First time diving Bali

[Pressurehead]

Just back from bali

Which dive shop did you use ?

 

[Germie]

Sent you a private message. I had asked them by email in 2019 about solodiving and their answer was that it was allowed if you had a solo cert. Then I booked for 2020, but covid came. No I had the time and money to go, so I had them on facebook for 4 years, so they could see my diving (caves, trimix, etc). And sometimes they liked a picture. So I was not completely unknown on arrival.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

The place I used to rent from charged 30,000rp a tank, air or nitrox. I think smaller tank or pony was cheaper. And I use to hire weights and spare reg., they have a lot of gear there for hire I'm pretty sure a lot of dive shops in Bali hire tanks from there. I think it's in Kubu?

We rented from Bla Bla, it was 30k for Nitrox (maybe less for air?), plus a bit more for porter (maybe 15k? can't rmb). Weight is free ofc. Rent a bike for like 60-70k/day and you can go dive everywhere. They have outlets on the beach near every major spot.
However they don't provide an O2 analyzer, so be sure to bring your own.

Matahari I think charges 100k per tank (air?). Not sure if that already includes porter, but I assume yes.

 

[DownUnderwater Dan]

Just back from bali, diving with a guide is not required and solo diving was also no problem.
So if they say it is required by law, they must start acting in the traffic as is written in the law. No helmets on motorbikes, no belts in a car, overtaking everywhere, ignoring red traffic lights. And they they want you to follow the 'dive law'? That is completely ********.
We also have done dives with a guide and that was in our case the guide stayed with my friend as he was not that experienced on arrival, only 32 dives. I just followed them a little bit, most times went deeper, took some deco (over ndl), if my friend had drained his tank, I went on solo.
If my friend had problems with his ears, he went out alone if we dove with a guide and the guide stayed with me to search for small macro critters. 1 time my friend went up solo from 26m, no problems. My friend did 1 dive solo as he had problems with his ears, went up and at 5m all was fine. We were somewere deeper down. (ok, his first solodive was dive 19, so he is used to solo diving from the start of his diving carreer).
I have done several solodives around tulamben, even the Liberty and the dropoff. They were so relaxed, no things like a checkdive, our first dive was with a guide on the LIberty. The only thing they looked at the first time was that you was able to gear up yourself. They even did not ask about a cert to me and my friend, but they know that I am an instructor in every technical diving part.
So Bali was very relaxed and I will try to come back there.

Hi Germie, good that you enjoyed your time in Bali.

With the Solo diving, there's a grey area in the definitions from the Ministry of Tourism (MENTERI PARIWISATA REPUBLIK INDONESIA), in regards to what is a tourist diver. Basically the definition is anyone who travels to a place for recreational diving is a tourist diver (wisata selam).

But with these guidelines, it primarily applies to the operators of touristic services to make sure they comply. Also it lumps in snorkeling and freediving with the same regulations, that they need a dive guide. So if these guidelines were to be taken literally, it would mean people couldn't snorkel or freedive alone in Indonesia.

So, these Ministry of Tourism regulations and guidelines are primarily for the organisation of recreational diving tourism and for operators of this business/industry. Out of my hundreds of dives in Indonesia, I've never seen anyone from the Ministry of Tourism, and I don't think they have their own boats.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Hi Germie, good that you enjoyed your time in Bali.

With the Solo diving, there's a grey area in the definitions from the Ministry of Tourism (MENTERI PARIWISATA REPUBLIK INDONESIA), in regards to what is a tourist diver. Basically the definition is anyone who travels to a place for recreational diving is a tourist diver (wisata selam).

But with these guidelines, it primarily applies to the operators of touristic services to make sure they comply. Also it lumps in snorkeling and freediving with the same regulations, that they need a dive guide. So if these guidelines were to be taken literally, it would mean people couldn't snorkel or freedive alone in Indonesia.

So, these Ministry of Tourism regulations and guidelines are primarily for the organisation of recreational diving tourism and for operators of this business/industry. Out of my hundreds of dives in Indonesia, I've never seen anyone from the Ministry of Tourism, and I don't think they have their own boats.

No scuba police!? Oh my

 

[Pressurehead]

so I had them on facebook for 4 years, so they could see my diving (caves, trimix, etc). And sometimes they liked a picture. So I was not completely unknown on arrival.

Thanks.
I don't do arse book, and as for a photo, I have a face suitable for radio , don't what to scare them too much.