Abyss Dive

Kaikōura, New Zealand

The team at Abyss Dive are exactly what you want when you’re diving Kaikōura: locals who know every rock and every fur seal by name. They’re PADI pros, specialising in boat dives, which is really the only way to get to the good spots here. We love that they keep it small and personal; it feels less like a dive shop and more like a mate taking you out on their boat. If you’re looking for a low-key, genuinely friendly operation focused on showing you the best of Kaikōura’s slightly wilder side, Abyss Dive is a solid pick. Diving Kaikōura is all about the seals, and Abyss Dive puts you right in their playful world. We’ve had dives where curious pups nibbled at our fins, darting around with incredible speed, their whiskers tickling our masks as they zipped past. The water here is cool, often a crisp 12-16°C, so a good drysuit or a thick wetsuit is essential, but the visibility can be surprisingly clear, sometimes stretching to 15-20 metres on a good day. They know the sweet spots where the kelp forests are thick and green, sunlight dappling through the fronds, and where the seals are most likely to show off. Our favourite dives with them are always the ones where the seals are in a particularly boisterous mood, barrel rolling and spiralling up from the depths to check us out. It's a proper wild animal encounter, not a zoo.