What is a day like diving from Nusa Lembongan Vs Labuan Bajo?

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It was really really quiet when I was there, am now home for three weeks. You will get a great deal I’m sure. You will really help the economy by being there. Not hiring a guide is attractive but that will mean that a guide will miss out on the few dollars he would have earned by diving with you though. I have never seen more bumpheads on the wreck and the critter count was amazing, hairy octopus, harlequin shrimps and more and hundreds of nudis.
 
It was really really quiet when I was there, am now home for three weeks. You will get a great deal I’m sure. You will really help the economy by being there. Not hiring a guide is attractive but that will mean that a guide will miss out on the few dollars he would have earned by diving with you though. I have never seen more bumpheads on the wreck and the critter count was amazing, hairy octopus, harlequin shrimps and more and hundreds of nudis.

We will hire guides when we can but I believe on the night dives they may not want to come. Also some dives we don't want to be limited on time as we are capable or doing 90 minute or longer dives.
 
We will hire guides when we can but I believe on the night dives they may not want to come. Also some dives we don't want to be limited on time as we are capable or doing 90 minute or longer dives.
Guides will come if you ask them, day or night, (your friend who knows Tulamben might have informed you). They are also able to do 90 minutes dives on every dive.
Haven't been with any dive guide in T'ben that would limit dives to 40 bars or 75 minutes in my 10+years there every year...
 
Guides will come if you ask them, day or night, (your friend who knows Tulamben might have informed you). They are also able to do 90 minutes dives on every dive.

Haven't been with any dive guide in T'ben that would limit dives to 40 bars or 75 minutes in my 10+years there every year...

A lot of the dive shops we contacted recently have this policy. Some even limit to 60 minutes.
 
It was really really quiet when I was there, am now home for three weeks. You will get a great deal I’m sure. You will really help the economy by being there. Not hiring a guide is attractive but that will mean that a guide will miss out on the few dollars he would have earned by diving with you though. I have never seen more bumpheads on the wreck and the critter count was amazing, hairy octopus, harlequin shrimps and more and hundreds of nudis.

That sounds fabulous. Wonder where all that stuff was when I dove it. Thought it two of the most boring dives I've ever done. One nudi, not even a good one
 
Is anyone able to provide some insight to what the day is like for a dive trip leaving from Labuan Bajo/Flores versus leaving from Nusa Lembangan or Nusa Penida? Are the boat rides to the dive sites similar distances? Are the dive boats comparable in comfort and speed? I've read in Komodo typically the day includes three dives, not two. Thoughts from divers who have experienced diving for the day from these places?


All the dive boats in Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are smaller speedboats, whereas the majority of diveboats in Labuan Bajo are slower larger boats.

Komodo is usually 3 dives in a day.
For Lembongan and Penida if diving in the South it's usually 2 dives. If diving in the North, a lot of dive centres do 3 dives also.

In terms of distance from dive centre to dive sites, in Komodo it's around 1.5-2 hours from Labuan Bajo in slow boat.
In Lembongan & Penida the are dozens of dive centres located at or in around the actual dive sites, so sometimes between 5-10-15 minutes travel time. There's dive centres in Nusa Penida that do shore dives right in front or near there centre.
Southern Penida can be prone to massive swells at times and sometimes dive centres collectively don't go there because of the risk. Going to Manta Point in South Penida when there's a swell and big waves, it might be wise to take a sea sickness pill... hehehe
But I must of travelled by boat along South Penida dozens of times and I never get tired of seeing the spectacular views of the cliffs and rock formations along the way to Manta Point
 
A lot of the dive shops we contacted recently have this policy. Some even limit to 60 minutes.
I don't know what "a lot" means to you or whether you knocked on the wrong doors.
What I'm saying is that by experience (meaning not receiving mails or getting answers) everyday I dived in Tulamben for the last 10 years (probably 60-70 days or so), I had at least one 75-up to 90 minutes dive, sometimes getting back on the beach with not enough air to inflate my BCD.
That's the difference between electronic/virtual answers and what you get as an experience.
 
Lembongan was the filthiest place I have dived. I have only been there once, and Lembongan, Bali and Labuan Bajo are pretty much the extent of my familiarity with that part of Indonesia, so better to ask others who have more familiarity with this region about the trash problem.


Not to get off topic, but just want to know what year you dived in Lembongan, because 2 years ago was a bad year for rubbish in Bali waters. From the beaches in Southern and eastern Bali, and even a bit in Lembongan and Penida, I saw a lot of trash. But it's not entirely the fault of the people as the weather plays a role, monsoonal rains flood in throughout Java & East Java, sending out rubbish to the sea reaching Bali. Just thought I'd add this link about Australia and other countries sending mountains of plastic and medical waste to Indonesia, and it ending up dumped alongside villages throughout Indonesia. Then the trash ends up in Indonesian waters

Indonesian village being inundated with illegal plastic waste from Australia
 
Very helpful. I am heading to Bali in a few weeks, with the intent of doing my DMT in Labuan Bajo. BUT I am now considering doing it in Nusa Lembongan or Penida. I am not sure I will be up for day trips from LBJ that are like 8-9 hours round trip. May do my DMT in Nusas and then jump on a liveaboard out of Labuan Bajo before or after the DMT.


Nusa Lembongan and Penida vs Labuan Bajo...

In terms of diving quality they are both excellent, with Komodo coming out on top. But that could come down to an individual's personal experience, as lot of people's best dives including myself, have been in Nusa Penida/Lembongan.

For doing your DMT they're both excellent choices. In high season it's always busy and a lot of people learning to dive also. A lot of worldly & experienced instructors are operating out of both locations

Advantages of doing DMT in Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida is topside, they are better than LBJ. Nusa Lembongan/Ceningan/Penida are wildly beautiful and easy to get around on motorbike/scooter & island hop. There's beautiful beaches and plenty of swimming spots, and spectacular coastal cliffs unlike LBJ. Plenty of quality and affordable accommodation options also. If you ever need to get to mainland Bali for shopping, beaches or nightlife, there are dozens of fastboat services running to and from Bali mainland everyday for around US $10 each way for a foreigner, around 25-30 minutes travel time each way.

In terms of currents & drift diving, I think it's fair to say that NL/NP & Komodo are on equal par in intensity. Some sites in Nusa Penida can drop down to 16°C in Southern Hemisphere Winter, I've heard even 14°C once from an instructor.

I think the reasoning of your intentions to do DMT are important...Is it because you want to become a better Diver or is it a possible career step? Or you want experience and enjoy the dives and locations as a whole? Either way you can't go wrong with your choices
 
I don't know what "a lot" means to you or whether you knocked on the wrong doors.
What I'm saying is that by experience (meaning not receiving mails or getting answers) everyday I dived in Tulamben for the last 10 years (probably 60-70 days or so), I had at least one 75-up to 90 minutes dive, sometimes getting back on the beach with not enough air to inflate my BCD.
That's the difference between electronic/virtual answers and what you get as an experience.

Thanks. Anyway will be there soon as a lot of places are not so busy now I am sure we will have a good time. I get to practice using my Bahasa again.
 

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