OK, so the weather early this month was indifferent.

Yet that doesn't stop Dive North showing you a great time. Owner, instructors, guides and even Mr Mutley (the dog) are incredibly friendly, loyal and helpful. They have an excellent product, the wonderful waters of the Bay of Islands area and two great wrecks, Rainbow Warrior and HMNZS Canterbury. They make these and their surrounding reefs, caves and tunnels into an awesome combination then add superb lunches and freshly cooked pancakes.

Inn Keeper is a first rate boat, perfectly suited to her task, fully equipped with every facility, fast, sturdy and safe. Sites are carefully selected with due deference to weather conditions on-site and for transits. A thoroughly professional organisation to which we returned from the UK four years after our last experience. Confirmed cold-water divers (200 and 1,000 dives), well used to wreck penetration, large tides and the rugged landscapes of Scotland, the Bay of Islands kept us more than satisfied for three days of excellent diving.

Grateful thanks to Dave, Dan, Katie and Billie,

Mike & Mark

Reviewed almost 9 years ago

Had 2 great days doing my Advanced Open Water with Dan, Katie and Dave.

Dan is a knowledgeable instructor who pointed out the right points for me to pay attention to. I always felt safe and relaxed in the water with him by my side. Skipper Dave led us to the nicest diving spots in the area and brought us safely back to shore through the windy conditions.

Reviewed about 9 years ago

My partner and I went diving with Dive North beginning of Nov 2015.

We are a couple with qualification level Advanced and Instructor. Our different experience level was no problem at all. We did 3 wreck dives and discovered 3 reef dive sites. Every site had its own unique character and was well chosen for the conditions. We were neither bored or too challenged with a site. Katie is an experienced guide and looked after us well under water as well as on the boat. She spoilt us with yummy pancakes and made sure every need was fulfilled. As we booked for 3 days, Dave, the owner, gave us a great deal including free pictures and lunch. He's the skipper too and prepared our lunches himself. On our way to the dive sites we got some history lessons about the area too which were very interesting. We highly recommend Dive North as the family owned business is looking after each customer as an individual and has years of experience in the area with even their own discovered dive sites. All the dive gear is in very good condition and serviced regularly by Dave. Thanks so much for the unforgettable time, guys!

Reviewed almost 9 years ago and experienced in November 2015

We did two dives with Dan (Dive master) and Dave (captain).

We had a bit of a snafu the morning of the dives and they were both SO accommodating! Our first dive was around a small island and into a cave. Neither of us are 100% used to water this cold (15 degrees this day) so this first, shorter, shallower dive was a great starting point. Our second dive was to an awesome wreck dive called the Canterbury. Dan was awesome to dive with! Showed us all around the wreck and took us through some amazing parts of the ship. We loved it! The ride back was great and they gave us some fun suggestions of things to do in Kerikeri. Overall, it was fantastic!

Reviewed about 9 years ago

OK, so the weather early this month was indifferent.

Yet that doesn't stop Dive North showing you a great time. Owner, instructors, guides and even Mr Mutley (the dog) are incredibly friendly, loyal and helpful. They have an excellent product, the wonderful waters of the Bay of Islands area and two great wrecks, Rainbow Warrior and HMNZS Canterbury. They make these and their surrounding reefs, caves and tunnels into an awesome combination then add superb lunches and freshly cooked pancakes.

Inn Keeper is a first rate boat, perfectly suited to her task, fully equipped with every facility, fast, sturdy and safe. Sites are carefully selected with due deference to weather conditions on-site and for transits. A thoroughly professional organisation to which we returned from the UK four years after our last experience. Confirmed cold-water divers (200 and 1,000 dives), well used to wreck penetration, large tides and the rugged landscapes of Scotland, the Bay of Islands kept us more than satisfied for three days of excellent diving.

Grateful thanks to Dave, Dan, Katie and Billie,

Mike & Mark

Reviewed almost 9 years ago

Very friendly and component staff, nice weather, calm sea, an amazing wreck (HMNZS Canterbury) to do your specialty and fresh pancakes to top off two great days of diving.  What else could you ask for

?

Reviewed about 9 years ago

We did two dives with Dan (Dive master) and Dave (captain).

We had a bit of a snafu the morning of the dives and they were both SO accommodating! Our first dive was around a small island and into a cave. Neither of us are 100% used to water this cold (15 degrees this day) so this first, shorter, shallower dive was a great starting point. Our second dive was to an awesome wreck dive called the Canterbury. Dan was awesome to dive with! Showed us all around the wreck and took us through some amazing parts of the ship. We loved it! The ride back was great and they gave us some fun suggestions of things to do in Kerikeri. Overall, it was fantastic!

Reviewed about 9 years ago

I recently had the pleasure of diving with Dive North out of Kerikeri, New Zealand.

I also stayed at the owner's, Dave and Sue, home stay for 2 nights.

We did two dives on the day, and we had excellent conditions for both. First, we dove the HMNZS Canterbury which is a New Zealand Navy Frigate that was sunk for the purpose of creating a dive site at the end of its career. Katie gave an excellent dive briefing on the wreck's history, and what to expect during the dive. We had a small group of divers (6 plus Katie, one of the the Dive North Instructors), The wreck was in good shape, with lots of fish swimmin around. We even penetrated a few of the larger compartments of the ship (helicopter hangar, and middle control room). Visibility was great (about 15-20 m) for temperate diving and the water was comfortable with the 7mm wetsuit that they provided.

The second dive was a bit shallower, with no wreck, but lots of fish. The dive site was called Putahataha, and was close by the Canterbury in Deep Water cove. There were lots of schooling fish, a few moray eels, and some really inquisitive kelp fish that posed for a few great photographs.

From the beginning, Dive North stood out as a top notch operation and I would recommend them to anyone who will be diving in the area. Dave and Sue's home stay is also an excellent accommodation and you will not be disappointed. I showed up looking to sneak in a dive at the end of a business trip, and I left with an excellent experience, a few new friends, and some cool photos. Then only thing that I wish I did different is to have planned for more days off so I could have dove another day or two!

Reviewed over 9 years ago

One of the best dive trips I have done to date.

Dove White Reef and the Canterbury. Both were amazing dives, with a fantastic crew. And to top the day off, we were made pancakes on the cruise back in.

I would recommend Dave and his crew to anyone wanting to dive around Paihia

Reviewed over 9 years ago

Great experience Doing my PADI Open Water Course with Dive North.

Highly recommend, experts in diving but also very friendly and had a great experience.

Lee Gilson

Reviewed over 9 years ago

We had the most amazing day out with the Dive North Team.

We dove the Cantebury wreck and the reef.

Diving the Cantebury was mind blowing experience with Sue taking photos of us through out which was unexpected and we are grateful for.

Between dives Dave made some mean sandwiches to get us through the second dive.

All in all it was a great day with great company, thank you!

Reviewed over 9 years ago and experienced in January 2015

Dan and Dave were fantastic - friendly, helpful, skilled and experienced.

I completed my PADI advanced open water course with them, and had a wonderful time. I am an inexperienced diver, and Dan made me feel very comfortable with my skills and with the dive environment there. I had an incredible time diving with them and look forward to going back in the future.

Reviewed almost 10 years ago

Had a fantastic day with David and Kate diving the HMNZ Canterbury.

One of the best dives I have ever experienced on a great boat with great people!!

Thanks for a wonderful day.........

Kevin

Reviewed almost 10 years ago

I had an amazing time learning to dive with Dive North.

My instructors Sarah and Dan were both fun and entertaining as well as professional. Sarah had me laughing on top of the water as well as under the water, she is a real gem if you ever get the chance to meet her. Dave and Sue made me feel welcome and exceeded my expectations by far. Dave and Sarah really made my last day special and went above and beyond what was expected (thank you!). Sue is also one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! The staff were so helpful and friendly; they go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable on your dives (Katie, Eva, Ash, Sarah, Dan). I hope to go back someday not only to dive but to visit all the wonderful people we met. They also have one of the sweetest and most hilarious dogs I have ever met. His name is Muttley. Although he doesn't come out to dive, he is a treat at the dive shop. I would highly recommend choosing Dive North whether its for training or not as they are spectacular and you will not be disappointed. They make sure you feel safe and confident to dive and have your best interests at heart. Thanks again Dive North!

Reviewed about 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

I started my Open Water course at Dive North with Sarah (my very best teacher EVER) as my instructor.

Everyone in the team is so nice and from the first day on you feel like you are on a family trip rather than on a paid dive experience. And even if someone is not your instructor and has other things to do, they are all very happy to help you with any problem or question you might have.

Therefore, I decided to take the Advanced Open Water course straight away afterwards. Among others, the best experience was the HMNZ Canterbury wreck, which is an absolutely fantastic place to dive. Guided by Dave or other crew members, the dive is tailored to your level of experience and desire - you can stay outside and make a tour on the deck or penetrate far into the dark interior.

Excellent instructors and guides, brand-new equipment, flexibility in your dives, new friends, fresh self-made pancakes and lemon cake on the boat, hot drinks before and after every dive - those are just a few of the services you are offered at Dive North.

Within my two courses Dive North has given me a solid confidence and the feeling that I know what I am doing under water. They make sure that you have the skills necessary for being a very good diver, not just a certified one.

Reviewed about 10 years ago

Started my open water course with the team at dive north and decided I would like to join so I am continuing to my dive instructors with them.

Dan is a great instructor very easy to get along with and Dave is a great skipper/the boss very knowledgable and a great instructor also.

Last but not least Sue is great in the shop very easy to talk to and organise things and also makes a mean lemon cake for the boat.

Reviewed about 10 years ago

Thanks to Dave, Sue & Dan.

Your hospitality & outstanding pancake making capabilities make for an excellent ocean adventure. Dan, also makes not a bad cup of joe.

Seriously, Dave made sure we got the most out of each and every dive. His local knowledge was excellent and nothing seemed too much trouble.

Only boat I've been on where on completing a dive you're helped on board, offered a hot drink and are given access to a hot shower. Outstanding.

Reviewed over 10 years ago

We had such a fantastic experience with the team at Dive North.

While the wreck of the HMNZS Canterbury provided a highlight of our dive career, Sue, Dave, Tom & Dan made the experience what it was - serving yummy pancakes and a delicious lunch on board and ensuring our dives went without issue. We highly recommend diving with Dive North when you visit the Bay of Islands. Thanks for a great day!

Reviewed over 10 years ago