Our Facilities
Everything In One Place
From our dive fleet to accommodation, training facilities, and dive shop — everything you need is right here at Tutukaka Marina.
Calypso
Monohull
Calypso is our largest dive vessel, offering a spacious and comfortable platform for diving the Poor Knights Islands. While she is surveyed to carry up to 48 passengers plus 2 crew, we limit our Poor Knights Islands day trips to a maximum of 30 passengers, allowing for a more comfortable experience on board. The upper deck has plenty of comfortable seating and is the perfect place to take in the spectacular coastal scenery and spot marine life along the way. There is also a dedicated dry area where you can safely store your personal belongings. The spacious back dive deck accommodates up to 24 divers, with a dedicated station for each diver, making it easy to prepare for your dives and keep your equipment organised. For added comfort, Calypso has two toilets on board, as well as a galley where our Back Deck Technician prepares hot drinks, helping you to warm up and relax.
Specifications
- Type
- Monohull
- Length
- 16.54m
- Beam
- 4.40m
- Built
- 1999
- Builder
- Cairns Custom Craft
- Construction
- Aluminium
- Engines
- 2x FPT Marine Engines
- MSA No.
- 130294
El Tigre
Displacement Launch
El Tigre, affectionately known as “ET”, is a classic dive boat and a comfortable way to experience the spectacular Poor Knights Islands. Her large top deck offers plenty of seating, making it a great spot to relax in the sunshine, take in the scenery and keep an eye out for dolphins, seabirds and other marine life around the Poor Knights. Inside, El Tigre has a comfortable cabin with seating around 2 tables and galley for hot drinks, as well as toilet facilities. There’s also a warm shower hose at the back of the boat to help you warm up after your dive. El Tigre can accommodate up to 18 divers and a maximum of 24 passengers, providing a relaxed and spacious platform for exploring one of New Zealand’s premier dive destinations.
Specifications
- Type
- Displacement Launch
- Length
- 15.4m
- Beam
- 4.5m
- Built
- 1979
- Builder
- Skipper Craft Australia
- Construction
- GRP/PLY
- Engines
- 2x Cummins 903M
- MSA No.
- 105924
Diversity
Catamaran
Diversity is our smallest dive vessel as she can accommodate for up to 14 divers and a maximum of 20 passengers. Diversity is also our most popular boat for sole charters, giving groups the opportunity to enjoy the Poor Knights Islands at their own pace and experience the day in a more private setting. She has everything you need for a comfortable day of diving at the Poor Knights Islands. The cabin provides a sheltered place to relax and keeps your belongings dry, while onboard toilets and a warm freshwater shower make warming up between dives easy. The seated top deck is perfect for enjoying the sunshine, taking in the spectacular island scenery and watching for marine life. On the large bow, you can stretch out, soak up the sunshine and enjoy the cruise around the Poor Knights while keeping an eye on the water. If you’re lucky, you may even have dolphins bow-riding alongside the boat!
Specifications
- Type
- Catamaran
- Length
- 14m
- Beam
- 5m
- Built
- 1998
- Builder
- Malcolm Tennant
- Construction
- Fiberglass
- Engines
- 2x Cummins 6BTA diesel
- MSA No.
- 105906
Perfect Day
Displacement Launch
Perfect Day is our largest vessel, with space for up to 75 passengers and we do not run dive trips from her. She is designed for a fun-filled day of snorkelling, kayaking and paddle boarding in one of New Zealand’s most unique marine environments. With plenty of space on board, Perfect Day is ideal for families and groups of all ages. Her multi-deck layout offers a choice of indoor and outdoor seating. After enjoying the water, you can warm up and relax with access to hot showers, toilets and sheltered areas on board. With plenty of comfortable spaces to retreat to, Perfect Day makes exploring the Poor Knights easy for everyone — even when the kids get cold or tired.
Specifications
- Type
- Displacement Launch
- Length
- 23m
- Beam
- 6.5m
- Built
- 2003
- Builder
- Cairns Custom Craft
- Construction
- Aluminium
- Engines
- 2x MTU 444 500 KW
- MSA No.
- 132577
Our building, home to the world’s largest dive tank, is the base for your Poor Knights Islands adventure. Located in the heart of Tutukaka, just 2.5 hours from Auckland, it has everything you need to get ready for your day on the water.
Morning check-in
Our Dive! Tutukaka dive centre is bright, welcoming and filled with natural light. From the moment you walk through the doors, our friendly shop team will welcome you, check you in and get you ready for your Poor Knights Islands diving adventure.
Before heading to the marina, we’ll make sure you have everything you need for a comfortable day of diving. You’ll be fitted with well-maintained Aqualung scuba diving equipment, including a generous 7 mm wetsuit and 4 mm hooded vest to help keep you warm in the waters around the Poor Knights Islands.
Once you’re fully kitted up, it’s just a short walk across the road to Tutukaka Marina, where our four dive vessels are waiting. From there, you’ll head out to the Poor Knights Islands and their incredible underwater world of marine life, caves, arches and walls.
Need a coffee before you board? Our friends at Schnappa Rock, located directly across the road, serve excellent barista-made coffee — the perfect way to start your Poor Knights dive trip.
After Your Dive
When we return from our day trip, we love to debrief, share stories and log our dives back at the shop. Our collection of fish identification books is perfect for discovering more about the marine life you encountered underwater and identifying some of the species you spotted during your dives.
Before you head home, take a look around our dive shop and retail area, where you’ll find a range of clothing and souvenirs — the perfect way to take a little piece of your Poor Knights Islands experience home with you.
One of the biggest advantages of learning to dive with Dive! Tutukaka is training in our exclusive, purpose-built dive pool. Instead of learning in a busy public swimming pool in Auckland, you’ll train in a peaceful, private setting before taking your first open water ocean dives at the incredible Poor Knights Islands.
Nestled in the heart of our small valley, our dive pool is surrounded by nature. You’ll hear birdsong, enjoy the sunshine and learn in a relaxed environment shared only by your instructor and fellow students. With a shallow area where you can stand and a 3-metre-deep section, the pool provides the ideal environment to learn essential scuba skills and begin practising buoyancy. As a bonus, we have a lovely sauna to warm up between our pool sessions.
Learn to Dive in a Relaxed Environment
For new divers, learning in a quiet, dedicated dive pool can make a huge difference. There are no busy lanes to navigate or swimmers to dodge — just a calm, focused environment where you can take your time, ask questions and build confidence in the water.
Once you’ve completed your pool training and are comfortable with your equipment and skills, you’ll be ready to take your diving to the next level. The Poor Knights Islands offer an incredible first taste of ocean diving, with spectacular marine life, underwater caves, arches, walls and clear Northland waters.
Skip the hectic Auckland pool sessions. Head north, slow down, and get certified at New Zealand's best diving spot.
Start Your Scuba Journey Today
Ready to get certified? Explore our Open Water Diver Course and start your scuba journey with Dive Tutukaka. Book your entry-level dive course here.
Stay with us in our boutique accommodation Lodge 9
Boutique Accommodation at Lodge 9
Located behind the dive shop, in our private valley, Lodge 9 offers premium boutique accommodation, making it seamless to stay and dive all in one place. With just six beautifully appointed rooms, it provides an exclusive, relaxing retreat during your diving getaway. Explore room options and availability on the Lodge 9 website.
Other Popular Tutukaka Places to Stay
Because Lodge 9 has limited availability, we also recommend these nearby Tutukaka accommodation options, both just walking minutes from our dive center:
- Quality Hotel Oceans Tūtūkaka – Full-service hotel rooms located right on the marina waterfront.
- Tutukaka Holiday Park – Great for cabins, camping, and budget-friendly coastal stays.