Island Hopping on a Budget

Hey everyone,

I'm going to fiji end of february, and I'm on a budget (I'm a student). I'm wondering about Island hopping from Nadi side. I can only find "package" island hopping deals and I'm not a huge fan of those.

Can anyone suggest any other options, or know of just a local boat (water taxi) that's available.
I'm used to local means of travel, and I'd prefer those if possible.

Thanks!

You can pay for simple oneway trips on the tourist shuttles like the Yasawa Flyer, no need to buy the all-inclusive packages if you don't want to.
These shuttles are your only option if you want to tour many islands without constant backtracking to the mainland. For the Mamanucas, they are pretty much the only option, as most islands there are only "populated" by resorts.

Local boats to the Yasawas do exist, but leave irregularly.
And unlike the tourist shuttles, they don't do "island-hopping", but merely tend to go from their village straight to Lautoka , stopping only at a few other villages on the way, if at all.
The port in Lautoka is the place to ask.