Danger. Lumba Lumba in Palau Weh.

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luispirata

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Messages
15
Reaction score
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Location
barcelona
# of dives
500 - 999
Hi!. After 20 years diving as professional I only could say Lumba Lumba in Palau Weh, is the worse and the most dangerous place I've ever seen. In last 2 months, 6 people where to hospital. When I been there, the second day I felt strong headache. I inspect the tanks, and all of them where out of service, then when you dive there, you get air intoxication. The equipment for rent is completely out of service. A disaster. Go diving Palau Whe, is really nice place, but not in Lumba-Lumba.
 
Are others reporting these issues?

Why are you posting the same message twice to the board?
 
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Hi!. After 20 years diving as professional I only could say Lumba Lumba in Palau Weh, is the worse and the most dangerous place I've ever seen. In last 2 months, 6 people where to hospital. When I been there, the second day I felt strong headache. I inspect the tanks, and all of them where out of service, then when you dive there, you get air intoxication. The equipment for rent is completely out of service. A disaster. Go diving Palau Whe, is really nice place, but not in Lumba-Lumba.
Well, I don't know of any court cases involved but your experiences seem consistent as another members in this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...s-safety-concerns-dangerous-incident.html#top
 
As I said in the other thread - I have dived here and had no problems with their safety or standards - we are heading back again in November and we will happily post a trip report.

We did have all our own gear - so I have no experience of what their rental gear was like.
 
Some members of my club recently went on a trip to 'Lumba Lumba Resort' in Gapang beach at Pulau Weh, Banda Aceh.

Early in our trip we raised safety issues around smoking, diving, and boat operations with the resort owner. His response in summary was - if we didn’t like the resort we could leave.

A few days after this discussion there was a fire on the boat. Two of the crew members jumped immediately into the water without warning the divers. On noticing the fire the divers also jumped overboard. There were no fire extinguishers on the boat, and the engines were not fitted with dead-man keys, or with emergency stop facilities. So with the helmsman in the water, the blazing boat ploughed erratically at high speed through the water. One diver was caught by the boat and was dragged into the propellers. She was badly injured as was one Lumba Lumba member of staff.

Prior to the fire we had raised the following issues with the owner

Smoking in and near the compressor room
Smoking on the dive boats and near the fuel
Fuel containers open and spilling on the boat
Minimal dive briefings
Lack of space for our equipment
Lack of space and overcrowding on dive boats
Poor attention from (some of the) dive guides

We have raised our concerns with PADI and DAN.
 
Some members of my club recently went on a trip to 'Lumba Lumba Resort' in Gapang beach at Pulau Weh, Banda Aceh.

Thanks for replying with clear details. It would have been better if the OP would have provided details instead of posting non detailed warnings in multiple threads of the board. There is a tendency to not believe people that post like that and more harm could have then been done as people dispel posts that look trollish.

Once again, thanks for clarifying.
 
I tried to do my best triying to explain what I found in Lumba Lumba. I'm sorry because my english is just a disaster, I tried to do my best.

I decided to try to advise you, because safety porpouses.
 
Hey hello!

I've just finish to read all this forum : http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...rious-safety-concerns-dangerous-incident.html
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Albion says : We mentioned this to dive crew who were rather blasé. Later, on the boats (this is mainly single tank diving and only 15-30mins to dive sites) the crew both boat and dive were smoking heavily. On our second dive, the passengers had not yet all returned to the boat, but some dive crew were already smoking on the boat, one next to my BCD. When this was commented on, the guy replied “so you think you make the rules now?” Both their boats used outboard engines and usually the crew would be sat around the engines / fuel tanks smoking. One of the boats (wooden) had a lot of ‘water’ in the bilge which smelt heavily of fuel.

As the owners were leaving for a Europe the next day, one of the group, who has a back ground in HSE and importantly in gasses, spoke with the owner. At first he looked for an opportunity to discredit our background (how many dives, what certification level etc). Having failed to find a way to BS his way out of this he said. I don’t have a safety problem, I’m not going to change and if you don’t like it you can go else where.
We decided to carry on, and take note of our own safety.

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CFZ says :

Early in our trip we raised safety issues around smoking, diving, and boat operations with the resort owner. His response in summary was - if we didn’t like the resort we could leave.

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Well, when I dived there months ago, one day I remember we were in the speed boat, and pass very very close and very fast than the boat from another dive operator. If some diver goes out from water, of course he will die. We pass arround 15 knots and less than 5 mts of the boat that was stopped waiting for divers.

That's just crazy. If you do this in Europe, you go jail.

Well, the point is, when we arrived I spoke with Ton. I explain him what the driver of his boat do, and the answer was (more or less the same Ton give Albion and to Cfz) :

Who are you for judge that situation?
How experienced are you sailing boats?
I managed this diving center, if you don' t like, just go.
How can you know if that is or not is correct?, Are you a captain?

Well, the funy thing here is I'm boat captain. I worked as professional many many years. Please, if you have some doubts, have a look to my certifications.
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I told him, yes I'm boat captain. And Ton replied, SURE!!, jajajaa, me too!!

That was the moment to decided, or hit him or leave Lumba Lumba. I decided to leave Lumba Lumba and avoit to visit and indonesian prison.

The point here is to smoke in front of the compressor room, or sail very fast and close to other boat that was wainting for divers, is crazy.

You don't need to be captain or Albert Einstein, is just logical.

The answer that Ton/Marjan give, are always same, this shows what kind of people they are.

Some months ago I advise all of you : Problems with air. Safety problems.

Some weeks later, the boat explote.

I advise, this people will kill someone one of this days. For sure, is a logical consecuence.

Ton, Marjan, and two of they divemaster Jim/Tore are dangerous, really dangerous.

I have raised my concerns with PADI, DAN, SSI, ACUC, Lonely Planet, I've reported to the police, etc.

You go for holidays, for have fun, for be relaxed, and you can find death.

Well I think this is all.

Good dives to everyone!! 18062011530.jpg18062011527.jpg
 
Thank you for the head up and report.. I will never dive there as a matter of money, but sure appreciate the info for those who maybe going there...
 
Thank you for the head up and report.. I will never dive there as a matter of money, but sure appreciate the info for those who maybe going there...

Thanks for this useful info!

...will search for a different operator.
 
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