Technical question re: Raja ampat vs komodo south in feb 2017

[Dan]

Thanks for the replies so far. Sounds like the currents can be strong at either Komodo or Raja Ampat, but that this is either part of the fun or avoided by the guides.

We have been in contact with a liveaboard operator in South Komodo who told us we need to have Advanced Open Water / Adventure Deep training because the dive depths there are deeper than that accounted for with standard Open Water certificate. They are able to provide this additional certification on site. We would love to hear your opinion on this - is it a big step to get this additional certification? How helpful is it for S. Komodo? How different is it to do these deeper dives physically? Is this also an issue in Raja Ampat? Would love to hear from a depth perspective how these 2 sites differ.

Thanks again!

My recommendation is to do more diving in your local diving area, taking AOW / Adventure Deep training will be helpful too. You have 6 months to do that.

Getting AOW onsite is a good idea too. You will definitely get a special attention during the LOB trip. A lot more fun than what I did my AOW in a local lake with 5' visibility.

 

[jcclink]

If you're going to take an AOW course think about adding nitrox certs at same time. The majority of boats & resorts offer 32% nitrox (additional cost). Can dive longer at given depth than using 21%. Max allowable depth is less than using air however. (You shouldn't be diving deep enough in these areas for this to be a problem anyway.) Requires a nitrox/air computer. Depth range that Dan-T mentioned is ideal for nitrox diving.

 

[MA]

Advanced is a must. Do it pre trip so aren't wasting amazing dives doing a course. I also recommend doing nitrox - this can be done on board without impacting your diving.

 

[AlMitch]

Ditto above!! Definitely get your advanced before the trip. Even if it's in a cold quarry!! I would suggest you do the Nitrox course on board the LOB. Nitrox really helps when doing 3-4 dives a day. The nitrox course is really short and simple and doesn't really eat into your dive time.
Almost all good dives start at 60-75ft + and then you slowly make your way up. So advanced is a real must.

 

[billt4sf]

Wife and I are planning a trip to indonesia in February, 2017. We are young (30s), fit, and reasonably experienced travellers and trekkers, but had never gotten around to obtaining scuba certification until recently. As a result, we're novice open water certified divers, and are trying to figure out exactly what type of diving trips in southeastern indonesia make the most sense for us. I've been focusing on raja ampat vs. Komodo as the primary two options, likely on liveaboard but could entertain the idea of a nice, ideally situated eco-lodge as well. We're relatively flexible on cost, less so on schedule. Probably not looking for budget options - we're happy to pay more to ensure the best possible experience.

Raja ampat seems straight forward this time of year with plenty of boats and a few good looking dive resorts as well (pulau pef, misool eco-lodge).

Komodo seems more complicated. I've read that february is the 'wet' seadon in komodo, and as such, most liveaboards head to raja ampat. However, it also seems that a minority of companies stick around to dive in the southern waters of the park which warm/clear up at this time of year. I would love to visit komodo because 1) i hear the diving is great, 2) i hear the wet season months provide anazing manta viewing, and 3) because it has dragons as a land-based bonus. My concerns pertain to finding a good company to dive with this time of year (uber scuba, indo aggressor seem to be the only 2 with availability i have come across), and pertain to the technical difficulty of dives in south komodo waters dur to currents, weather, depths etc.

Does anyone have insights into the technical difficulty of diving south komodo? How does it compare to raja ampat? How do novice divers generally do on these trips? We're in shape and adventurous, but would hate to find ourselves in over our heads literally and figuratively and have that ruin our experience.

Thoughts appreciated, as well as any recs/opinions on operators.

I have a different take on this. My take is: take your time, enjoy your learning experience, dive in calm waters a few times, do some shore diving and boat dive backrolls, and develop comfort with your skills and buoyancy. Develop a sense of your "trim" (are you balanced horizontally without using fins or arms?) Can you do all the skills without rising or falling more than a couple feet in the water column? Pool work can be great for this.

Try the drift currents in Cozumel for example. AFAIK they tend to be much more controlled and predictable (and horizontal) than those in Indo. You probably will love riding them! Do the skills as you ride along. If you love it, try going on faster ones. See how you (and your dive buddy) like that. Get your AOW and Nitrox along the way. Maybe try a negative entry after your ears get used to diving (your sinusses get more open and easier to clear). Figure out what kind of exposure protection you want, especially when diving multiple dives per day repetitively. Buy your own gear: you want fins that fit, a computer you understand, and you might want to go the Backplate / wing route.

Lots of things to learn and it can be fun learning it all.

When you're more comfortable and having fun in the water, head for Indo! It's an amazing place, and not just for diving. Take a bit of time to research what you want to do, what the situation is like (diving and above water) and get a sense of what most appeals to you before you spend those big bucks --and they are BIG bucks for most of us. You'll enjoy your dream trip a lot more. Come visit us and we can dive together!

- Bill