A place with house reef where we could dive by our self ?!

[KenGordon]

I am not sure if you want a place where you can find accommodation and diving separately or just a place you can dive without a nanny. Anyway, if you don’t mind somewhat expensive

http://www.komodoresort.com/

I did a few days there a couple of years ago. It was very nice with excellent accommodation and proper Komodo diving. I snorkelled the house reef a couple of times and it was full of life, including a couple of juvenile barracuda, mantis shrimp and shoals of small fish.

It is hard to imagine a more laid back place.

We did a few weeks, staying at Scuba Seraya SCUBA SERAYA RESORT (Tulamben, Bali) - Reviews, Photos & Price Comparison - TripAdvisor, Two Fish at Nua Lembongan Two Fish Dive Resort Nusa Lembongan, Komodo Resort and a Komodo live-aboard White Manta Diving - Home

I dislike guided dives, but these guides were generally quite good. Other than at Two Fish we had a either a guide to ourselves or a third diver. At Two Fish the logistics are a bit of a pain with no house reef and a 5 minute walk to the boat. Once in the water I don’t remember them being intrusive.

I have to say though that I much prefer to explore for myself. I can go to an aquarium to see specimens, I don’t want the “tour”. The most memorable part of the whole trip was finding a blue ring octopus myself. The guide had headed away and was too far to call back. My girlfriend is very good at spotting stuff, we can get by and have an enjoyable time without much help. On the other hand, if you absolutely must see a leafy frog fish then go with the guide.

 

[FindingMenno]

What I know of top of my head.

http://www.komodoresort.com/
Kanawa Island Resort (don't know if they're still open?)
Angel Island Komodo – Eco Resort in Komodo used to do a lot of shore dives on this island, but not the greatest and doesn't look like they promote it.
Kalimaya Dive Resort – Sumbawa Dive Resort
Home - Papua Diving Resorts - Raja Ampat - Indonesia they have shore dive option in Raja

 

[Tippytoes12]

We are just back from Alami Alor and in May we went to Kalimaya. Both have excellect house reefs where buddy pairs can dive unguided. This was included in the dive package prices.

In Alor the staff always made sure that equipment was brought to the end of the jetty , that you were helped in the water ( if you wanted ) and that a staff member was always at the end of the jetty when divers were in the water. The ladder was too slippery and narrow for most people to climb up with a full set of equipment, so this was handed up.

We did a lot more house reef dives in Alor and really enjoyed both the excellent reef and our own spots.

 

[Ryan Mcshane]

Alba dive

 

[Dan]

Raja4 Diver Resort will let you do that after a checkout dive with one of their DM.

Pulau Pef - Little Raja Ampat Trip Report

 

[Alor-Divers]

At www.alor-divers.com in Alor, we offer unlimited non-guided housereef dives. Some divers do up to 4 housereef dives per day (sunrise / late morning after the boat dive / afternoon after the second boat dive / night) as our housereef is huge (700m long) and variate: sea grass, unspoiled coral plateau, 2 walls and a slope in between...
Check the image below, and feel free to ask for more info if you are interested!

Alor Divers resort, beach and housereef

• Alor-Divers
• Nov 12, 2018

Aerial view of our beach with 8 bungalows integrated in nature, and our gorgeous housereef with...

 

[Indah]

we offer, as mentioned before, self-guided dives. But always with supervision. Please be aware of this law:

http://ditjenpp.kemenkumham.go.id/arsip/terjemahan/22.pdf

All recreational diving activities in the open water must be supervised by a dive guide or by certified dive instructor directly or indirectly. Consideration in determining supervisory level adjusted to the conditions of the diver, diving equipment available, and the environment, and the decision to dive is taken by the dive guide or the dive instructor with reference to the diving spot classification issued by the Government.

Recreational Divers a) Recreational divers are prohibited from doing solo diving.

Recreational divers who will do free diving/skin diving or snorkeling and performed in a relatively safe and controlled open water or confined water must be accompanied by at least a dive guide.

 

[Luko]

we offer, as mentioned before, self-guided dives. But always with supervision. Please be aware of this law:

http://ditjenpp.kemenkumham.go.id/arsip/terjemahan/22.pdf

All recreational diving activities in the open water must be supervised by a dive guide or by certified dive instructor directly or indirectly. Consideration in determining supervisory level adjusted to the conditions of the diver, diving equipment available, and the environment, and the decision to dive is taken by the dive guide or the dive instructor with reference to the diving spot classification issued by the Government.

Recreational Divers a) Recreational divers are prohibited from doing solo diving.

Recreational divers who will do free diving/skin diving or snorkeling and performed in a relatively safe and controlled open water or confined water must be accompanied by at least a dive guide.

I went through the document you linked to.

The annex of the regulation states (1.D.7.) -in sloppy english- :
"Dive guide means a person who serves as guides (sic) to recreational divers and posses (sic) a certification level of rescue diver and first aid diving" (sic).

Which means if it were to be followed by the rule :
- there will probably be a shortage of such "dive guides" (wondering what's the % of Indonesian guides having at least a Resc.)
- the word "serves" doesn't mean "work", you can "serve" something/someone for free on a temporary period of time
- according to many international association standards where the term "guide" is not defined with a certain level of skills (nor by this law btw ), any buddies with one of them being at least a resc. leading the group would be allowed to be called a "dive guide".

Hence my interpretation of this rule is :
- Anyone diving should ask his indonesian guide a proof of a Resc certification.
- Any guest having a Resc cert could be guiding on a non dive centre supervised dive.
- Some Padi standards like OW/AOW buddy autonomy cannot apply to Indonesia (no big deal but good to know, Indonesia joins France as an exception )

Is that correct?

 

[Schwob]

I travel with (relatively) low budget hence the places I'm staying might not suit most people's needs.

Thank you &
Please, do tell more... I am very much looking to learn all I can about good (and preferably self guided) diving ... on a budget... especially for when I have the time to do it... in the foreseeable future...
It’s at times seems a little hard to filter through all the resort and greatest luxury offers and arrive at good but budget diving and simple, but clean and affordable accommodations (without compromising on dive site quality)... Any general advice on how to get better at finding such places (anywhere on earth)?

 

[Indah]

Luko, only Indonesian citizens can be a dive-guide according to this law.