South Pacific Scuba School: Dive Certification on Kokomo Private Island in Fiji

Getting certified to dive at the Kokomo Private Island in Fiji is the ultimate luxury.

This article was written by Bill Springer. Photography courtesy of Neil Andrea, Julie Andersen, and Jack Johns.

My job as a yachting journalist has brought me to many of the world’s premier diving destinations. But I’d never actually gone diving! “Snorkeling is just as good,” I’d say to myself. Or, “I’ll get certified when I get home.”

And I probably would have continued to make excuses for not getting certified. But then I met Carl Allen—the bonafide underwater “History Hunter” featured in our last issue. He invited me out to see the secret, shallow-water site in the Bahamas where he and his team have been recovering treasure worth millions from the wreck of the Maravillas (a legendary Spanish treasure ship that sank in 1656). I got to experience the excitement, wonder and joy that happens when divers bring priceless artifacts up to the surface for the first time since the 1600s for myself. I signed up for a PADI Open Water Dive Course as soon as I got home.

So, my journey to become a PADI-certified diver actually began on a cold and snowy weekend in New England. I completed PADI’s comprehensive online learning course in front of a roaring fire at home. I practiced all the skills I’d need with a great instructor from a local PADI-certified dive shop in a chilly local pool. And while “diving” in a chilly local pool on a dark winter night in Massachusetts (who knew there could be so much hair in a public pool?) was not quite as luxe as it could have been, it was totally worth it because my open water certification dives would take place on a tiny island in the South Pacific.

LUXURY LEARNING

I knew getting certified to dive at the Kokomo Private Island in southern Fiji was going to be fun. But it wasn’t until the resort’s private seaplane skimmed to a stop on the impossibly blue water in front of the island, and then we were welcomed by the smiling staff singing a traditional local song, that I realized it was going to be more than fun. It was going to be…special.

We even were able to tame the jet lag a bit (Fiji is 17 hours ahead of the East Coast) since we headed out for our first certification dive shortly after checking in to our ultra-luxe beachfront villas. All I can say is…wow.

First off, our dive instructors were as welcoming and fun as they were competent and committed to teaching the skills we needed to be safe, self-sufficient divers. All of the equipment on the dive boat was top-notch. And to say I felt pretty lucky to be doing my required PADI certification skills—such as clearing a filled mask, taking off and putting on dive gear, equalizing my ears, and maintaining neutral buoyancy—in the warm, crystal-clear water around Kokomo instead of the cold and murky water near my home in Boston was an understatement.

Since the staff was so warm and friendly, and we were with other like-minded, soon-to-be certified divers, any nervousness we may have felt quickly morphed into the confidence that comes from experience. In fact, we settled into a glorious rhythm that featured two tank dives on the pristine reefs surrounding Kokomo from 9am to 1pm each day. And while our first four dives were dedicated to demonstrating all the skills we needed to be certified, we were spoiled with days of awe-inspiring diving even before we were officially “certified” simply because our instructors always built some time in to explore the reef as well.

Things only got better once we were certified. We dove among the prolific wildlife and world-class coral of the Great Astrolabe reef.

We even explored a section of reef that our instructors had never explored before, so we named the spot “Segana leqa” which means “no worries” in Fijian.

I love that the Kokomo dive team can bring other guests back to “our” site. And we did a night dive, too.

Now that I know what I was missing all those times I went snorkeling instead of diving, my travels will never be the same. I love the feeling of weightlessness you get and being able to escape to an entirely different underwater reality. It’s satisfying to learn new skills (even at the ripe-old age of 54!). It’s downright empowering to be able to calmly swim at 50 feet below the surface after spotting some small sharks while exploring a coral wall on the edge of a deep drop off.

But our time on land—specifically having the luxury to spend the afternoon hours swinging in a hammock strung between two palm trees between the beach and the pool—in front of my private villa was pretty amazing too. Kokomo provided the perfect mix of over-the-top luxury while helping guests foster authentic connections to the land and the local people.

And since one of our dive instructors was also a passionate marine biologist, we got to learn about the environment from a local who loves it. She helped us understand just how special it was to be able to dive Fiji’s pristine reefs. And just as importantly, learning how vital the work she, Kokomo, PADI, and numerous other organizations are doing to help protect the world’s fragile ocean ecosystems has renewed my commitment to do my part to help the environment.

That’s only one of the surprises that made this trip so special. Sure, I’m excited to now be able to help Carl Allen dive for treasure in the Bahamas now. But I’ve learned that being certified to dive—being a diver—is way bigger than diving on just one site. A whole new underwater world is now open to me no matter where I travel in the world.

And it could be for you too!

So, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to visit an entirely new world (without going to space that is!), do yourself a favor and get certified—in Fiji or another tropical location.

You’ll be so happy you did.

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