Rarotonga's lagoon is only 1m to 3m (4 ft.-10 ft.) deep, but a shelf extends about 200m (650 ft.) beyond the fringing reef until it precipitously drops to more than 3,600m (12,000 ft.). Depths along the shelf range from 10m to 70m (30 ft.-200 ft.). There are canyons, caves, tunnels, and many varieties of coral. Visibility usually is in the 30m to 60m (100 ft.-200 ft.) range. Two wrecks -- a 30m (100 ft.) fishing boat and a 45m (150 ft.) cargo ship -- sit in depths of 24m (80 ft.) and 18m (60 ft.), respectively. Best of all for money-conscious travelers, the diving fees here are the lowest in the South Pacific.
Dive Rarotonga (tel. 21-873; fax 21-837; www.diverarotonga.com), Cook Island Divers (tel. 22-483; fax 22-484; www.cookislandsdivers.com), The Rarotongan Dive Centre (tel. 20-238; www.rarotongandivecentre.co.ck) on the west coast, and Pacific Divers (tel./fax 22-450; www.pacificdivers.co.ck) on Muri Beach charge about NZ$60 (US$39) per one-tank dive, including equipment. They also teach PADI certification courses.
