Hideaway Island Dive in Port Vila, Shefa Province, Vanuatu | Diving | Tourist Agency | Diving center | Diving Lessons | Diving Courses | Diving Classes | Diving Instructors | Dive Schools

Hideaway Island Dive located in Port Vila on Efate Island in Vanuatu, has a reputation for being a relaxed paradise for divers and snorkelers alike. Where else in the world can you roll out of bed and be SCUBA Diving in less than 15 minutes and for snorkelers even less. We have more than 15 dive sites all within 15 minutes of the shore.

We run scheduled single tank dives at 8:30am, 10:30am and 2:00pm every day, regardless of the number of divers going out. Your surface interval can then be spent just relaxing on the beach on Efate Island. Decide you want to dive at the last minute? No problem, just walk up, sign-up, gear-up and we'll have you in the water in no time.

Many of the dive sites also make for excellent snorkeling, so feel free to join a dive group or the snorkel tour that leaves the island just after noon each day.

Hideaway Island Dive on Efate Island in Port Vila, is our fully equipped PADI resort dive store. We have everything you'll need to accommodate all aspects of your dive experience. Whether you are new to Diving, and need training and full equipment, or a seasoned veteran with all your own gear, we?d love to take you out. For budding photographers, we also offer underwater camera equipment for hire.

Our resident PADI Instructors and Divemasters have tens of thousands of dives between them, so you?ll be in good hands. With three dive boats, and more than 15 dive sites all within 15 minutes of the shore, we can accommodate individual divers to large groups with enough capacity and variety to keep everyone happy.

If you have never tried Diving before you have the ideal opportunity to experience this sport through our PADI Scuba Experience program in our pool-like marine sanctuary. With two resident instructors, we can help you get underwater and under way, whatever your requirements.

If you are already a diver, our experienced and friendly dive team will make sure you see the best of what we have to offer. The sites are all teeming with life ranging from sponges and hard corals, to anemones, gorgonian fans, and a host of fish. The sites themselves offer a range of styles - from right off the shore for great snorkelling or night Diving, to steep walls dropping off to 97 meters, and caves formed by lava flows. After more than 12 years living in a marine sanctuary, the fine array of finned creatures that inhabit the sites have no fear of either divers or snorkelers.

One of the newest additions to our dive sites is the wreck of the MV Aloara, sunk on 9 November 2001 close to Hideaway.

Access to the renowned dive sites at Paul?s Rock and Hat Island is also possible though an affiliated dive operator in Havana Harbour.

A full PADI Resort Association Member, Hideaway Island offers full dive gear and underwater camera rental. A full range of PADI dive courses are offered with our live-in instructors qualified to teach you from your first dive, through a range of specialties up to the Assistant Instructor course.

Our two aluminium dive boats can accommodate large groups, as well as provide a greater variety of dives for divers who choose one of our discounted dive packages and dive with us through multiple days.

Get up close to the wonders of Vanuatu's only marine sanctuary in a way that's impossible by snorkel. From first time beginners who'd just like to try a dive to those who'd like to upgrade their current qualifications, we can help at the fully PADI accredited Hideaway Island Dive shop.

Hideaway Island is a training centre with a difference. Located in a large, protected bay, offering perfect conditions for new divers of almost any age (PADI regulations stipulate that we can't teach you unless you are at least 12 years old). Beginners acquire their skills surrounded by fish in the waist-deep, almost currentless waters right off the shore.

Below are some of the various courses Hideaway offers. It is also possible to take the theory portion of the course with a local instructor at home and complete the Diving at Hideaway Island.
PADI Dive Courses
Introductory Diver Course

Lecture, water session and 1 dive
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Medical Statement
SCUBA Diver Course 3 Theory lessons and 2 dives. Limited to 12 meters with Divemaster. Can upgrade to open water within 12 months.
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Medical Statement
Open Water Course 5 Theory lessons and 4 dives.
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Open Water Referral Course 4 dives, all hire gear and certification.
Advanced Open Water Course 5 Dives of which 2 are a Deep dive and a Navigation dive. The student will choose 3 more dives.
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PADI Rescue Course 5 Training dives. This course covers all aspects of dive rescue.
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First Aid Courses Basic First Aid
Specialty 4 Dive Course Choose 4 courses from the following: Naturalist , Deep Dive , Navigation , Night Dive , Multilevel and Wreck Dive

When you're planning your holiday, please remember dive courses do take time as each course has both a theory and Diving component. The time it takes varies from course to course.

here are many dive sites around Hideaway that are suitable for all levels of divers. Although many of these sites can be dived to 40 metres or deeper the majority can be limited to 18 metres.

For added safety, we request that all dives be made as non-decompression dives and that safety stops be made on every dive. Our Divemasters lead every dive to ensure you see the best of each site and to maintain safety standards

Hangover Reef

Discovered New Year?s Day 2004 (by the boys) on a revival exploration dive, as no one turned up for that morning's dive - wonder why?

In Beautiful pristine clear water (30m+ vis) it is a spectacularly colourful reef featuring an abundance of large intact table corals, clams, sponges, clusters of multi coloured Stag and Elkhorn corals and a variety of bright encrusting corals. Another exciting feature is the numerous swim throughs with white sandy bottoms and sunlight streaming through the cracks in the reef above. Truly a photographer?s dream
Max depth: 20m
Oasis

A selection of very interesting marine life scattered among an area of sand and silt, like a small Oasis in a desert. A great photography dive. Everything from shrimps to octopus, crocodile fish to lionfish and the unusual leaf fish to a large moray eel. Includes bommies right in front of the jetty.
Max depth: 24m
The Wall (Hideaway 1)

A vertical wall that drops off to around 90m. Features lots of fans at different depths and an unusual coral formation. Pelagics are occasionally spotted here. The top of the reef is home to a multitude of friendly fish, all waiting for that great photo shot. This dive profile can be as a deep dive over the wall or a relaxing 18m and less dive on the top side of the wall and reef.
Max depth (Hideaway1): 18m
Max depth (The Wall): 30m
Kathleen Reef

The final resting place of the coastal Trader Kathleen, which sat on top of the reef until Cyclone Uma rolled her over the edge of the reef in 1987. Some traces of the wreck can still be seen today however the wreck herself lies well beyond the limits of recreational Diving.

This reef starts at 12 meters. A line will lead you down to a large gorgonian fan at 40 meters and from there a slow ascent up the side of the reef will reveal a multitude of marine life including scorpion leaf fish, butterfly cod. nudibranchs, tube worms and stonefish. Sharks, schools of batfish and Moorish idols are also to be seen at times on this dive.

The dive profile can be as a deep dive for experienced divers. Less experienced divers can elect to stay above 18m. The dive has some current.
Max Depth: 40m
The Abyss (Mele l)

Drop down from the dive boat into 6 meters of coral and reef fish, then swim past the mooring and you are on the edge of the Abyss. A vertical drop down to 60m plus. Usually minimum 20m visibility. A deep dive to the gorgonian fans at 40m or a leisurely dive at 25 m around the wall. An occasional shark or moray eel may be seen. The top of this reef is excellent with many gutters running at all angles, teeming with coral reef fish.
Max Depth: 25m
Anchor Reef

An old ship's anchor embedded in the reef gives this dive site its name. The top of the reef comes to within 6m of the surface. Numerous plate and stag horn coral as well as schools of multi coloured reef fish can be seen as you descend down the mooring line.

Visit the old anchor at 14m then cruise slowly at 20m around the reef and see triggerfish and many anemones with their resident clownfish. A feature of this dive is the white tip shark nursery. Usually 2 - 4 baby white tip sharks can be seen under a large plate coral.
Max Depth: 20m
Mele ll (West side story)

This reef comes to within 6m of the surface. On the east side of the reef, coral rubble bottoms out at about 12m, however, on the west side, long fingers stretch out covered in stag horn coral in hues of blue, yellow and green to a depth of 30m. There are numerous anemones, occasional crays, morays and sharks ? a very relaxing dive.
Max Depth: 25m
Pink panther (Mele lll)

Named for its extremely unusual fluorescent pink anemone. This anemone has been the subject of much attention during the annual Hideaway Dive Festival, and has featured in many highly acclaimed awards by outstanding overseas photographers.

The mooring is in 8m, with a drop off to 90m +. Cruise around the wall at 25m where large schools of fish abound. The pink anemone is at 12m. There is also a very large area of anemones nearby. Yellow and blue anemones are also to be found on this reef. This dive has excellent coral formations. The occasional sailfish have even been spotted here.
Max Depth: 25m
Gotham City (Ollie's lolly)

Named for its batfish which accompany you on your dive, a very colourful and popular reef area which rises to within 6m of the surface. A large variety of marine life abounds from sharks, barracuda, and dog tooth tuna to the occasional turtle and manta ray.

On the southern side of the reef, colourful soft coral grow. Many feather stars and coral formations decorate the top of the reef. Numerous small coral fish add to the enjoyment of this dive. The wall bottoms out at 25m, then drops slowly away to deeper depths. Good visibility at 20m + is normal for this dive. There are some currents during certain tides.
Max Depth: 25m

Wreck Dives
Aloara (Rising Sun)

An island trader purchased by the people of Tongariki in 1990 to work for the island. After carrying cargo from Vila to all the islands, Aloara was laid up in 1999. In November 2001, after being prepared for sinking by the Hideaway staff, Aloara was sunk as a Diving wreck off Hideaway Island. She now lies on her starboard side in 26m of water. In calm conditions Aloara is an excellent penetration dive for experienced divers. Excellent pre-Coolidge Diving.

This dive is usually combined with an extra 15 mins on top of the nearby reef.
Max depth: 26m
Bonzer (Clown Colony)

A small tug boat which had been left abandoned at Havana Harbour for 6 years. Towed to Port Vila in 2001, cleaned and sunk 2001 at Hideaway Island near a dive site called Clown Colony, named so for its large bommie covered in anemones and their resident clownfish. Bonzer sits upright in 24m of water and is a good wreck for experienced and novice wreck divers alike, featuring easy swim-throughs. A large number of banded shrimp have made the Bonzer their home. A shallow swim back to the mooring completes this interesting dive.
Max depth: 24m