plenty of 110 volt outlets for charging.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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