Advice needed for just one or two muck dives in North Sulawesi

[zd2023]

I'm going to have extremely limited time for diving in North Sulawesi and could use some help. I've never been muck diving and I'm not a photographer, but it seems silly to be so close to world class muck diving and not give it a shot.

I could either get a five in while in Manado or I could swing by Lembeh after my last morning in Tongkoko National Park before heading back to Manado at night. Manado Bay would obviously be more convenient but Lembeh might be worth the extra hassle.

Given my lack of experience with muck diving, what would people recommend both in terms of location and dive shop?

Thanks!

 

[rmorgan]

Murex Manado is close to Manado and has both walls and muck sites nearby--maybe you could get two tanks in? Doing that at the beginning of your trip makes a lot of sense to me. I get the allure of Lembeh--we're headed there for the first time next month. If you figure an hour and a half from Tongkoko to a dive operation on Lembeh Strait, getting rental equipment squared away, plus around two hours for one dive, plus whatever your no-fly would be, you'd be out of commission, travel-wise, until late afternoon of the day after your dive, and that's if everything goes right.

 

[ChrisM]

I'm going to have extremely limited time for diving in North Sulawesi and could use some help. I've never been muck diving and I'm not a photographer, but it seems silly to be so close to world class muck diving and not give it a shot.

I could either get a five in while in Manado or I could swing by Lembeh after my last morning in Tongkoko National Park before heading back to Manado at night. Manado Bay would obviously be more convenient but Lembeh might be worth the extra hassle.

Given my lack of experience with muck diving, what would people recommend both in terms of location and dive shop?

Thanks!

Lembeh is always worth an extra hassle. Maybe two. No idea about just a day boat op, sorry. We used NAD and they were awesome

 

[outofofficebrb]

While you’re close, it sounds like a hassle to do it given the short time you have when you factor in no fly and time to get there and back. I also feel like it wouldn’t be a good glimpse of what it’s really like given this.