Diving in Chuuk

Hi, I'm visiting Pohnpei and Chuuk in August / September (doing some teaching).

Has anybody done some diving in Chuuk recently? Any recommendations for shore-based diving companies? I'll probably have limited time (only a couple of days for diving) but am keen to dive a few wrecks if possible.

Thanks for your help
Wayne

Hello,

Hopefully someone who has recently visited Chuuk will post here, but for now, I'll pass along second-hand information that I got while in Yap and Palau last month. Which is, if you are diving in Chuuk, stay on a liveaboard, because state services have eroded and (some of) the locals are violent toward tourists. Or alternatively, stay in a hotel and never leave it at night (5Waldos mentioned in another thread that some safe places do exist).

Again, this is second-hand, so take it with a grain of salt. But the person I spoke with who had just returned from Chuuk painted a grim picture.

Edited by: tilos

Hi Tilos

Thanks for your post. Yes, I've heard you've got to be careful. Will probably be staying at the hotel / dive resort for the couple of days I'm diving.

Wayne

You might want to try posting on the usual dive forums, given how many divers visit Chuuk compared to the average LP traveler. Again, good luck, information-gathering for the Federated States can be a bit of a challenge.

Hi- haven't been there for a while but if anything it has gotten worse- and it wasn't great when I was there. The Truk Stop used to be ok, and there are several new resorts. But I would ask in Pohnpei- the ex-pats there will know the safest places to stay while diving and what the latest is. The diving is wonderful for wrecks- even the snorkeling is pretty good. We must have gone on a private trip because I don't remember being with other people. How long will you be in Pohnpei? Do have lunch at the Joy- that was one of the few places I really missed when I got back to the states.

Oh- when I say resort- take that with a handful of salt. You aren't going to Hawaii for sure.

I found two diving centers + shops: Truk Stop and Blue Lagoon Resort. I know that at least the latter offers packages where you sleep and eat on the boat, and go diving somewhere in the area. Can't comment on safety though.

Is the Blue Lagoon the resort out past the Truk Stop from the airport? That has been around a long time. Check diving sites- there are a couple of liveaboards that do well. Make sure they speak English though since there are a lot of Japanese divers who come in, it being the Japanese fleet and all that went down.

Nevermind- just looked again and you want shore based.