Alor - done my homework, now some important questions

So there is Alor info sprinkled across dozens of different threads here. I have cut and pasted many tidbits into a single research file, but I still have some big questions.

1. Overnight trips: Has anyone done an overnight trip with Alor Dive (Thomas, the German run op)? How was it? How often are they offered? Are the more distant sites worth trying to get to?

2. House reef: How is the house reef at the Alor Divers (the French run op)? Andy_From_Germany wrote about it a little. Anyone dove it in the summer (when Andy said vis was reduced)?

3. What about night dives? Have not seen much info on this, except that they are possible. Anyone done one? What sites were good?

4. Photographers + macro lovers - what about the guides at this resort. Who are the exceptional guides? Andy's recommendation of Thomas already noted

5. What do you recommend as your favourite dive sites?

When I have more time, I will try to post a summary of what I think are the key differences of the resort options (from what I have read here).

Many thanks for any advice,
Natasha
(looking at a Summer 2012 trip)

I have visited Alor divers twice, first time in November a few years ago and second time end of May in 2010. So can't comment on specific conditions during Summer, except that this is the time when the resort is heavily booked (European holiday period).

On the house reef of Alor divers:
- Beach entry: grab a tank and off you go as often as you like.
- There are 3 sections on the house reef: wall, slope and grass
- It is very healthy, making it a very enjoyable dive. Plenty of macro (pigmyes, leaf fish, nudis, frogfish, octopus) as well as nice schools of reef fish. Also saw turtles regularly
- Viz. varied from 10 to 25m, depending on tides and time of the day

Night dives: I only did a few on the house reef of Alor divers. Was good with plenty of crabs, shrimps, etc. Not spectacular, but nice.

Guides: on both trips, I did all the boat dives with Gilles the owner. He is a photographer himself, so will help you finding great spots for wide angle; we he is also becoming passionate about macro, so he'll show you loads of stuff - We saw several rhinopias, frogfish, all sorts of ghostpipe fish, mandarin fish (during the day, not at dusk), pegasus seamouth, mimic etc. etc. For bigger stuff: schools of barracudas, jacks, tuna, white tips, grey reef, eagle rays

Can't recommend specific dive sites, all I can say is that I didn't have a bad/ boring dive on both visits. Be preaperd for thermoclines and current though.

Hope this helps.

Frogfish this is extremely helpful - thank you!

OK I promised I would try to summarize what I have learned so far from all the posts I have found.
Please chip in if you disagree, have more info, or if I have missed something important!
I would be interested to know how long each of these have been operating and whether there are any Indonesian guides working at any resort.

Alor Dive
- German operated. Only dive shop open year round (dives in all conditions)
- stay in hotels in town (AC)
- 3 dive a day options, plus possible night dive
- Thomas says no minimum of divers needed to run night dive
- larger boat (wooden). More amenities but also longer travel time to dive sites
- options for overnight trips (sleep on board)
- internet available in town
- EDIT: according to Thomas, 4-5 divers per guide normally
- EDIT: according to Thomas maybe 1-2 hrs of power outage in Kalabahi (town) but not more than 3-4 times a month


Alor Divers
- French operated. Closed Jan-Feb
- two dives a day plus unlimited diving on house reef 0600-2130
- on beach in Pantar (no town access). Maximum 12 guests. No AC.
- smaller boat but possibly faster (fiberglass boat, fewer amenities)
- maximum 4 divers per guide
- "Several plugs have 24 hr power" according to website
- looks like no wifi at resort
- looks like boat night dives would not be an option

*No Nitrox at either land based option

Liveaboards
- Komodo Dancer is one of the only LOB with confirmed Alor trips in the summer (others dive it at other times). Only Nitrox option.
- with only 4-5 Alor trips on KD's schedule a year, they could not possibly know the sites very well. As well, in Jul 11 the remaining dive crew (incl cruise director) were leaving -- anyone know who is crewing that boat now? IMO a top notch guide (e.g. any of the Lembeh trained) could likely find cool stuff, although they could not know conditions as well.
- Grand Komodo (veteran Indonesian LOB company) likely runs LOBs here (I dove a Komodo itinerary with them a few years back) but one needs a small group to guarentee diving (also an issue on the K Dancer)

These are the most frequently chosen operators it appears. Le Petite Kepa (French owned, more rustic) looks smaller and there is an Australian owned dive op which received some negative comments in past posts. Apparently Alor Divers is the most expensive - I haven't had time to crunch all the numbers yet.

Likely the biggest single thread with Alor info was here

N

<<but one needs a small group to guarentee diving (also an issue on the K Dancer)>>

Not sure what you mean here, unless you mean minimum divers for boat to go. Otherwise diving is guaranteed. I'd highly recommend Garry on the Komodo Dancer. He knows his stuff.

Shasta_man:

<<but one needs a small group to guarentee diving (also an issue on the K Dancer)>>

Not sure what you mean here, unless you mean minimum divers for boat to go. Otherwise diving is guaranteed. I'd highly recommend Garry on the Komodo Dancer. He knows his stuff.

Click to expand...

Garry is no longer with the Komodo Dancer. He is on the Damai 2 now!!! I agree , he is amazing and knows the Alor like the back of his hand!

The Dewi Nusantara( Paradise Dancer) has a trip from Komodo to Alor to Wakatobi! 13 nights!

My trip report for August 2010 is here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/351325-trip-report-alor-august-14-21-2010-a.html

In answer to some of the questions that you raised (and some you did not) in the second post:
1. I don't recall any guides other than Thomas, and we were a group of ten. I believe that Thomas had an Indonesian working with him, but that person was not there when I was. Obviously, the situation may be different now.
2. I don't recall problems with electricity in Kalabahi.
3. English is not widespread in Kalabahi, though the people were very nice. I'd suggest brushing up on your Indonesian before going there.
4. We did night dives in Kalabahi Bay. Since all days were three dives, the night dives days started later in the morning and ended later at night. There might be other locations than the bay, but IMHO you'd need be pretty brave (or stupid) to venture into the main channel at night due to current issues.

jake11:

Garry is no longer with the Komodo Dancer. He is on the Damai 2 now!!!

Click to expand...

Does anyone know any of the dive crew on the Komodo Dancer (KD) currently? I was actually on the KD in Jul 2011 - cruise director Paul and main DM Gede were both leaving shortly (both had come back only to run a few trips) and the 3rd DM was a fill in from Bali, i.e. 100% of the dive staff was turning over.

Perhaps I should post under separate cover to ask.

S_M yes, exactly - from the info I have, at least one of the KD Alor trips this summer doesn't have enough divers presently to run.