WAIKAWA DIVE CENTRE

DIVE & SNORKEL THE MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS OF NEW ZEALAND

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MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS

Here's a partial map of the Marlborough Sounds showing Queen Charlotte Sound with some of the main dive sites we go to. To give you some scale, Queen Charlotte Sound is 40 km long. The travel time to the Mikhail Lermontov wreck from our base is about 1.5 hrs depending on sea state. This makes a day trip possible for those without much time in the region. See our events calendar for current dive trips.

Not all of our sites are shown here - we can tailor something for your group depending on what you want to see and your skill level.

Divers must be certified for our dive trips and have been diving currently. Although we take your safety very seriously and are full safety-certified, the ultimate responsibility is an individual one and every diver should have the skills to dive safely on their own, and be ready to help other divers if necessary.

Of course, should you need to brush up on your diving skills, we offer refresher courses and a full range of advanced diving courses. Just head on over to our Learn to Dive page for details.

INNER SOUNDS

Minimum 3 divers

$255 pp

OUTER SOUNDS

Minimum 3 divers

$295 pp

COOK STRAIT

Minimum 3 divers

$425 pp

EXTRA DIVE

Any trip

$75 pp

NB: Prices include 2 dives and gear (per person).

Prices subject to change and to WDC terms and conditions - in-store prices may supersede these although we do our best to keep online prices up to date.

INNER SOUNDS



There are a number of dive sites within a handy distance of our dive centre which is at Waikawa Marina. A half-day trip would be within this Inner Sounds region. There is still plenty to see, and the map shows all the bays that we can duck into to allow for different weather conditions, making the Sounds a great place to dive. As far as wildlife goes, we regularly see Little Blue Penguins and dolphins and seals in this region, and on occasion even Orca!


A - KOI WRECK / B - FISH FEEDING / C - VARA WRECK / D - TORY CHANNEL

A - KOI WRECK

26m vessel from Scotland sunk in 1940 lying in 12m of water. The wreck is overgrown with seaweeds and home to lots of marine life, including nudibranchs and crabs. Suitable for all scuba certifications & fantastic for night diving!

B - FISH FEEDING

Double Cove marine reserve has blue cod, yellow-eyed mullet and many other fish that will come and feed from your hands. Perfect for beginners and snorkelers.

C - VARA WRECK

A small wreck at 12-14m with abundant life including tube worms and seahorses. Crayfish and eels have made this wreck their home. A great dive only a few minutes boat ride away. Awesome site for night diving!

D - TORY CHANNEL

Drift dive through the kelp forests looking for crayfish, octopus, rays, a large variety of fish and invertebrates. Suitable for experienced divers only due to strong currents.

OUTER SOUNDS



The Outer Sounds region is a magic place. There are generally flocks of unique seabirds, & we often see dolphins (these could be Bottlenose, Dusky or Hector's, depending on the time of year) and Little Blue Penguins. There is a unique colony of pied Cormorants in the Bay of Many Coves.

E - PRINCE OF WALES / F - LONG ISLAND

E - PRINCE OF WALES

50m wreck mainly made of timber lying at 5m since 1930. Lots of marine life on & around it & scallops win season makes this a great combo dive ideal for beginners and snorkelers.

F - LONG ISLAND

Marine reserve - offers a beautiful dive from the surface to a depth of 10m. Home to large crayfish, rays, octopus and many different colourful fish. Ideal for all scuba certifications and snorkelers.



COOK STRAIT



If the weather is right we can visit the "Mikhail Lermontov" cruise ship. The "Lermie" as it's known locally is an all day trip though, so it is a destination in itself, and we would normally plan to have 2 dives there (weather permitting). There are three other wrecks to visit in the region, The Prince of Wales, suitable for beginners and returning divers, The Rangitoto and the Lastingham. These last two are near Cape Jackson.

NB: For Lermontov dives, we must be able to round Cape Jackson safely, and this will be the decision of the Captain on the day in consultation with the latest marine weather information. We will make the decision to visit alternate dive sites if necessary, and consult with divers on their preferred locations.

DIVE TRIP VIDEO

Here's a short video to give you and idea of what our boat Tangaroa is like and the kind of experience you can enjoy out on in the Sounds. Divers here visited the Mikhail Lermontov wreck in Port Gore (at 1:50 min; see map above for the location) and other sites.

DIVE TRIP VIDEO COURTESY OF JAMIE HALL PRODUCTIONS

How to find us:

We're in Waikawa Marina, Picton (see map & events page). 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.

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Contact us:

© 2016 WDC | Site by: AJH

How to find us:

We're in Waikawa Marina, Picton (see map & events page). 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.

WDC Logo

Contact us:

© 2016 WDC | Site by: AJH