Bali Scuba Recommendations

[fishstix]

I am planning a scuba trip to Bali and would like to hear from anyone who has scuba dived off the island of Bali in Indonesia. If you have had good experiences with particular dive operator and would like to recommend them (please NOT your own dive business) or certain attractions that you think I ought to see, let me know! Any bad experiences or operators? Any particular dangers to be aware of? Let me know that too!

I am especially interested in info about water clarity, underwater video opportunities, fluro diving opportunities, and dry land night life attractions.

Thanks!!

 

[Hintermann]

I was diving in Bali this June and used Liberty Dive Resort at Tulamben, one of the island's premier diving locations. They were superb in every way. Good value for money, comfortable accommodation, very good restaurant and superb dive guides. As a lone diver I was allocated a personal guide and this helped me to sit with him and arrange the itinerary to suit me.

Padang Bai is another good diving location in Bali. I am going there next year but there are a few good dive operators there. Gekko Divers and Absolute Scuba have good recommendations.

Further south, I used Bali Scuba based near Sanur for the trip to Nusa Penida. They too seemed like a very professional outfit.

Member Divewench is the resident Bali expert here, having worked there for 5 years or so. Why don't you send her a PM? She is extremely helpful.

 

[fishstix]

Thanks Hintermann! Lots of good leads in your post. What are the water conditions like around Bali- water temperature, visibility and degree of difficulty?

 

[dirtfarmer]

Look into Nusa Lembongan for drift dives, Manta's and Mola Mola in season. You can stay on Lembongan or dive from Padang Bai/Sanur taking 30-45 minute rides out to Lembongan/Penida. Then Tulamben for great muck- some good coral dives. You'll find a lot of LDR ( Liberty Dive Resort) fans here and I'm one of them. Then there's Mengangan ( spelling?) ( which I've not done) for good coral.
The water clarity will depend on the season you go in.
The biggest nite life you'll find is in Sanur maybe a bit on Lembongan depnding on the season, and virtually no night life in Tulamben unless you count sitting in a bar swapping dive stories.
Other topside activities are plentiful on Bali a very beautiful island with amazing scenery and architecture.

 

[Hintermann]

What are the water conditions like around Bali- water temperature, visibility and degree of difficulty?

I can only comment for June. Weather conditions and visibility can be very different in Bali depending on the time of the year.

When I went it was sunny throughout with great visibility. There were some tough waves for shore entries but nothing much. The water temperature in Bali proper was around 28*c to 29*C but dropped to 25*C with colder thermoclines in Nusa Penida.

 

[CJS]

l've dived Menjangan Island, Pemuteran, Tulamben, Amed and Nusa Peneda over the course of 5 trips to Bali. All of them were worth doing, but Tulamben is my favourite and I have just returned from my third visit there. It is out of the hustle and bustle but not an overly long drive from the airport. The wreck itself is magic during an early morning dive or night dive and the other sites are nice too. The new wreck up at Kubu was interesting. Previously I have stayed in Amed and dived with Adventure Divers. This time I stayed and dived with Tulamben wreck Divers. Happy with both. Penida I've done with World Divers and Nusa Lembongan Divers and was happy with both. Sea Rovers in Pemuteran also did a good job. The water is cooler in Penida (low to mid 20s) otherwise I'd say 28° . Penida can throw up some tricky currents.

 

[Hintermann]

IMO, one of the best views of the Liberty wreck is at the end of the so-called "Tulamben Drift Dive". This is a lazy 40-minute journey from Tulamben Bay past Coral Gardens to the wreck. When I did this 2 months ago, the current was weak in places and so we had to help by light finning. Looking at the hard coral and searching for critters as we went along, I had forgotten about the wreck till it suddenly loomed above me. It was a fantastic sight.