The Best Solomon Islands Liveaboard Diving Cruises

Solomon Liveaboards: Leru Cut, Twin Tunnels, Mary Island and More

The Solomon Islands lie in the South Pacific at the base of the Coral Triangle. The nation comprises some 992 islands most of which are uninhabited meaning the waters, outside of the Honiara area, are free of trash and the effects of human population. Although it is easy to get to from the USA, Australia and Asia, it is considered a remote destination and is certainly one on many scuba divers’ bucket list.

As a liveaboard destination you can look forward to touring around some of the best dive sites in the central region of the country. Solomon Islands liveaboards leave the capital Honiara and cruise up to the Russell Islands, Marovo Lagoon, Mary Island and The Florida Islands. When you dive this area you won’t fail to be impressed by the sheer biomass and diversity of the marine life and the impressive hard coral coverage. While some sites teem with a vast array of reef fish, others have more pelagic action with barracuda, bumphead parrotfish and sharks leading the way. Other sites are noteworthy for their unusual topography, whether this means narrow cuts through an island, ancient lava tunnels or simply fun caves and caverns to swim through. The variety continues with World War 2 wrecks in various places throughout the island chain including both ships and planes fascinatingly preserved in their watery graves.

In a destination so vast and with only 2 liveaboards and very few resorts, you feel like you are the only people diving in the Solomons and you can certainly do a whole trip without seeing any other divers at all. That pioneering sense of going where few others do is very much alive as you cruise the pristine waters on a liveaboard in the Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands Liveaboard Diving Options

The Solomons is comprised of 992 islands of which only 147 are inhabited and with the best dive sites spread over 11,000 square miles of ocean. This means that Solomon Islands liveaboards are the best option to explore this mesmerising country:

Solomon Trips

This liveaboard route in the central region of the Solomons is the most popular option. The longer the cruise, the further north you will venture. Most cruises will include Russell Islands then Marovo Lagoon and Mary Island before cruising back down to the Florida Islands and then returning to Honiara.

Russell Islands are also home to famed sites like Rainbow Reef which is a riot of schooling fish including big-nose unicornfish displaying dramatic colour changes as they are cleaned and the famously photogenic Leru Cut which is a narrow avenue between 2 walls of rock where the sun filters through creating the most atmospheric images you could hope for.

Marovo Lagoon is really the centerpiece of most Solomon Islands liveaboard tours with sites like Mbulo Island where sharks, barracuda, mighty bumpheads and meaty groupers patrol, and Kicha which teems with a dizzying array of colour and life. Mary Island is one of those places where you’ll see a variety of reef fish including parrotfish, clown trigger fish, pyramid butterflyfish, and blue and yellow fusiliers all in vast numbers and filling your field of vision.

The Florida Islands are home to a number of great sites with some interesting topography including Twin Tunnels where you can descend down a pair of lava tubes until finally making your way out to the reef wall and the welcoming sunlight. There are also plenty of WWII wrecks in this region which bring to life the fascinating history of these downed ships and planes. [More details on these dive sites: Solomon Islands].

Most liveaboard trips are 10 -14 nights long although there are some 7 night 'express' tours available. The longer the cruise, the further north in the Solomon Islands the liveaboard will explore. Although most dive sites are suitable for open water divers, it is recommended to have advanced certification as some of the dives are quite deep. There are also some 'Wreck Speciality' trips in Florida and Russell islands and Guadalcanal that require advanced certification and more experience, as well as some expeditions for tec-divers to explore the deeper wrecks of Florida Islands and Guadalcanal.

> [More details: Solomon Trips]

Click to view product. Special discounted trips highlighted in yellow

Emperor Bilikiki

From USD 549 per day

Customer rating: Good

1-2 week Solomon Islands liveabo...
All cabins have en-suite private...
Unlimited diving
Dedicated photo room
Local village visits
Large steel hull boat

Solomons Master

From USD 333 per day

Customer rating: Good

34m / 112 ft

Max 16

Nitrox

Several Solomons cruise routes
Rebreather-friendly
Cabins with private en-suite bat...
Steel hulled yacht

Useful Information for Solomon Islands Liveaboards

The Climate and Best Time to Visit

The Solomons enjoys a tropical climate meaning it is warm and humid all year with a chance of rain showers at any time. Amazing diving conditions can be enjoyed at every time of the year but generally, April to October tends to offer the optimum conditions. This period sees lower rainfall, calmer seas and better visibility underwater, often 30m+. Unsurprisingly this is high season and liveaboard trips can be booked up long in advance so plan ahead. November to March can often also deliver fine conditions but is the period with a higher chance of rain and an elevated (although unlikely) chance of cyclones which can cause travel disruption. Water temperature remains generally in the 28-30 C / 80-86 C range year-round.

Still wondering when to dive? Check out the full seasonal dive conditions on our Solomon Islands diving sites page.

Ports of Departure and How to Get There

The Solomon Islands are effectively a double chain of over 900 volcanic islands and coral atolls that join to the north-west with Papua New Guinea. The capital city is Honiara and its international airport (HIR) connects with Nadi in Fiji (flight time 3 hours 15 minutes with onward flights to the USA and Singapore), Brisbane in Australia (3 hours), Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea (2 hrs 15 mins), and Port Vila in Vanuatu (2 hours). The major airlines are Solomon Airlines, Virgin Australia, Fiji Airways, Air Niugini, and Quantas. Solomon Islands liveaboard dive cruises depart from one of the ports in Honiara, depending on which boat.

We recommend you take out insurance to cover diving and travel activities, including trip cancellation, indeed the liveaboard operators insist upon it. See our insurance programme for a competitive quotation:

Places to Stay

If you plan on staying in the islands before or after your Solomon liveaboard diving safari, you can find a range of accommodation options at hotelscombined.com, our affiliated hotel reservation specialists. Browse their website then use your credit card to make a booking:

Need more info for your Solomon Islands adventure? Check out our frequently asked questions page for all the answers!

TESTIMONIAL

Robert Kottmann

USA

Excellent and efficient booking process - the Dive The World staff are very responsive!! Dive The World makes it easy to search for dive excursions around the world by geographic region. It is very convenient to compare liveaboards and plan trips accordingly.

Useful References

Solomon Islands dive sites
Diving video gallery
Trip reports: Emperor Bilikiki
Frequently asked questions
Further reading:
Diving in the Solomon Islands: Best Dive Sites

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