Alor: Currents as wicked as reported??

[highdesert]

Greetings -

Shopping around for the next Indo trip, and Alor sounds like the right mix of marine life for what we like. Some dive reports make it sound like that once you get wet, you'll be swept away by raging currents. What is your experience, if you've been there? We've done Coz and Wakatobi when I was wishing for a reef hook, and came out OK. Similar to that, or what?

Thanks for your replies!

 

[chewie999]

I went to Alor a few years ago and the diving there is spactacular. Best that I've ever seen anywhere although I haven't been to many places (Komodo, Sangalaki, Bali, Sipadan, Maui, Palau, Bunaken).

You can see pristine corals carpeting the whole reef or pelagics depending upon the dive. For pelagics, one of the most popular dive spot is Kel's Dream. You have to swim against the current (pulling the anchor line coz currents are too strong) and stay around 30-40 m for a while. Afterwards, you swim against current again to go back to where the boat picks you up. We saw so many tunas, a thresher shark, etc. that it became deco dives a few times. Another was a dive where there was a sudden, wicked down current. Quickly inflated my BC but that was not enough so had to quickly swim and hold on to the wall to claw my way up. Exciting!

There were a few novice divers in our group of friends that certainly remembered the experience. We still talk about it after so many years. LoL. I certainly recommend an experienced operator for Alor. At that time, only Donovan & Graeme were operating there but I think there are others now.

 

[kilo_fox]

Greetings -

Shopping around for the next Indo trip, and Alor sounds like the right mix of marine life for what we like. Some dive reports make it sound like that once you get wet, you'll be swept away by raging currents. What is your experience, if you've been there? We've done Coz and Wakatobi when I was wishing for a reef hook, and came out OK. Similar to that, or what?

Thanks for your replies!

I dived in Alor in October last year (8 dives). We had some currents on most dives, but no real strong ones, as e.g. in Komodo (I neither dived in Cozumel nor Wakatobi so I can't compare to those places). We never had to use a line for ascending or descending, or hold on to something during the dives because of a strong current.

 

[frogfish]

Did 15 dives in Alor in November last year, and a few had quite strong currents (including upwards and downwards), as well as thermoclines - But these are the dives where you get a chance to see big fish... From what I recall it was fairly similar to Komodo, so I would recommend having a reef hook in your BC pocket

 

[highdesert]

Responses are pretty much in line with what I've heard. Yes currents, no currents, maybe currents. Just have to convince my wife now. Her diving skills and experience are up to it, but but she hasn't quite let her head buy into that yet.

 

[gabyne]

I think, it's often a matter of moon phases - during full moon (maybe also new moon?) you often have very strong currents, in between none or only little. Also the tides play a big role - incoming, outgoing or just in between.

In Raja Ampat, we had VERY strong currents on most sites, a few days after I left, my buddy who stayed longer said, all the currents were gone...

 

[highdesert]

I'm familiar with the implications of the tides (which are in turn a result of the lunar phase); we've dealt with that issue before in areas subject to a wide tidal range. Anytime you dive in archipelagos comprised of thousands of islands, and big variables in water depth, you're going to run into the same thing. I guess the more appropriate question is whether those who dived there did so with a company that understood the area well enough to minimize exposure to extremely strong currents.

And as an aside, my compliments on your UW shots on your website!

 

[Hank49]

I'm familiar with the implications of the tides (which are in turn a result of the lunar phase); we've dealt with that issue before in areas subject to a wide tidal range. Anytime you dive in archipelagos comprised of thousands of islands, and big variables in water depth, you're going to run into the same thing.
!

This has been my experience in the Philippines. If you want strong currents, dive around the full and new moons when the tides are over 2 meters high to low. Half moon and you get maybe .5 to .7 change, resulting in much less current. You can try to hit the slack tides when it's full or new moon but it's more unpredictable and can be for a very short time....which could do a full on switch after you descend.
I haven't been to that area but I was in Sarawak, Borneo and the tides were over 5 meters... That could be wild.

 

[highdesert]

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