recent water temps in komodo/alor/wakatobi

[jake11]

Has anyone been to Komodo/Alor or Wakatobi in the past couple of weeks? We leave next week to start diving in Komodo/Alor and end up in Wakatobi. We have also added on Scuba Seraya. Any suggestions on what mm wetsuit to bring? Thanks for any and all advice!

 

[Zippsy]

Think of it this way - if you are going to the north and south of Komodo, which most boats do at this time of year, you should expect to see a range of about 20-28 centigrade (68-82 fahrenheit). For most people, that means a range of 5mm with hood to boardshorts and a rash guard. Alor & Wakatobi will almost certainly be somewhere in that wide range too. At 20c, I am happy with a 3mm with vest/hood but not everyone else would be warm enough. Consider renting (borrowing) a 3mm shorty to put over your own thicker wetsuit. That's what I recommend to people on our boat rather than going out and getting a 5mm if it is just for this one trip.

 

[mantajohn]

Zippsy is right.

In Alor the thing to be aware of is the thermoclines. On one dive it went from 27 to 19C in around 10 mins.

I used a 5mm throughout Alor & Komodo & was always comfortable - if a little warm on occasion. Many people in Komodo were fine with a 3mm - perhaps I'm just getting old & soft.

Reasonable quality 5mm are not that expensive - you do not need fancy ankle/cuff seals etc. They are however much heavier than a 3mm if weight limit is a concern.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[jake11]

We have the 5mm's but I was hoping to pack light since we have several internal flights and we are trying to avoid those extra fees! Thank you both for the great information! Now we can make a better decision on what to do!

 

[jake11]

Packed the 5mm along with 3/5 vest and assorted other layers. Ended up wearing most of the layers except one and I was glad I had everything with me. Brrrrrrrr! Thanks for the tips. They were spot on!

 

[thankfulforlife]

hello there....just got back from 6 days in komodo park,on live-a-board called "MONA-LISA"...the boat and crew and diving was great,the manager that sold me the time,is a liar business man,and he ripped me off $120,his name is "EERAERTS RONALD" and he manages komodo cruises....my worst experience of lies and deceit in diving yet.....
anyways,enough of my winge...the water temp was 26 or 27C and i use a 5 mm long-john and vest,so around the guts area,its twice as thick....my neck got cold,and i will cut a hoodie i have at home to bring with my kit next time.....one guy was wearing shorts and a 1mm rashie,others were wearing hoods and 5mm,with everything in between...
had my best manta experience,with 12 big manta,s at least at one time at a cleaning station,some right over the top of me being cleaned...with big current...then the current dropped off a bit and i could cruise around with them abit....also there was a spotted eagle ray there for a few minutes and 16 large bump-head parrot fish....
mostly had wonderful dives....indonesia would be my favourite country for diving,and komodo is one of the best.....
take your 5mm if you get cold under-water,and if you are on a live-a-board,you will be diving 3-4 times a day....
enjoy....

 

[ocdiver1]

who'd you dive with in Alor? I was there in late August at La Petit Kepa and loved it

 

[thankfulforlife]

yes,i stayed at their rooms,and dived with them....
it was a few years ago,and only stayed for a week,but the diving i loved....
the room was a bit rough,but it was also pretty cheap.....wandered around town on the time off and for most of my eating....
i remember they had motor-cycle drags down the main street one day...fantastic,loud and very dangerous for bikers and the crowd,which lined the streets,so if someone came off,there would have been some bad injuries.....that said,no-one came off.....

 

[jake11]

We were on the Dewi Nusantara for a trip from Komodo to Alor to Wakatobi! The Dewi is an EXCELLENT choice in LOB's. We did see a day boat while diving in the Alor but I can not remember the name of the operator. On the LOB we were able to watch the Komba volcano explode over and over about every 10-15 minutes from around 4- 10pm. It was spectacular to say the least! As it gets dark the explosions are all red and are simply amazing. It was surreal to be sitting there eating dinner while watching the awesome display! It was the coldest in the Alor but we had some great diving there!

 

[thankfulforlife]

We were on the Dewi Nusantara for a trip from Komodo to Alor to Wakatobi! The Dewi is an EXCELLENT choice in LOB's. We did see a day boat while diving in the Alor but I can not remember the name of the operator. On the LOB we were able to watch the Komba volcano explode over and over about every 10-15 minutes from around 4- 10pm. It was spectacular to say the least! As it gets dark the explosions are all red and are simply amazing. It was surreal to be sitting there eating dinner while watching the awesome display! It was the coldest in the Alor but we had some great diving there!

was your trip in the last few weeks?