Location, Location, Location: Does It Matter in Lembeh?

[Ironborn]

In the course of researching dive resorts in the Lembeh Straits, I have been wondering to what if any extent a resort's location within the Straits and the dive sites that the dive operations select can affect one's dive experiences there. What have been your experiences and observations in that regard?

I ask because many resorts and dive operations elsewhere often tend to stay closer to their home base, perhaps in order to stay on schedule, conserve fuel, or for convenience or other reasons. I have nonetheless gotten the impression that most boat rides in the Straits are relatively short, unless one is at the far north or the far south, so would distance be less of a factor here?. I have seen some suggestions that the most centrally located resorts, such as NAD Lembeh and Bastianos, may be more advantageous in that regard, as almost any site would be within a reasonable range for them. Would you agree? By the same token, would distance be more of an issue for resorts in the far north or south?

Another factor is the likelihood that one will end up doing multiple dives on a resort's house reef (or, in the case of a Lembeh resort, its “house muck.”) I have gotten the impression that the “house muck” of Black Sands in particular and the neighboring sites are especially popular or productive. Would you agree, or are there any other resorts that you would say have especially good or popular “house muck?”

I understand that the Straits are famous for their overall biodiversity, but I was wondering to what if any degree there are are geographic variations within that overall biodiversity, i.e. do you see different critters in different areas, or does one see the roughly same mixture of critters throughout the whole area? I noticed in Anilao that the mixture of critters often varied as we went further away from our resort, or into areas where the constitution of the sandy bottom was different.

Are there any significant differences between mainland sites and those closer to the island itself?

 

[WetPup]

No.

IME resort choice is based on guide quality and resort soft product. For me the food quality is a major factor in where I stay. If you hate stairs, that may also be a consideration.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Or maybe a bit.

At Two Fish if there is not a lot of divers on the afternoon dive, or as it was the 3rd time I was there i being the only diver on the 3rd dive, you will go to a close site.
The 1st and 2nd dive we went to any site that is hot with critters.
In regards to the biodiversity, it will be spread out, the sites vary from black sand to reef. Certain sites will have certain critters, so tell your guide if your looking for something special.
Some resorts have good house reefs if that's a factor.
Budget, food, steps, level of comfort, guides, there are plenty of resorts to pick from with this and more in mind.

 

[Mike Veitch]

Also keep in mind the boats. Some resorts have older 2 stroke 40hp engines. These are not fast.. Others have new 4 stroke 115hp or more engines, these are much faster, cleaner, and more fuel efficient. Therefore, its not problem to visit the further sites daily

 

[Darnold9999]

Also faster boats/closer resorts can return to the resort between dives. Slower boats stay on site for the surface interval.

 

[Frogfishman]

" I have gotten the impression that the “house muck” of Black Sands in particular and the neighboring sites are especially popular or productive."

Yes, I would agree, but I'm biased. I always say we have the best House Reef in Lembeh at Black Sand.
Of course a great House Reef makes a big difference if you like shore dives. Great dives with as much down time as you want and you're saving money. Island-side resorts don't have much to see. Mainland-side resorts will be better, but current can be a factor.

There is good variety on both the island and mainland sites. Depending on the time of year, far north sites (coral) on the island and far south sites (there are only a very few decent sites near or past Bitung town) are avoided owing to waves or swell caused by seasonal wind.
For the budget resorts and resorts with bigger boats, of course they'll steer guests to nearby dive sites if there is only one or three divers.
When you write "centrally located", that should be central to most of the dive sites rather than geographically central - look at a dive site map.
A big factor I see get overlooked is how many divers per boat. People travel great distances to do muck diving and then find themselves on a boat holding 8-15 divers. The amount of sand kicked up can be incredible, ruining pictures with backscatter. And that is not just in budget resorts, but upmarket ones as well. If there are special critters, expect a line-up and if the divers are over-enthusiastic, a pile-up. The critters do get stressed if subjected to a barrage of strobings.
There is actually not so much difference between the resorts these days compared to a few years ago. Most have swimming pools and a/c. Most have good guides. Check out reviews on Trip Advisor or other sites. Food quality can be a difference. How "buggy" it is (island resorts have more mozzies generally as they get less of a breeze and are more forested) is a factor.
Do you want to spend all morning, or even all day on the boat? Some resorts save fuel / time by going out for two tanks before lunch. Would you rather have time back at the resort between dives?
Lembeh is the best I've seen anywhere for night dives. Does the resort charge a lot for night dives? Many resorts sell 3 dive/day packages, but if you want to do a night dives, you pay separately; if four dives in a day is too much, you lose the value of your unused day dive and pay for a night dive.

Lots to consider. Hope this helps.

 

[Ironborn]

Also keep in mind the boats. Some resorts have older 2 stroke 40hp engines. These are not fast.. Others have new 4 stroke 115hp or more engines, these are much faster, cleaner, and more fuel efficient. Therefore, its not problem to visit the further sites daily

@Mike Veitch @Darnold9999 Good point, it sounds like boat speed may be more of a consideration than location. Are there any resorts in Lembeh with especially fast or especially slow boats?

 

[Darnold9999]

Black Sands has both a central location and fast boats.

 

[Ironborn]

" I have gotten the impression that the “house muck” of Black Sands in particular and the neighboring sites are especially popular or productive."

Yes, I would agree, but I'm biased. I always say we have the best House Reef in Lembeh at Black Sand.
Of course a great House Reef makes a big difference if you like shore dives. Great dives with as much down time as you want and you're saving money. Island-side resorts don't have much to see. Mainland-side resorts will be better, but current can be a factor.

There is good variety on both the island and mainland sites. Depending on the time of year, far north sites (coral) on the island and far south sites (there are only a very few decent sites near or past Bitung town) are avoided owing to waves or swell caused by seasonal wind.
For the budget resorts and resorts with bigger boats, of course they'll steer guests to nearby dive sites if there is only one or three divers.
When you write "centrally located", that should be central to most of the dive sites rather than geographically central - look at a dive site map.
Do you want to spend all morning, or even all day on the boat? Some resorts save fuel / time by going out for two tanks before lunch. Would you rather have time back at the resort between dives?
Lembeh is the best I've seen anywhere for night dives. Does the resort charge a lot for night dives? Many resorts sell 3 dive/day packages, but if you want to do a night dives, you pay separately; if four dives in a day is too much, you lose the value of your unused day dive and pay for a night dive.

Lots to consider. Hope this helps.

So @Frogfishman are you a manager or employee at Black Sands?

I am glad that you brought up night dives, because I have a high level of interest in them but did not see any details on them in the "Rates & Packages" section of the Black Sands website. Do you offer night dives, and at what price, beyond the basic packages for 2-3 dives a day? Do you require a minimum number of divers for night dives?

You brought up a good point about central location relative to dive sites, rather than within the Straits as a whole. I looked at a map of dive sites, and it seems like the northern half of the Straits has a higher concentration of dive sites than the southern half. Does that sound right?

 

[pelan-pelan]

When you write "centrally located", that should be central to most of the dive sites rather than geographically central - look at a dive site map.
A big factor I see get overlooked is how many divers per boat. People travel great distances to do muck diving and then find themselves on a boat holding 8-15 divers. The amount of sand kicked up can be incredible, ruining pictures with backscatter. And that is not just in budget resorts, but upmarket ones as well. If there are special critters, expect a line-up and if the divers are over-enthusiastic, a pile-up. The critters do get stressed if subjected to a barrage of strobings.
There is actually not so much difference between the resorts these days compared to a few years ago. Most have swimming pools and a/c. Most have good guides. Check out reviews on Trip Advisor or other sites. Food quality can be a difference. How "buggy" it is (island resorts have more mozzies generally as they get less of a breeze and are more forested) is a factor.
Do you want to spend all morning, or even all day on the boat? Some resorts save fuel / time by going out for two tanks before lunch. Would you rather have time back at the resort between dives?
Lembeh is the best I've seen anywhere for night dives. Does the resort charge a lot for night dives? Many resorts sell 3 dive/day packages, but if you want to do a night dives, you pay separately; if four dives in a day is too much, you lose the value of your unused day dive and pay for a night dive..

Would agree with this. Find out max ratio of divers to dive guides and max per boat. Does the boat have a toilet? This may mean that they can stay out and move on to next dive site.
And do the maths. If you do 3 dives a day for 5 days that would be a max of 15 sites. But most people like to revisit some sites because of the diversity, or because they want to see the same critter again, or maybe current or vis is an issue. If there has been rain, do you want to go to a "new" dive site because it is new (but you can't see anything), or go back to one that is more likely to have the better level of vis?

I have been to a number of sites on several occasions and never seen exactly the same things. Familiarity with the site can often help in finding things for yourself, knowing what photos you are likely to get and being set up specifically for them.

And don't forget to look up - there can be some big surprises.