I beg to differ a bit on the guide use, i guess we all have different expectations as it come to diving isn't it ? and that is something we all should respect.
Tulamben has wonderful macro sites and having a sharp eyed local guide to show you things is an invaluable asset...if you needs it.
I explain, i love macro life but i am not a photographer nor i am thrilled about someone pointing me stuff like i am in a zoo, what i love with Macro is the pleasure to find MYSELF a special critter, therefore using the guide for me is a little or no value on these particular dive sites in Tulamben.
Well, may be you could also have a more humble attitude and wonder whether you can LEARN from local knowledge, in that respect I have seen many bule instructors in Indonesia who claimed they knew but in the facts weren't able to spot anything very interesting although they thought it was. Some of them in Amed btw...
You see, science and biology don't need to be verified from scratch each time a biologist goes underwater, the corpus of knowledge has grown from people adding and sharing their experience, because whatever C-Cards one may own, they don't entitle he or she to know biology without any learning or experience. It's a field science not one from the books. Everything in marine biology is a work in progress, this has nothing to do with a zoo, it's a knowledge of biology behavior like what is the kind of feeding grounds or the season cycle for the critters, something you seem to underestimate (usually it's when you don't know that you underestimate)
It's also a collaboration : my guide is happy when I can show him something rare I know how to find and he doesn't because I have been diving elsewhere than Tulamben. I am happy when he can show me stuff I have never seen elsewhere, if you don't know what critter to look for (which looks like it could be often, given you prefer to find by yourself), i still wonder how you would be able to see them...I consider diving for critters as a sharing and learning game, no one gets very far without the help of someone else... but may be it' just me.
Some others may prefer to boost their self esteem or whatever, as long as I don't get them as guides, and that's why I usually tend to avoid some of those bule structures where their ego is much higher than their local UW knowledge. I have already fired two guides for attitudes like these
Don't get me wrong i use guide 95% of the time i go diving to new places to give me orientation about the sites, the local coutumes or the hazards in the area, but on this particular situation where the guy have been there already and know the dive sites, i kind of understand.
As for money, porter use and retribution to the local community, when you get to the dive site, someone is gonna come to you and ask for a contribution with "official ticket" related to the use of the dive site / facilities / community. Never heard about someone getting ripped on that point but i may be wrong.
It's a pity you obviously haven't dived that much in Tulamben while you were so close, because you would have understood.there are so many sites in Tulamben that are quite hard to find when you're on your own. without anyone to drive you there. Have you dived Batu Ringgit, Agung or Bulakan and so what do you think about their access? Now you can dive ad nauseam around the 3-4 same dive spots like many external dive centers and brag you have dived Tulamben... but you probably missed the best of the rest.
As for the "rip off" part you probably heard speaking with Tulamben guides (Oops sorry you don't go with the locals guides...) there have been cases of some undelicate external operations or stingy bules who haven't even paid the local families pretexting the sea was to everyone or they'd not use their showers. This kind of behavior is gross and that would be avoided with the help of guides.Imagine the poor fishermen family at Agung explaining the bule in Balinese (in the best option, in bahasa) that they have to pay for the LAND access.
