Diving Bali - USAT Liberty in Tulamben

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mockney

Contributor
Messages
196
Reaction score
85
Location
Sydney
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi,

Can anyone offer a recommendation for a good dive shop to use in Tulamben?. I am going to Bali for 10 days and I have convinced my wife that a 2 day stop in Tulamben is a good idea.

My dive requirements are at least 4-5 dives over the 2 days the majority being on the USAT Liberty and maybe one other dive (maybe at the drop off or coral gardens).

I was going to stay with a dive operated resort but my wife has found somewhere a little more suited to non divers so I'm happy to compromise.

Any recommendations based on experience would be very much appreciated. At the moment I am thinking to go with Tulamben Wreck Divers?.

Thanks
 
Hi,

Can anyone offer a recommendation for a good dive shop to use in Tulamben?. I am going to Bali for 10 days and I have convinced my wife that a 2 day stop in Tulamben is a good idea.

My dive requirements are at least 4-5 dives over the 2 days the majority being on the USAT Liberty and maybe one other dive (maybe at the drop off or coral gardens).

I was going to stay with a dive operated resort but my wife has found somewhere a little more suited to non divers so I'm happy to compromise.

Any recommendations based on experience would be very much appreciated. At the moment I am thinking to go with Tulamben Wreck Divers?.

Thanks

I can't say enough good things about Liberty [-]Wreck Divers[/-] Dive Resort. Free (well no upcharge) Nitrox, dedicated guide (only you and him). Quality operation all around. You don't mention any interest in macro, IMHO the wreck becomes repetitive very quickly, I find the little critters endlessly fascinating. The muck diving in Tulamben is superb
 
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Never tried Tulamben Wreck Divers, so can't compare. I've dived twice with Matahari Tulamben Resort, Dive and Spa (ABOUT US). Been meaning to write a review for them, but haven't gotten to it yet.

They are right on the beach, in between Drop Off and the USAT Liberty. For both dives, you just walk from their dive shop (porters carry the gear) to the location then dive from the shore. I'm no expert, but their dive shop seems competently run by local standards. Usually 1 DM to 4 divers or less, though I've had 1 DM to 5 divers once during peak season. You can hire your own personal DM as well. Their DMs leading groups tend to follow a memorised course though, not adjusting much for conditions (i.e. current).

For those who really want to rack up the dives, they have several "unlimited" packages (Special Offers 2016). Free Nitrox, etc. In terms of value for money, they seemed quite decent.
 
Thanks for the advice, I will probably only get 5 dives in total so I was thinking 3 on the liberty and a night dive plus one other.

I'm not too bothered about personal DM's I'm usually reasonably independent but I will check out both websites as you have suggested.

Thanks
Paul
 
Hello.
Most of all dive shops in Tulamben have free nitrox.
Entrance to the water is from the beach, so you can look for dive shop close to this area. Price are mostly the same.
USS Liberty in nothing interesting as a wreck, but it is just artificial reef, so it is possible to find someone interesting here. There is a family of 4-5 huge groupers sleeping here, but to see them you must dive about 6 am))). I made night-dive there and it was interesting for little stuff and one huge morey.
Tulamben area is interesting in macro (harlequin shrimps, sceletons, noodies, etc.), but you need to ride in a dive shop's little track body for different dive sites. But they are about 5-10 minutes riding, so it is not a problem.
 
It is a very good idea, indeed! Tulamben Wreck Divers is a very good choice. You have also made a wise decision to stay in a place that suits the non-diver best. They aren't the only good choice, but I wouldn't hesitate to use them. Staying in Tulamben gets you into the water before the day trippers horde the wreck.
 
Hi there Mockney!

I can whole-heartedly recommend Ocean Sun. You might also consider Adventure Divers Bali, Werner Lau - Siddhartha, Dive Concepts, or Eurodive. All of these dive centers have been given a 5/5 rating by other divers on our website. You can check out a comparison of the dive shops and read the diver reviews on our page about Bali. Simply click on the map and then toggle over to the northeast area in order to find a comparison of the shops’ reviews and prices. Have a great trip!
 
Another vote for Liberty Dive Resort. Very well priced and very good dives. I stayed with them in 2012 for about 4 days and had a wonderful experience. I dove the Liberty a few times (mainly at sunrise) to photograph the schooling humphead parrotfish but didn't think much of the wreck itself. Also had a personal guide (didn't pay anything extra) that would dive any time and any place I wanted. One afternoon he asked if I wanted to go to a new muck spot him and a few buddies were scouting out. Jumped in the back of a pick-up truck, drove for about 15 minutes, ended up down a very quiet dirt road and hopped in the water. Some of the more memorable muck diving I've experienced.

I'm hoping to be back in the area this fall and won't hesitate to stay and dive with them again.

Some photos including the humpheads (with the Liberty in the background) and the pick-up adventure. Great memories.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/uwphotos/albums/72157629550457872
 
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I'm hoping to be back in the area this fall and won't hesitate to stay and dive with them again.

Some photos including the humpheads (with the Liberty in the background) and the pick-up adventure. Great memories.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/uwphotos/albums/72157629550457872

Wow fantastic photo's Tightlines the colour's are spot on. I really need to discover underwater photography outside of my go-pro.. Maybe a little challenge for me in 2016. But anyway really looking forward to diving in Bali, I have sent Liberty an email plus a couple of others, its not until March anyway so I have time to decide but I think based on feedback there are a number of decent operators in the area than will meet my needs.

Appreciate all the feedback here, getting a response or recommendation on SB means so much more than say advise on trip advisor or a non diving related site.
 
For anyone diving the Liberty ship, there is another wreck quite close to the west of the Liberty ship. A recent wreck, I think deliberately sunk as a tourist attraction. Its a small trader/cement barge which is quite open to low risk penetration. Something different. I think the depth is about 25-30 metres.
 

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