Tombant St Etienne

Tombant St Etienne is a wall dive site adjacent to the St Etienne channel on the west coast of Tahiti, French Polynesia. It shares the productive St Etienne reef system with the deeper Faille St Etienne nearby but offers a more accessible profile for intermediate divers.

Overview

The tombant (drop-off) begins at around 5–8 metres at the reef crest and descends to approximately 40 metres at the deeper wall sections, transitioning to a sloping outer reef. Research indicates the wall at the Ta’apuna Pass exit can reach significant depths; the main recreational diving range is 15–40 m. The St Etienne pass channel nearby channels oceanic water across the site, bringing good visibility of 25–35 metres and regular pelagic visitors. Water temperatures are a comfortable 27–28°C. The site can also be dived as a drift dive leading toward the adjacent Faille St Etienne.

What to Expect

Turtles — resting in nooks on the drop-off — are one of the most reliably mentioned sightings at this site. Schools of paddle perch (Kuhlia mugil), needlefish, and jacks aggregate around the reef crest and upper wall. Grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, and blacktip reef sharks patrol the wall; lemon sharks and occasionally tiger sharks are possible in the broader Ta’apuna area. The upper wall is described as “very lively, with plenty of fish.” The wall’s overhangs and crevices shelter hawkfish, butterflyfish, and squirrelfish. The proximity to the St Etienne pass means pelagic activity increases on tidal exchanges.

Conditions

• Best season: April–November
• Visibility: 25–35 m typical
• Current: Mild to moderate; channelled flows possible near the pass
• Water temperature: 27–28°C
• Entry: Boat dive

Tips

Dive the site on an incoming or early outgoing tide for the best pelagic activity. The wall profile allows an easy multilevel dive — spend time at 20–25 m on the lower wall then ascend to 10–15 m on the upper face for the safety stop.

Sources: Dive and Sea Tahiti – Dive Sites, Tahiti Tourisme – Tombant St Etienne, Eleuthera Tahiti Diving Center – Spots. Last updated 2026-05-30.