WAIKAWA DIVE CENTRE
DIVE, FREEDIVE & SNORKEL THE MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS OF NEW ZEALAND
IMPORTANT: DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC WE WILL NOT BE OFFERING DIVE TRAINING OR GUIDED DIVE TRIPS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE INFORMATION PRESENTED HERE REPRESENTS OUR NORMAL MODE OF OPERATION, WHICH WE HOPE TO RESUME AS SOON AS CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW.
WE STILL HAVE A FULLY STOCKED RETAIL DIVE SHOP, OFFER GEAR HIRE & REPAIRS, & TANKS WILL CONTINUE TO BE FILLED & TESTED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND FOR VISITING OUR SITE & STAY SAFE EVERYONE!
BANNER PHOTO BY VISITING DIVER JIM KERR FROM THE U.K.
MASTER DIVER BUNDLE
PURCHASE THIS BUNDLE BEFORE 30/04/20 AND GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN A MARES BOLT BCD (VALUED AT $849) OR A MARES QUAD AIR COMPUTER ($749).
FINISH MASTER DIVER CERTIFICATION BY THIS DATE AND GET AN EXTRA ENTRY INTO THE DRAW!
PLEASE ENQUIRE BELOW.
For certified divers. Five specialties, including Diver Stress and Rescue & 50 logged dives.
Minimum 6 days (depends on specialties chosen and # of previously logged dives).
LEARN TO DIVE, FREEDIVE OR SNORKEL
Learn to dive, freedive or snorkel, enjoy a dive trip, maybe to the Mikhail Lermontov cruise ship wreck, and hire or buy quality dive gear & accessories. We also fill and test dive tanks (standard air and Nitrox available).
We're right on the water at Waikawa Marina - perfect if you arrived by boat. See our map.
See our gallery for photos of our boat Tangaroa and the marine life you’re likely to see in the Marlborough Sounds. While you’re here, view our events calendar, and thanks for visiting us!
DIVE TRIPS
Explore the Marlborough Sounds underwater! We offer dive trips of a half or a full day exploring the Sounds.
You will you get both to dive and experience the wildlife of the area, often with native birdsong in the background. The Sounds has many bays to visit, and this allows flexibility to accommodate both your schedule and the weather.
Join us for a friendly, relaxed diving experience. Brush up on your diving skills while visiting a beautiful part of New Zealand.
GIVE FREEDIVING A GO!
Enjoy a Freediving course, where you gain the freedom of learning to dive without a scuba tank. Take on the challenge of learning to hold your breath underwater and learn some vital safety skills in the process.
We are offering courses throughout summer so see the Events calendar and book yourself a place. If you have your own group, just get in touch and we can organise a course to suit your schedule.
Thanks to Dan Westerkamp for allowing us to use his great action photos of freediving instruction.
INNER SOUNDS
Short on time? A half-day trip to the Inner Sounds is a very worthwhile way to spend a morning or afternoon.
Several interesting dive sites relatively close to our base, including a couple of wrecks.
Check out our calendar for scheduled dives, or if there are several of you, call and arrange a time to suit you.
OUTER SOUNDS
If you have more time, you could visit Long Island in the Outer Sounds region, which is a marine reserve.
Although subject to weather conditions, you can see a surprising amount of marine life within just a few metres of the surface, making it suitable for snorkelling as well as diving.
MIKHAIL LERMONTOV WRECK
The Mikhail Lermontov cruise ship foundered in 1986, after gashing it's side open from passing through the gap between Cape Jackson and it's lighthouse offshore. Usually this route is only used by small craft as it is shallow and rocky.
While an unfortunate event, it is a wonderful dive site, with plenty of marine life, and many divers return again and again to see more of the ship. As it is located in the Outer Sounds region bordering Cook Strait all trips to the Lermontov are weather-dependent.
For your safety and ours, due to explosion hazards with the possibility of serious traumatic injury or death and extensive damage to property we will no longer be filling "at risk" cylinders involved in historic and recent accidents.
Affected Cylinders are:
Luxfer cylinders marked with special permit marked 6498
Luxfer cylinders marked DOT-3AL with a hydro date before 1989
CIG cylinders marked as AS1777 with a hydro date before 1991
Can't think of what to buy your buddy in life or diving buddy? How about a WDC Gift Voucher? Buy in any amount you want. An easy gift for your outdoorsy friends and family.
NB. Valid for one year from date of purchase.
How to find us:
We're in Waikawa Marina, Picton. Picton is in the Marlborough Sounds, at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. Our trips can depart from any location in Queen Charlotte Sound by arrangement.
Contact us:
- WAIKAWA DIVE CENTRE
- PO Box 511
- Picton 7250
- Call +64 3 573 5939
- waikawadive@xtra.co.nz
© 2016 WDC | Site by: AJH
