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Scuba Diving in Apia
Samoa's capital and only city, on the north coast of Upolu around a horseshoe harbour, and the country's port, market and cultural heart. Apia strings along the seafront from the fish and flea markets to the clock tower and the white Catholic cathedral, with Robert Louis Stevenson's Villa Vailima and his hilltop tomb on Mount Vaea rising in the green hills behind, and the Palolo Deep marine reserve a short walk from the town centre.
Why here
Apia is the easiest base for diving in Samoa, a capital where the reef starts almost at the doorstep. A five-minute walk from the town centre, the Palolo Deep Marine Reserve drops from a shallow coral garden into a deep blue hole you can snorkel or dive straight off the shore, and the dive boats out of the Apia Marina reach a run of reef walls, drop-offs and swim-throughs within minutes of the harbour. This is warm, clear, low-traffic Pacific diving: green and hawksbill turtles, reef sharks, lionfish, moray eels, schooling jacks and dense soft coral, with barely another boat in sight because Samoa sees a fraction of the divers of Fiji or French Polynesia. Operators run everything from a first Discover Scuba session to full certification, and the same shops guide snorkelling trips to the giant clam sanctuary and, on the calm days, out to the To Sua ocean trench on the south coast. Add year-round warm water and sites suited to beginners and experienced divers alike, and Apia works as both a place to learn and a place to log relaxed, high-visibility reef dives.
Best months
Diving runs year round in water that sits in the mid to high twenties Celsius, so a 3mm wetsuit is plenty. The drier, cooler season from May to October brings the calmest seas and the clearest water and is the pick of the year. Sites range from the sheltered, shore-accessible Palolo Deep, ideal for first dives and snorkellers, to boat sites on the outer reef with more current that suit certified divers. Visibility is generally good, and the reserve's coral hole is diveable in almost any weather because it sits inside the lagoon.
Getting there & around
Apia is on the north coast of Upolu, about a 45-minute drive from Faleolo international airport, and the dive shops sit at or near the Apia Marina in the middle of town, so most divers stay in the capital and walk or take a short taxi to the boat. Trips run daily, weather permitting, with morning and afternoon departures and gear included, and courses from beginner to divemaster are available. English is widely spoken. Palolo Deep charges a small reserve entry fee and is a short walk from the seafront for a shore dive or snorkel.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
AquaSamoa
OutfitterAquaSamoa is the only PADI 5 Star Dive Resort on Upolu, run by Australian owner Ted Thompson from the Apia Marina, a short walk from the Palolo Deep marine reserve. It has dived Samoa for more than fifteen years with a local crew, taking up to fifteen divers on two boats and running daily trips. Courses run from Discover Scuba sessions through PADI Open Water to Divemaster, and the shop also guides snorkelling tours to Palolo Deep and the To Sua ocean trench.
Samoa Dive & Snorkel
OutfitterSamoa Dive & Snorkel is a PADI 5 Star dive centre on the Cross Island Road at Malifa in Apia, with a PADI instructor on staff at all times, running every certification from Open Water to Divemaster. It dives the reefs and drop-offs off the capital, including the Palolo Deep marine reserve, and is one of the few operators in the region to make a specialty of guided night dives. New equipment and small guided groups are part of the setup.