Aqua Tiki III

Joanna LittGoogle Reviewer

Upsetting and concerning incidents diving on the AquaTiki III. There is a complete lack of safety protocol and zero customer appreciation. - The captain did not give us a boat safety briefing or discuss any emergency protocols. - We woke up to alarms going off from the captain's control panel. The entire crew was asleep and we had to wake someone up. - One of the two divemasters was borderline incompetent. He ran out of air on the first dive, continuously made mistakes guiding (see below) and surfaced in unsafe locations with unpredictable current. We know this, because the second group, who had a wonderful divemaster, did not experience any of this. - Rusty tank water - the second day, after exchanging tanks for a smaller one, my regulator started pulling water. The crew was dismissive and overall unconcerned. We took apart my brand new atomic T3 regulator using our tools because the boat didn't have any and found the first and second stage were covered in rust. Again, this was a brand new, titanium anti-rust, $2,500 regulator being used for the very first time! I asked for a new tank, but the crew said they didn't have a spare and were seemingly blaming my new reg. Eventually, after a lot of back and forth, I insisted that they check the tank I was using and it was full of rusty water (see the pictures below). Our friend who owns a dive shop said she had never seen such a thing. The captain said the tanks were new as of April 2024 and must have come filled with water. So no one did a visual inspection?!! Unreal. The captain, who was now concerned and mortified, assured me the boat would reimburse me for having to service my regulator. The damage was so extensive the repair techs said they basically had to rebuild my reg and were surprised I didn't get a respiratory infection. I sent the boat my final invoice and several follow up emails that they ignored. The total service cost $461. We spent over $50,000 on this trip! (UPDATE - the boat did end up reimbursing me for the cost of servicing my regulator). - One group of divers got lost and the communication system failed. We heard distress calls from the DM on the boat. The captain, who was waiting to pick them up on a zodiac, was not responding. The group, instead of coming into the lagoon through the channel, got taken out to sea. The only crew member still on board was the chef. It was her very first charter with the boat. She was frantically trying to get a hold of the captain, but didn't know how to because she hadn't received any emergency training. Finally, the second group, with the competent DM, surfaced in the lagoon. The captain brought them back to the boat and we told him the first group was taken out to the ocean side. They were found over an hour later. After the incident, the captain and DM were overheard arguing about how the radio on the zodiac wasn't working. We don't know if it wasn't working for that one dive or hadn't been working the entire trip. It was a very scary situation for everyone involved and neither the captain nor the owners of the boat mentioned or acknowledged what went wrong. - Overall, the boat is nice, but it was very windy and made most of the outdoor space unusable. There is no air-conditioning in the cabins, despite what is advertised. There are very little to no non-diving excursions (no kayaking, paddle boarding or land excursions) despite what is advertised. Victor however - is an amazing, infectious, and wonderful divemaster and the boat is lucky to have him. He and Justine, the new chef, were the only good things about this trip. The AquaTiki or AquaPolynesie (whatever their company is called) think they are in a position of superiority because there are very few other options to privately charter a catamaran in French Polynesia. As a result, they have become lazy and complacent and do not appreciate their customers. You can expect several more reviews like this one. We all left with a bad taste in our mouths (both literally and figuratively) and felt this trip was not worth the money. Think twice about booking with them!

Kathleen NgGoogle Reviewer

A great dive trip with a great crew: Ludo (captain, ex-military, dancer, slackliner), Alex (divemaster, excursion leader, musician, coconut hunter), and Solène (magician-I'll explain). All three have dive experience. A bit of confusion when we arrived at the airport: our flight had been delayed, and when we arrived nobody appeared to be there to pick us up (usually someone is there with a sign to point you to the right vehicle). After everyone else on that flight was loaded up, only a modified truck-bus was left - we asked around, this was indeed our transport, and I guess we were the last ones to load since we'd be the first to get off at the village dock. Our luggage came separately in the bed of a pickup truck. Alex met us at the dock, loaded the luggage on the tender and brought us to the Aqua Tiki II proper, where we were welcomed with drinks. Dives. Except for Fakarava North, we were usually the only divers on a site at any given time. Lots of stuff to see, big and small, though the corals in FP aren't hugely colorful if that's what you're looking for. For every dive, Alex set up the gear for everyone, which he/Ludo subsequently loaded onto the tender - all we had to do is walk on board! Besides that though, Alex is the best divemaster we have ever had: thorough in his briefings, knowledgeable about the sites and their idiosyncrasies, and safety-conscious - especially important due to the isolation of the places and conditions in which we were diving. I think all the guests in our group - experienced divers, dive masters, ex-military dive expert - learned something on this dive trip. Boat. The boat and its tender (Zodiac) are showing their age: the crew did what they could to keep everything running while we guests blithely did our thing. Only bare feet allowed on deck. Wetsuits hang off a rack in the back with secured hangers. Two stairs in the back for boarding, where you can find hand showers (hot/cold). Dunk tank. Lots of clothespins available and places to hang your laundry (less if it's raining though!) Initially disappointed that for safety reasons, we couldn't go lie on the net in front at night to watch the stars and look for bioluminescence, but it rained most of the time anyway. We could see bioluminescence at night through the windows during transit at least. Room. The rooms are small, even the VIP cabin. Bed was surprisingly comfortable. You can unload essentials from your luggage when you board and the crew will stash it under deck while you're in transit. Plenty of storage in the VIP cabin, and they were always happy to let us get anything we left in our bags when they were available :) Multimedia system didn't work, and we didn't ask about the a/c in our room either. Our plug adapters were big heavy blocky things and only one could stay plugged in. Other guests used the power bar located in the common area next to the captain's workstation. The toilets are hand-pump flush so (clean) water coming through the shaft often left small puddles in the head. Hand shower only - no place to hang the sprayer nozzle though. Bar soap provided. Why Solène is a magician: she can do everything and she is everywhere. She keeps the space spotless. An amazing cook, hands down. Dietary restrictions? She will accommodate. I had rolled my eyes when the website extolled 'Cordon bleu' cooking: I expected cafeteria quality food, and got fine dining - everything from local specialities to roasted duck breast and lamb chops. Operations manager. Fish whisperer. Jill-of-all-trades. Need anything? Ask Solène. 'Nuff said. Honestly, the whole crew went above and beyond for us, even when they were feeling under the weather. They truly made our trip and are invaluable assets to the Aqua Tiki team. Bravo! P.S. Bring cash - for drinks, for tips, and for the SWAG

Beini ShiGoogle Reviewer

Spent two weeks on this boat. Dive guide said racist comments to me as an Asian female. The other guests left mid cruise also due to the guide, different reason. Completely unprofessional. Emailed the owner and he said “I hope it was a very bad jock or a very big clumsiness… I am sure it is not a problem of racism !” Horrible. Find a different company.

Marco MoroniGoogle Reviewer

AQUA TIKI II Just headed home from a beautiful cruise among Fakarava, Kauehi, Toau. Booked a couple of years ago for the spawning and we had it - thank you again Cap! I used to work on liveaboards - also top level companies - I can say nothing but just good words: excellent food, beautiful boat (amazing for a group of 6 experienced friends), mind blowing diving. Captain Greg is amazing, Tika will make your wetsuit very tight and Jeremy - even if fresh - will make you dive at his best with very much freedom underwater! I couldn't have asked for a better crew, thank you again for these beautiful days :D Hope to see you soon

julio dufournierGoogle Reviewer

I can't find enough superlatives to express the incredible stay we had on the aqua tiki 3. The Catamaran is spacious and the rooms are really comfy, the food and cocktails are divine and we sailed to such amazing places, kauehi, toau and tetamanu are incredible dive sites and truly special places. But even more than all that, what made it truly special is the amazing team. Mathieu Nina, Matt and Jeremy took such great care of us on the yacht and under the sea, thanks again guys, we feel truly blessed !