Bali Trip - Dive op/lodging and Komodo add-on advice needed

[bshort4]

@bshort4 What did you think of the diving?!

well to be honest it was fun, at times tough but not the best diving I've ever done but I enjoyed it. Currents at times were brutal--seven out of ten dives on the liveaboard had pretty strong currents---but we always knew that going into the dive as the DM's would go into the water and check the currents before the group went into the water. But the currents do bring out the big guys---sharks, barracuda and Manta Rays. We dived Manta Point (Makassar) with a pretty stiff current and were blessed with over twenty Mantas on one dive---three days later I returned to the same site on a day trip and there was zero current and we only saw two small Mantas. Visibility on almost every dive never exceeded 50 feet. I'll try to post a full trip report on the trip if I can get up the energy to do it soon.

 

[howswedeofme]

Looking forward to the (possible) trip report!

We are going through a travel agent for the bookings - agent has suggested Watergarden Hotel in Candidasa. Anyone have any experience there? It looks nice and we are already getting a lot of oceanfront on the LOB and in Tulamben, so the forest/gardens may be a welcomed change.

 

[Luko]

Looking forward to the (possible) trip report!

We are going through a travel agent for the bookings - agent has suggested Watergarden Hotel in Candidasa. Anyone have any experience there? It looks nice and we are already getting a lot of oceanfront on the LOB and in Tulamben, so the forest/gardens may be a welcomed change.

Look at the map : Watergarden is further east than SeaBreeze it will take you much more time to get to Padang Bai.
Travel agents will always try to put you to hotels they have deals with : that is the bother with these *parasites*... ahemm sorry... but the truth is that they're often useless.

 

[Luko]

well to be honest it was fun, at times tough but not the best diving I've ever done but I enjoyed it. Currents at times were brutal--seven out of ten dives on the liveaboard had pretty strong currents---but we always knew that going into the dive as the DM's would go into the water and check the currents before the group went into the water. But the currents do bring out the big guys---sharks, barracuda and Manta Rays. We dived Manta Point (Makassar) with a pretty stiff current and were blessed with over twenty Mantas on one dive---three days later I returned to the same site on a day trip and there was zero current and we only saw two small Mantas. Visibility on almost every dive never exceeded 50 feet. I'll try to post a full trip report on the trip if I can get up the energy to do it soon.

I read your report but I was struck with Batu Bolong : to be honest I didn't recognize any of the 10 or so dives I had on Batu Bolong in 4 trips.
Every time we went it was cristal clear and the guides made previsouly sure there was no downcurrent when we'd go the northern side of the rock (asking for a negative entry on BB is already a clue that it may be preferable diving the regular southern side...)
Current on Manta point is usual though but it's manageable, I stopped diving Siaba kecil because you can't do anything with a camera, I don't care for this dive.
I am quite surprized with their choice of pther dives : usually Pengah is nice to start with, also looks like you missed Tatawa Besar which is one of the most colorful. The northern spots like Castle and Crystal rock are classics and pretty dense with fish.(Howswede take note of the spots and request them to DDK , I am sure they will try to arrange )
All in all seems you had a disappointing dive experience, although Komodo doesn't stop to amaze me each time. It's probably a step below Raja Ampat but above many of the others in Indonesia and everywhere else.

 

[howswedeofme]

We are going through a travel agent mainly to be able to pay for the bookings with AmEx, which isn’t widely accepted abroad. That’s my best rewards card so I often go out of my way to use it.

 

[Luko]

We are going through a travel agent mainly to be able to pay for the bookings with AmEx, which isn’t widely accepted abroad. That’s my best rewards card so I often go out of my way to use it.

Did you try booking;com? i remember they take Amex.

 

[charlier]

well to be honest it was fun, at times tough but not the best diving I've ever done but I enjoyed it. Currents at times were brutal--seven out of ten dives on the liveaboard had pretty strong currents---but we always knew that going into the dive as the DM's would go into the water and check the currents before the group went into the water. But the currents do bring out the big guys---sharks, barracuda and Manta Rays. We dived Manta Point (Makassar) with a pretty stiff current and were blessed with over twenty Mantas on one dive---three days later I returned to the same site on a day trip and there was zero current and we only saw two small Mantas. Visibility on almost every dive never exceeded 50 feet. I'll try to post a full trip report on the trip if I can get up the energy to do it soon.

Sounds like you had a mixed review of your LoB. Based on my experience, the best guides understand the currents, tides, and crowds at Komodo, even without a current check. Watching drop offs of divers fromother boats/dingies from highly reviewed LoBs, I am sometimes struck with the lack of understanding on split currents, entry points, timing of tides, and avoiding crowds.

Edit- November diving @northern Komodo, I am not surprised by the poor visibility. We usually transit out in mid-September.

 

[bshort4]

I read your report but I was struck with Batu Bolong : to be honest I didn't recognize any of the 10 or so dives I had on Batu Bolong in 4 trips.
Every time we went it was cristal clear and the guides made previsouly sure there was no downcurrent when we'd go the northern side of the rock (asking for a negative entry on BB is already a clue that it may be preferable diving the regular southern side...)
Current on Manta point is usual though but it's manageable, I stopped diving Siaba kecil because you can't do anything with a camera, I don't care for this dive.
I am quite surprized with their choice of pther dives : usually Pengah is nice to start with, also looks like you missed Tatawa Besar which is one of the most colorful. The northern spots like Castle and Crystal rock are classics and pretty dense with fish.(Howswede take note of the spots and request them to DDK , I am sure they will try to arrange )
All in all seems you had a disappointing dive experience, although Komodo doesn't stop to amaze me each time. It's probably a step below Raja Ampat but above many of the others in Indonesia and everywhere else.

No Luko I didn't have a disappointing dive experience, if anything maybe a little disappointed with the vis on most dives. I did dive Tatawa Besar-twice. Once on the liveaboard and again on the day trip - two totally different dives. We stayed very shallow the first time because one diver was having ear problems and it was beautiful and probably the best vis of all our dives--which made it easier to avoid the Trigger Fish lol. We did start our trip two days after a new moon which could have helped account for the heavy currents.

 

[howswedeofme]

Has anyone dove with Aqua Marine Diving?

 

[charlier]

I used Aquamarine about decade ++ years ago with a good friend. One day at Nusa Penida at diving at Crystal Bay (Mola2 @28m), Toyapakeh, and PED (relatively strong down currentsmat beginning of dive). Very good guide. With more local dive ops. it seems that their business model is suffering a bit.