Milford Sound / Piopiotahi‍

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‍Guided Scuba Diving Day Trips

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Milford Sound / Piopiotahi

New Zealand Diving’s Coral Wonderland

At Sound Diving NZ, Milford Sound diving is more than our specialty. It is the place we know and love best—home to one of the world's most remarkable diving environments, proudly shared with divers from around the globe. Founded and led by Lance, an Elite-rated Master Instructor with more than 15 years of continuous professional experience operating and guiding the waters of Milford Sound. Sound Diving NZ is built on genuine local expertise, thousands of guided dives and a long-standing dedication to sharing one of the world's most remarkable diving environments through safe, professional and personal small-group diving experiences.

Hidden beneath Fiordland's towering mountains, cascading waterfalls and breathtaking scenery lies a truly unique underwater world unlike anything most divers have ever experienced. Descend into the deep waters of Milford Sound, where ancient black coral forests cling to dramatic vertical walls, abundant rock lobster shelter among the rocks and colourful reef fish weave through the fiord. As the walls disappear into the depths, immense scale, quiet beauty and enduring wonder create a sense of mystery unlike anywhere else on Earth, with sharks, rays, seals and the occasional dolphin adding to the experience. For many visitors, the spectacular scenery ends at the water's surface. For divers, it is only the beginning.

Every descent reveals another layer of Milford Sound's hidden underwater world. Changing light, spectacular scenery and remarkable marine life ensure no two dives are ever quite the same—an experience that only gets better with increased depth.

If you're seeking one of the finest New Zealand diving experiences, we invite you to discover the remarkable underwater world of Milford Sound—a powerful, immersive and truly transformative experience. We look forward to welcoming you beneath the surface, where mountains meet the sea.

Purpose-built for Diving Milford Sound

With a maximum of just six divers plus crew, Pacific Runner is a long way from a standard Milford Sound cruise vessel.

Purpose-built for diving, she’s a high performance planing catamaran powered by twin 150hp outboards and capable of up to 40 knots. Her speed and manoeuvrability let us spend less time getting there and more time exploring the places we came to dive.

Small groups. A dedicated dive vessel. Owner-operated. And well beyond the standard cruise route.

A white motorboat with four people on board cruising on a body of water with a forested shoreline in the background.
Two people in wetsuits standing on a rocky shoreline with a scenic fjord and tall mountains in the background.
Four friends in racing suits smiling on a boat with a lush waterfall in the background.
Four people in wetsuits at a waterfall, some holding hands and enjoying the outdoor experience.
People on a boat in a fjord surrounded by green mountains with waterfalls, some are smiling and preparing for diving with scuba gear.
Scenic landscape of a mountain with a waterfall, lush green trees, a rainbow, and a body of water in the foreground under a blue sky with some clouds.
A person in red and black gear jumping into the water from a small boat with a Yamaha engine, while a woman stands on the boat, with lush green mountains and cloudy sky in the background.
Four people in wetsuits and helmets swimming and waving in a body of water with large rocks and green trees in the background.
Three tuxedo penguins with yellow crests on rocky terrain.
A boat floating on water with a tall green mountain in the background, partially covered by clouds, and two people on board.
A boat near a large waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff
People in wetsuits on a boat in a fjord with steep, rocky cliffs covered in green vegetation and a waterfall, under a clear blue sky.
Four people in black wetsuits standing and posing in a rainstorm on a body of water with a mountainous background.
People wearing wetsuits and helmets standing under a waterfall in a natural setting with rocks and greenery.
A man with a beard smiling joyfully on a boat with water surrounding him, a cliff wall with a rainbow arching over it in the background, and mountains under a clear blue sky.
Scenic view of a large lake surrounded by mountains with snow on the peaks, under a partly cloudy sky, with a French flag on a pole in the foreground.

Piopiotahi Marine Reserve - Established 1993

Resident populations of several shark & ray species, lobster, octopus & diverse fish life. All in an ice sculptured wall diving paradise forested with ancient Black coral trees that normally live hundreds of metres deep. A truly unique, New Zealand Diving wonderland.

A colorful octopus with spotted skin and prominent eyes on the ocean floor.
A scuba diver wearing a black and red wetsuit and diving mask explores underwater near a bright pink coral and other marine life.
A shark resting on the ocean floor surrounded by seaweed and coral.
A scuba diver lies on the ocean floor smiling at a fish while taking a close-up underwater selfie.
Underwater scene with a large school of fish swimming near coral reef, illuminated by blue water.
Underwater scene showing coral and marine life with scuba diving equipment visible in the lower part of the image.
A scuba diver in a black and red wetsuit underwater near a large coral reef with many yellow polyps.
Underwater scene with coral reef and a long, thin yellow sea creature, possibly a pipefish or sea snake, swimming near the coral.
Scuba diver underwater near a large, white, coral-covered branch or driftwood
Scuba divers exploring a vibrant coral reef with seals swimming nearby.
A colorful sea slug with pink and white spines and tentacle-like appendages swimming near a dark fish in the ocean.
Underwater scene with scuba divers observing several whales swimming in the ocean.
Lobster on ocean floor with coral and rocks
A school of yellowtail fish swimming underwater in the ocean.
Underwater scene with a diver, a shark, and coral at the ocean floor.
A scuba diver underwater near rocks and seaweed observes a large fish swimming nearby.

Pricing / Tour Info & Schedule

$750 per person ( Qualified Divers )- inclusive all scuba equipment, 7mm wetsuit as standard or drysuit if already certified.

Optional Drysuit training course / certification upgrade + $250 “We specialise is Drysuit training integrated into your diving day”

Unqualified Divers - $750 single dive, $1000 double dive

Dive group limited to just 6 divers per trip.

Two guided Scuba Dives with instruction where required - cruise of the whole Fiord - wildlife viewing - lunch

Small + fast dive boat - upfront seats to the depths of Milford Sound away from the crowds.

Full equipment rental provided - high end scuba equipment, Drysuits or 7mm wetsuits by your preference.

9 am Departure @ Deep Water Basin Boat Ramp - Return approx 3.30 pm

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