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Tahiti Scuba Diving Guide

Explore > Travel Planning Articles > Tahiti Travel Guide > Tahiti Scuba Diving Guide

Date published:
2025-09-05



Sunset over Bora Bora from our Tahiti Island Guide

Michael Cottam  

About the author, Michael Cottam


Founder of Visual Itineraries, Michael lives in Bend, Oregon. He's an avid traveler, scuba diver, photographer, and a private pilot, and also the founder of Bright Yonder, which offers marketing tools to travel agents. He's been to Fiji, Thailand, Vietnam, Seychelles, Kenya, France, England, New Zealand, Jamaica, Belize, Costa Rica, Turks & Caicos, British Virgin Islands, Mexico, and the major islands in French Polynesia. He's been in Rotary for 23 years, currently on the board of the Greater Bend Rotary Club. Here's his LinkedIn and Pinterest.


Water temperature, scuba diving in Tahiti

Clownfish in anemones in Moorea, French Polynesia
Clownfish in anemones in Moorea, French Polynesia. 		  The water temperature in French Polynesia, like the air temperature, doesn't change all that much. August and September it's around 77 Fahrenheit; in March and April it's more like 85F. Some people wear shorty wetsuits, some a t-shirt (mostly to avoid chafing), but I've found a diveskin is ideal--just enough warmth, and less restrictive on your movements than a shorty.

Also, if you have your own diveskin with some sort of design on it, you'll be easier for your dive buddy to spot amongst all the other divers in identical rental shorties. For more on diving vacation trips, check out this article I wrote for Expert Beacon.

Scuba diving is possible off the coast of many islands. In Bora Bora, you'll find an amazing array of sharks at Tapu, the entrance to the lagoon on the west side (I included this spot in my article on top 10 "bucket list" destinations for scuba divers at Go World Travel Guide). Really spectacular diving can be found in the Tuamotu Atolls.
TRAVEL SPECIAL: Hotel Hibiscus


Hotel Hibiscus 5 nights from 999 per person
Hotel HibiscusLocated in a tropical garden, this causal, family-owned hotel is on a white sand beach on the west side of the island. 29 local-style bungalows with garden and lagoon views plus 9 air-conditioned rooms and 3 family rooms in a modern building. Accommodations are simple - a room with a double bed, plus a single bed (possibility of extra bed), private bathroom, a small kitchen with refrigerator and ceiling fan in the bungalows. Air-conditioning for rooms and studios, plus a terrace with table and seats.

The beachfront restaurant and bar 'Le Sunset' offers French, Tahitian and Italian cuisine with fresh pasta and tasty wood-fired pizzas.

As well as a freshwater pool there is excellent snorkeling in the lagoon. The hotel is within walking distance of a shopping center. Activity desk for land and sea excursions on the island. Kayak rental and bike rental. Free snorkeling equipment.
Learn more about Hotel Hibiscus


Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.
This property advises that enhanced cleaning and guest safety measures are currently in place.
Disinfectant is used to clean the property.
Social distancing measures are in place; staff at the property wear personal protective equipment; guests are provided with hand sanitizer.
Fees
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.

Fee for buffet breakfast: XPF 2850 for adults and XPF 1425 for children (approximately)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.







When you'll see what, and where, when diving in French Polynesia

  • Reef sharks: all year long, everywhere
  • Lemon sharks: all year long, everywhere
  • Hammerhead sharks: February and March, in the Tuamotu Atolls
  • Humpback whales: August through October near Moorea and Tahiti Nui; from October through December, in the Marquesas islands
  • Marbled groupers: late June/early July is their mating seasons, in the Tuamotu Atolls
  • Manta rays: June to November, Bora Bora, Rangiroa and Tikehau
  • Humphead wrasse: all year long, mostly Rangiroa and Fakarava (although I've had a huge one join us on a dive at Tapu, Bora Bora)
  • Tiger sharks: July to November, Tahiti, Fakarava, Tikehau, and sometimes in the Bora Bora lagoon

Tahiti Tourisme has this great guide to dive sites in French Polynesia.



Blacktip reef shark off Moorea

You'll find a terrific, detailed description of dive sites on the various islands in Chantae Reden and David Stanley's Tahiti & French Polynesia guidebook.






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