Land based diving: Komdo or Raja Ampat? Which makes more sense?

[charlier]

Something else to consider - Komodo diving is wonderful, but make sure that the dive centre and your expectations are aligned. Some of the best dive sites will have strong currents. Make sure that you are comfortable in such conditions. It will also be a long daily commute by boat from Labuan Bajo to dive sites such as Crystal Rock or Golden Passage. Consider leaving the kids with the grandparents in Bali while diving in Komodo. My personal mantra is keep your expectations low and you will have a wonderful time.

 

[qwimjim]

Something else to consider - Komodo diving is wonderful, but make sure that the dive centre and your expectations are aligned. Some of the best dive sites will have strong currents. Make sure that you are comfortable in such conditions. It will also be a long daily commute by boat from Labuan Bajo to dive sites such as Crystal Rock or Golden Passage. Consider leaving the kids with the grandparents in Bali while diving in Komodo. My personal mantra is keep your expectations low and you will have a wonderful time.

We've decided to make this trip in a year or two as a two week trip on our own, leaving the kids at home with grandparents. I know the boat rides from Labuan Bajo are long, but for us staying in LB would save us €2000 between the two of us for a week of diving compared to the Komodo Dive Center on Sebayur. And LOB would cost even more expensive. While I'm sure it would be nice to be an hour closer to the sites on Sebayur, or do the LOB thing, I think we would rather save the thousands of dollars and tough out the 2hr boat rides from LB? Our thought is if we're going to splurge on a LOB, we might as well save it for a location where there is literally no other option, like Socorro.

 

[drrich2]

Our thought is if we're going to splurge on a LOB, we might as well save it for a location where there is literally no other option, like Socorro.

Be mindful that when people size up the value proposition of a live-aboard vs. land-based, they often consider total trip cost/total number of dives.

So, at a given land-based op., someone might do 2 morning dives daily, with or without an afternoon dive, and little or no night diving.

On a live-aboard in the area, they might do 3 or 4 day dives + a night dive most nights, and get farther out & hit more pristine sites.

If all you want to do is dive, and you're cool with living on a yacht all week, it's said the live-aboard value proposition can be hard to beat. I'm not saying it can't be done.

Richard.

 

[Darnold9999]

A couple of points that have tilted me to live aboard where shore based is not convenient, which Komodo is not at all. The live aboard is an all in price, entertainment, food, drinks, snacks - everything while the shore based option you are considering is just a place to sleep. You likely will not be saving as much as you think.

Also do not discount the value of being right there as opposed to a two hour boat ride. A week of diving from a small boat after a two hour boat ride would leave me absolutely exhausted and vulnerable to any bug that might be out there, and not very "refreshed" after my vacation. Even where the diving is right next door, for example Lembeh - or Dauin diving when you have to stay on the small boat between dives takes more work than a boat that returns to the resort between dives and much, much more work than a liveaboard. Wouldn't do a liveaboard in that situation, but to avoid a two hour boat ride to the diving - would only consider that if there was no other option, or only for a day or two. Not for a week or two of continuous diving.

Have only done Raja and Komodo from liveaboards but did dive where the shore based resorts dive and to my mind it is pretty much a toss-up. You really can't go wrong with either.

 

[qwimjim]

A couple of points that have tilted me to live aboard where shore based is not convenient, which Komodo is not at all. The live aboard is an all in price, entertainment, food, drinks, snacks - everything while the shore based option you are considering is just a place to sleep. You likely will not be saving as much as you think.

Also do not discount the value of being right there as opposed to a two hour boat ride. A week of diving from a small boat after a two hour boat ride would leave me absolutely exhausted and vulnerable to any bug that might be out there, and not very "refreshed" after my vacation. Even where the diving is right next door, for example Lembeh - or Dauin diving when you have to stay on the small boat between dives takes more work than a boat that returns to the resort between dives and much, much more work than a liveaboard. Wouldn't do a liveaboard in that situation, but to avoid a two hour boat ride to the diving - would only consider that if there was no other option, or only for a day or two. Not for a week or two of continuous diving.

Have only done Raja and Komodo from liveaboards but did dive where the shore based resorts dive and to my mind it is pretty much a toss-up. You really can't go wrong with either.

Well after doing some more research it seems like there are some "backpacker" liveaboards, I imagine they are to luxury liveaboards what hostels are to hotels, and we are definitely hostel types not four seasons. Dive Komodo is 180 USD per day 4 dives/day for 3 or 5 or 7 days. The other liveaboards I found were charging up to 3000 euro for a week of diving so this is certainly much more affordable. At 4 dives a day we could do 20 dives in 5 days on the boat for $900 vs 14 dives in 7 days land based for $580 + meals. So that definitely makes the choice more appealing unless life is miserable on the boat

We've never done more than 2 dives a day except for the occasional night dive so we don't know if we'll want to dive that much in a day or whether we'll enjoy cramped quarters on a boat for 5 days. Hard to say

 

[highdesert]

We've never done more than 2 dives a day except for the occasional night dive so we don't know if we'll want to dive that much in a day or whether we'll enjoy cramped quarters on a boat for 5 days. Hard to say

There are at least 4 or 5, possibly more, reputable, very affordable LOB's working in Komodo, so that part of the equation is easy. The big variable is, and you have to decide, do you want to vacation in LBJ and do some diving, or do you want to go to Komodo to dive? As to cramped quarters, you'll be in them only at night, and since you'll find, if you're there to dive, that 3 or 4 dives a day will leave you beat, you'll be out like a light anyway. And when you see the quality of Komodo diving, you'll wonder what you were thinking if you were only going to do two a day. But screen those LOB's to see who also dives the South, which has a number of world class dive sites. Then time your trip so you can dive both North and South. Late October-early November is a good choice, and there may be others. But you've got time ... do the research!

 

[qwimjim]

There are at least 4 or 5, possibly more, reputable, very affordable LOB's working in Komodo, so that part of the equation is easy. The big variable is, and you have to decide, do you want to vacation in LBJ and do some diving, or do you want to go to Komodo to dive? As to cramped quarters, you'll be in them only at night, and since you'll find, if you're there to dive, that 3 or 4 dives a day will leave you beat, you'll be out like a light anyway. And when you see the quality of Komodo diving, you'll wonder what you were thinking if you were only going to do two a day. But screen those LOB's to see who also dives the South, which has a number of world class dive sites. Then time your trip so you can dive both North and South. Late October-early November is a good choice, and there may be others. But you've got time ... do the research!

Thanks, do you know any names of reputable budget LOB's in Komodo? Does Raja Ampat have LOB's in the same price range? Everything I've seen there is quite pricey.

 

[highdesert]

Thanks, do you know any names of reputable budget LOB's in Komodo? Does Raja Ampat have LOB's in the same price range? Everything I've seen there is quite pricey.

http://www.divinediving.info/eng/home

Aridive - Diving trip Non diving cruise Safari with children

Wicked Diving: We operate small dive centers in Thailand and Indonesia

The Komodo Adventurer Komodo Liveaboard

 

[qwimjim]

Welcome to Divine Diving, Flores, Indonesia

Aridive - Diving trip Non diving cruise Safari with children

Wicked Diving: We operate small dive centers in Thailand and Indonesia

The Komodo Adventurer Komodo Liveaboard

Thanks!

 

[Manneca]

Just saw this. I'm not sure about the advice about grandparents. I'm 68. I've had ovarian cancer and I dive mostly in Indonesia. I have no more problems than my 43 year old son. I wouldn't leave the gps and children at home without consulting them. I haven't made it to komodo yet but I think that would be a great place to visit as a non diver.