South Pacific, Best route for divers

[s/v Holiday]

My wife and I are planning our cruising route for the next few years across the South Pacific and beyond. We are both very active Scuba Divers and would like any input from those who have done a lot of diving in these areas to help us not miss any great destinations.

A little about us; We are doing the Pacific Puddle Jump from Panama in March/April 2016. Our boat is a 43' Leopard Catamaran with systems that will allow us to be away from populated areas for at least 6 months at a time. We have our own Nitrox Compressor on board and full dive gear including DPVs.

We both have Master Diver certs with over 2000 dives each and have both been cruising for years in the Caribbean.

We are in no hurry so the plan is to spend at least 2-3 years in the South Pacific before heading onward.

Really looking forward to hearing suggestions on some great diving areas.

Cheers,

CJ

[roverhi]

Took dive gear with us but never used it. Got into free diving and the encumbrance of all the tank diving equipment just wasn't fun anymore. If you spearfish, don't spear or eat any reef fish in the Marquesas. Too much ciguatera there and the locals don't really know what is toxic. Tuamotus were great diving in the lagoons, tons of fish and aquatic life and coral in relatively shallow waters. Tahiti/Moorea were pretty much dived out and reef fish decimated by the locals.

You'll need the compressor to dive remote areas as dive shops are few.