Getting the best out of Padang Bai & Nusa Penida

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Hintermann

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, UK
# of dives
500 - 999
I have now a confirmed Accommodation & Dive Package with Padang Bai Dive Resort in the last week of September 2015. After the problems I had arranging this earlier, I have now had a very good response from the new manager Olivier. Mindful of the rather poor response to my queries that I had a few months ago, he has offered me a good package, including night dives on all 4 of the full diving days I'll be with them irrespective of whether there are other divers or not.

I thus have 18 dives planned in total, 3 day and 1 night dive on each of the first 4 days and 2 pre-lunch dives on the 5th day. I want to make the best use of it bearing in mind the time of the year. I know some of the dive sites that I definitely want to go and others that I definitely do NOT want to go. I therefore would be grateful for any help / advice in planning the trip.

  • I do NOT want to go to Tulamben or Amed. Went there in June this year and did 16 dives. Great diving but I see no point in going back.
  • Definitely want to go to Candidasa: Gili Tepekong (The Canyon) and Mimpang (Shark Point) for sure and if conditions allow Biaha isle. This will take up 3 day dives but I could return to Padang Bai for a night dive.
  • Definitely want a day trip to Nusa Penida for 3 day dives: Crystal Bay for sure, probably Toyapakeh (anything better nearby?) and one of the drift dives (Did Ped in June). I don't particularly want to go to Manta Point - been there (and after the Socorro trip 5 months before, I don't think I'll be yearning for mantas). I want to maximise chances of seeing Mola Mola and any advice on the choice of dive sites would be appreciated. Once again, I might be back in Padang Bai in time for a later night dive.
  • That still leaves 2 full days of 4 dives each plus 2 dives on the last day - 10 dives in all for Padang Bai proper. Please advice on a selection of varied dive sites, once again with onus on Mola Mola.

I also want some information please, on what the currents could be like, bearing in mind that 28th September 2015 is a Full Moon Day. That would be the third of my 5 dives days and so I will be diving right around the full moon. I xperienced strong currents in Komodo & Raja Ampat and coped; will they be any worse here?

Thank you very much in anticipation.
 
Dive the old ferry jetty in Padang Bai. It was very productive 2-3 wks ago. Good variety of critters. Saw 3 rhinos (5-6 different ones in area). There is a small scattered rock/reef area off the end of he jetty. Good things there also. That's where the rhino were.
 
actualy is not old ferry jetty and the location is not in padang bai. It's new jetty built in 2006 to handle luxury and large cruises; unfortunately (or furtunately for the divers) for some reasons, not fully completed;
the location is in tanah amo village, near the pertamina oil terminal jetty.

Here's what I got in the jetty

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/olympus-outlet/496676-jetty-padang-bai-12-50mm.html
 
Thanks for clarifying. I was just going by the common reference. I didn't know exactly where it was until I dove it a couple weeks ago.
 
definitely the jetty for a few dives, but not for Mola, rather for critters, great dive and can also do wide angle. yes, you will have stronger currents around the new moon, the jetty also has strong currents but I am sure your guides will schedule accordingly. Mola mola as you say, best options are penida- between crystal and toyapekah as well as blue corner (all of which can have strong current) Candidasa is also good for Mola, the sites you have mentioned. If Mola is your main goal then I would continue diving those sites. If you can convince your operator to go to Batu Abah (Penida) then that is the best site for Mola but often its not diveable due to swell..
 
Thanks people. I have added The Jetty to my list of dives.

Yes, the Ocean Sunfish is the primary goal of that trip but only during the 2 days that I will be visiting Candidasa and Nusa Penida (& its sisters). That still leaves me with 2nad a half days with 10 possible dives in Nusa Penida itself. The Jetty dive will now be one of them and perhaps Blue Lagoon. Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thank you.
 
If you can convince your operator to go to Batu Abah (Penida) then that is the best site for Mola but often its not diveable due to swell..

Batu Abah! Most scary diving I have ever done. A few years back we took a group of experienced divers there, mostly the owner/managers (all instructors) of the dive centres in Padang Bai, most of which had never had the chance of taking guest divers there (for whatever reason/conditions/experience etc). The idea seemed good over a beer or two one evening in the bar; press-ganging them each onto the boat!

As we arrived at the site, the surface current conditions where spinning the speedboat on the spot. We jumped in and I remember the corals all being purple shades, which was quite striking. As we swam out of the shelter of the bay, all hell broke loose, and we were scattered to the winds, all safely surfacing after a time, for the speedboat to cherry pick from the ocean.

Exhilarating white knuckle dive, with a chance of spotting Mola2 but only for those not faint of heart. Brings a smile just remembering/surviving the dive, he he he

You can't go wrong for Mola2 at Mimpang; that's where we used to have the best encounters, and far better than Crystal Bay for mostly having the site to yourself.

Happy, safe diving

Ax
 
We were in Candiasa and dove with Gangga divers in late Sept.of 2009. We saw our first Mola molas on a site called Gili Mimpang. I remember the surface as being a little rough but no big currents underneath! We saw them again on the 2nd dive at the same site. We also came upon one on a drift dive called Toyapakeh and watched it being cleaned for quite some time. When we finally let go and started drifting again, it came with us! Have a great trip!
 
Thanks again people. The two Candidasa Gilis (Mimpang and Tepekong), Crystal Bay and now Toyapakeh ate virtual certainties on the trip and I hope I will get to see the Ocean Sunfish with those dives. I also hope to dive the Shark Cave in Biaha if the conditions allow and a suitably expert guide is available. I would also like a selection of the best dives (including night dives) in Padang Bai proper.
 
If you can convince your operator to go to Batu Abah (Penida) then that is the best site for Mola but often its not diveable due to swell..

It was indeed the very best dive site for Mola but it is part of a no diving zone since the implementation of the Marine Park, this summer. It's now used as a coral & marine life monitoring area by the CTC.
 
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