Anyone been to Waiwo Dive Resort & Dive Into Raja Ampat ?

[SaltyWombat]

I'm looking for comments of recent travelers to this place. If I understand correctly, the lodging is called Waiwo Dive Resort and the affiliated dive center is called Dive Into Raja Ampat.

I see older comments on TripAdvisor, but I believe the resort and dive center are under new management.

Also the TripAdvisor comments are mostly about the lodging. I'm more interested to hear about the dive operation.

Anyone have comments?

 

[DivingChipmunk]

Hello, I also came across this place when I am doing research on where to spend a few days before my LOB in Dec. Have you found anything about it?

Thanks,

 

[SaltyWombat]

Hello, I also came across this place when I am doing research on where to spend a few days before my LOB in Dec. Have you found anything about it?

No, I wasn't able to find any current reviews or comments about either the resort or the dive operation.

 

[DivingChipmunk]

Thanks.
I contacted Waiwo, and got a list of price on their dive package, but have no confidence in their dive operation due to lack of reviews.
I am also looking at Agusta Eco Resort and Soul Scuba Divers (Kri). I am almost ready to book Agusta.

Any other dive shops/resorts you looked into?

THanks!

 

[SaltyWombat]

I contacted Waiwo, and got a list of price on their dive package, but have no confidence in their dive operation due to lack of reviews.
I am also looking at Agusta Eco Resort and Soul Scuba Divers (Kri). I am almost ready to book Agusta.

Any other dive shops/resorts you looked into?

Re: Waiwo. I had confidence in their dive op since it's the same guy behind Dive into Ambon and Dive into Lembeh. Dive into Ambon did not survive Covid, but I think Dive into Lembeh is still around. I believe there are good reviews out these other two places. So while I had confidence in the dive op, I couldn't find anything current about the resort itself.

Re: Agusta. It's Italian-owned, so the food must be great. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Indonesian food, so I would appreciate having Italian options. Agusta has nitrox, which is good.

Re: Soul Scuba Divers. I seriously considered this operator too. The owner, a Frenchman, seems like a lot of fun. I like their Instagram posts. No nitrox, which is a bummer. I also decided that their recommended accommodations, Yenbuba Homestay, was a little too rustic for me. I think I want 24 hour electricity and air conditioning. I also wasn't sure I'd like the food.

Bluewater Dive Travel has a good list of Raja4 resorts. I considered everything on their list and these additions:

• Triton Bay Divers
• Raja4 Divers
• Biodiversity Nature Resort

In addition to TripAdvisor, you can also find reviews on Undercurrent.

These are highly rated: Sordido Bay, Kri Eco Resort, Raja Ampat Dive Lodge (RADL), and Misool Eco Resort.

Here's another list of resorts: Land Adventures, Guides, and Resorts - Bird's Head Seascape

Having nitrox was really important to me. Besides the fact that nitrox has intrinsic benefits, I figured that if a dive operator offered nitrox they must be relatively established. However, Triton Bay Divers does not offer nitrox because they are in a very remote location, and I did not hold the lack of nitrox against them. I really want to get there.

Some resorts are quite small and were full. Others had challenging transfers from Sorong. I ended up at RADL.

 

[DivingChipmunk]

Re: Waiwo. I had confidence in their dive op since it's the same guy behind Dive into Ambon and Dive into Lembeh. Dive into Ambon did not survive Covid, but I think Dive into Lembeh is still around. I believe there are good reviews out these other two places. So while I had confidence in the dive op, I couldn't find anything current about the resort itself.

Re: Agusta. It's Italian-owned, so the food must be great. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Indonesian food, so I would appreciate having Italian options. Agusta has nitrox, which is good.

Re: Soul Scuba Divers. I seriously considered this operator too. The owner, a Frenchman, seems like a lot of fun. I like their Instagram posts. No nitrox, which is a bummer. I also decided that their recommended accommodations, Yenbuba Homestay, was a little too rustic for me. I think I want 24 hour electricity and air conditioning. I also wasn't sure I'd like the food.

Bluewater Dive Travel has a good list of Raja4 resorts. I considered everything on their list and these additions:

• Triton Bay Divers
• Raja4 Divers
• Biodiversity Nature Resort

In addition to TripAdvisor, you can also find reviews on Undercurrent.

These are highly rated: Sordido Bay, Kri Eco Resort, Raja Ampat Dive Lodge (RADL), and Misool Eco Resort.

Here's another list of resorts: Land Adventures, Guides, and Resorts - Bird's Head Seascape

Having nitrox was really important to me. Besides the fact that nitrox has intrinsic benefits, I figured that if a dive operator offered nitrox they must be relatively established. However, Triton Bay Divers does not offer nitrox because they are in a very remote location, and I did not hold the lack of nitrox against them. I really want to get there.

Some resorts are quite small and were full. Others had challenging transfers from Sorong. I ended up at RADL.

Thanks for all the great info!
I am also considering RADL (although their website is down and I have not heard back from them in email). I am glad to hear you picked them. That gives me some confidence that they are still in business.
I had the same concern as yours on Yenbbuba homestay, and would stay elsewhere if I dive with Soul Scuba Divers.
Yes, I like the food (pictures) at Agusta, although it seems a little hard to get to, and so far I can not get their price on a dive package. Hopefully I wil find out more as I am still communicating with them.

Thanks again!

 

[Shiqi]

Thanks.
I contacted Waiwo, and got a list of price on their dive package, but have no confidence in their dive operation due to lack of reviews.
I am also looking at Agusta Eco Resort and Soul Scuba Divers (Kri). I am almost ready to book Agusta.

Any other dive shops/resorts you looked into?

THanks!

I booked with Agusta for a week before my LOB in Dec, it takes a bit of time for them to reply to emails due to the time difference mainly. I do enjoy being on an isolated island, did that at Ko Kradan in Thailand and really enjoyed it, hope this one is similar

 

[SaltyWombat]

Thanks for all the great info!
I am also considering RADL (although their website is down and I have not heard back from them in email). I am glad to hear you picked them. That gives me some confidence that they are still in business.
I had the same concern as yours on Yenbbuba homestay, and would stay elsewhere if I dive with Soul Scuba Divers.
Yes, I like the food (pictures) at Agusta, although it seems a little hard to get to, and so far I can not get their price on a dive package. Hopefully I wil find out more as I am still communicating with them.

RADL is definitely open for business. Their website has been down for a while though. I don't know why.

You can save yourself some hassle by going through Bluewater Dive Travel. Same price as booking direct with the resort, and you'll get Bluewater's expertise included. They have an agent who lives on Bali.

 

[Indah]

Re: Waiwo. I had confidence in their dive op since it's the same guy behind Dive into Ambon and Dive into Lembeh. Dive into Ambon did not survive Covid, but I think Dive into Lembeh is still around. I believe there are good reviews out these other two places. So while I had confidence in the dive op, I couldn't find anything current about the resort itself.

Re: Agusta. It's Italian-owned, so the food must be great. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Indonesian food, so I would appreciate having Italian options. Agusta has nitrox, which is good.

Re: Soul Scuba Divers. I seriously considered this operator too. The owner, a Frenchman, seems like a lot of fun. I like their Instagram posts. No nitrox, which is a bummer. I also decided that their recommended accommodations, Yenbuba Homestay, was a little too rustic for me. I think I want 24 hour electricity and air conditioning. I also wasn't sure I'd like the food.

Bluewater Dive Travel has a good list of Raja4 resorts. I considered everything on their list and these additions:

• Triton Bay Divers
• Raja4 Divers
• Biodiversity Nature Resort

In addition to TripAdvisor, you can also find reviews on Undercurrent.

These are highly rated: Sordido Bay, Kri Eco Resort, Raja Ampat Dive Lodge (RADL), and Misool Eco Resort.

Here's another list of resorts: Land Adventures, Guides, and Resorts - Bird's Head Seascape

Having nitrox was really important to me. Besides the fact that nitrox has intrinsic benefits, I figured that if a dive operator offered nitrox they must be relatively established. However, Triton Bay Divers does not offer nitrox because they are in a very remote location, and I did not hold the lack of nitrox against them. I really want to get there.

Some resorts are quite small and were full. Others had challenging transfers from Sorong. I ended up at RADL.

I can imagine that a dive center would decide against Nitrox because of the possible down currents. Apart from the fact that so far from an oxygen supplier the only way would be to go for a membrane system.