Bad weekend in Indonesia

[adiosrinath]

Found this video on youtube relating to this topic.
Ignorant (lucky) diver at Crsytal Bay - YouTube

I also heard rumors from my dive shop that the missing person is a lady from Thailand. She was diving with her sister when they encountered a strong down current. Her sister came back up with DCS but she went missing. Again, this is at least 4th hand rumor from the dive shop I go to. Hope she is still alive and OK.

The missing diver was a friend of a colleague of mine, whos been in Sanur trying to helpout. This is what we have pieced together...

The girl was I guess an intermediate level diver - with about 70 dives logged.
1. The Dive Operator was Ena Dive in Sanur, and there were 19 divers in the water - 1 guide for every 5 divers. The dive site was crystal Bay - which is v popular with divers esp during mola mola season
2. The currennt was very heavy ... apparently the dive guide went "looking for another diver" and saw the girl (who had a distinctive hood) holding onto a coral at about 10m depth - while he went looking for another diver. When he came back the girl was not at that point. the guide assumed she had surfaced.
3. No mention of where her buddy was at the time
4. Once they got back to the boat the dive shops explanation was that "there was chaos underwater" and this was an accident.

I cant understand
1. where was the buddy
2. If conditions were that bad why did the DM's not abort the dive?
3. It is the Dive operators responsibility to ensure that there isnt "chaos" ... chaos is not an excuse for an accident.
4. They mentioned that the current was so bad that the divers "finished their air" in 15 minutes - again, if conditions were that bad - why were they taking and keeping divers in the water?

None of this has come out in any local press or papers - I am actually wondering if all of Bali prefers not to publicise to protect their tourism business.

Lots of questions - here - and this exactly the sort of place - that we give our custom to (every diver from jakarts has walked into a shopand gone diving to Crystal Bay with a sanur outfit) - based on them being a PADI Certified outfit.

PADI - should be investigating incidents like this... and ENA DIVE needs to clarify what happened..."chaos underwater" does not absolve them, it indicts them

 

[musi]

Hi everybody,

I was in Amed during the "clam accident". What my diveguide told me is that the "snorkeler" was a free diver who went down to 29m. He then slowly climbed up the wall in order not to resurface too quickly. His hand then got caught in the clam. Rumor says that they found him with parts of four fingers missing.

As for Crystal bay: last year I did a day trip to crystal starting from Padang Bay. I had quite some respect for that divesite because I know about the currents and the accidents in that area. On the boat I found out that all my fellow divers were beginners with less than ten dives logged. I can only say that as long as dive operators take inexperienced divers to challenging dive spots people will keep on dying there. Especially with currents you really have to have small groups to ensure nobody gets lost. During high season there are also just too many boats in Chrystal bay. "Chaos under water" is a result of that.

I feel very sorry for both accidents.

Greetings from Germany,
musi

 

[Quero]

Thanks for that Musi.
So the clam wasn't a giant clam at all, but a boring clam. These are small (the size of a hand), and I can sort of imagine somebody not seeing one (they stay flush with the coral or rock they bore into) and accidentally sticking their hand in to get a hand hold going up a wall. But it's not the sort of thing I would ever have thought to warn anyone of in the same way I warn people to watch out for scorpionfish when they need a handhold.... It also makes more sense that it was a free diver.

 

[Bali Diver]

3 That's really sad.I will be out there end of next week. MOLA MOLA Season,means money money season.

Know crsytal bay very well,nice site and seen plenty of Mola Mola,usually in Bali in September but after last visit to crsytal no more,too many divers and dive boats and it is a circus at times,some OP'S just interested in cashing in and boats going out with no chance seeing them EX afternoon ,can be a dangerous site and has to be dived at the right time and tides.If you really want to see them them early part of the morning best time. But that depends on the tides and it's not a site i would dive around full moon and down currents can happen at any time.of seen open water divers at 25m and surely OP'S know that.

2. If conditions were that bad why did the DM's not abort the dive?
3. It is the Dive operators responsibility to ensure that there isnt "chaos" ... chaos is not an excuse for an accident.
4. They mentioned that the current was so bad that the divers "finished their air" in 15 minutes - again, if conditions were that bad - why were they taking and keeping divers in the water?

Exactly ! Epecially if they were not experience enough or qualified enough MONEY MONEY

 

[vladimir]

I'm not sure why divers go through their air quickly because of heavy current. It could be that it is stressful for divers not experienced in those conditions. It could be because they are trying too hard to follow what, in my opinion, is an ill-conceived dive plan: stick with your divemaster and the other four divers he is shepherding. That is, perhaps, why the diver was clinging to a rock--waiting for the divemaster or the rest of his flock.

The cleaning stations are about 30 meters deep, if I recall correctly. That is too deep for an inexperienced diver in difficult conditions and an AL80.

 

[chooitan]

Hi everyone,

First and foremost, I offer my condolences to the family and to all fellow divers for the loss of one of our own.

I am a PADI OWSI and have been diving since 1989.

I have been diving with Ena Dive Center for 10 years now and know the owner and guides very well. I use Ena Dive Center because they maintain the highest professional levels with their gear, boats and guides.

In fact, i will be in Bali from this 26 August 2011 taking 3 groups out to dive in north Bali and then later on in South Bali.

Crystal Bay will, of course be the highlight of any dives conducted in South Bali. Mola season runs from late July in to October.

Unfortunately, this is also the most tempestuous time for the ocean around the Nusa Penida area. Strong currents are brought up by the cold water swelling from the south and with it comes the Mola Molas. Normal water temperatures in this part of the world is around 26-30 Celcius. But Bali in Aug-Sep experiences an amazing drop in temperature. I have dived Crystal bay where the waters are a frigid 14 Celcius!

The physical geography at Crystal Bay creates very unpredictable currents. The most dangerous are the sudden down currents that can come absolutely without warning.

I make no excuses for either the dive center, nor am I in any way pointing fingers.
But having done over 100 dives in this area, I believe that some standards have to be drawn up to ensure diver safety here.

I implore the Indonesian Government and the Balinese Marine authorities to put in place the following qualifications for diving South Bali from July through to October.

1. Limit the number of boats allowed in Crystal Bay. A rotation basis practiced in The Similans, Thailand and Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi seems to work very well. This will mean all dive operators have to be registered and legitimate businesses.

2. Limit the divers diving Crystal Bay. This can be done for safety's sake by only allowing divers with no less than 100 logged dives and/or a PADI Rescue Diver status or similar. I am sure this will create an uproar of disapproval from many divers who have not experience Crystal Bay on a bad day.

3. A proper dive briefing for Crystal Bay and its surrounding areas. With modern technology, a proper video presentation can be done in any language. This video should present an overview of the dive sites, it's character and counter measures in the event of the different currents that can occur in this vicinity. This can be made mandatory before any dives conducted in Crystal Bay and it's vicinity. It will allow divers to re-access whether they are up to handling conditions in this area.

In conclusion.
I believe many divers go to Bali ignorant or ill informed of the precariousness of the dives in this region. Divers who have dived Bali in months other than August through to October expect the calm conditions enjoyed during the other months.

I have met and seen very inexperienced divers in the waters off South Bali. i also have offers to take divers to take divers to see the mola molas but I insist on at least 50 dives. I also give a very blunt briefing on what to expect in this region with no holds barred. Then it is up to the diver to decide and prepare for the dive in earnest.

I have turned down many divers for this area- divers who are over confident, inexperience or with inappropriate equipment and have no regrets doing so.

Crystal Bay is a very unpredictable and hostile. But that's where the molas are.
So do the dive but only when you are well prepared in experience and knowledge.

A sad day indeed for the dive fraternity.

 

[Wayan]

2nd diver was caught in a down current in Crystal Bay out at Nusa Penida while doing a Mola Mola dive. It was a female diver from Thailand and unfortunately she is no longer with us. She was found 4 days later on Sanur beach..

Search for missing Thai diver continues | The Jakarta Post

Well they were still looknig yesterday . . . . ???

 

[scubafied]

My mistake. I was merely relaying information passed through the dive community. This is the first official report of any kind that I've even seen since the incident.

 

[jake11]

I remember when we were in Bali during mola mola season having a talk with the managers of the dive company we went out with about Crystal Bay. They recounted a story of their own personal dive there where they were pulled down in a nasty down current holding onto huge cameras. There were 3 of them and they remained calm and clawed their way back up to safety. Since that time they said they never take customers to Crystal Bay even if they are very qualified!! I agree.. a sad day indeed!:depressed:

 

[Bali Diver]

I remember when we were in Bali during mola mola season having a talk with the managers of the dive company we went out with about Crystal Bay. They recounted a story of their own personal dive there where they were pulled down in a nasty down current holding onto huge cameras. There were 3 of them and they remained calm and clawed their way back up to safety. Since that time they said they never take customers to Crystal Bay even if they are very qualified!! I agree.. a sad day indeed!:depressed:

Well i always plan my dive plans around the moon cycle in Indonesia,so a few days over at Nusa would not be around new/full moon,Tulamben especially two days around full moon as it can get horendous trying to get out with all the rocks,same with my favourite site Gili Selang even more so 3 days at least either side and any other difficult current site around Indonesia.Also taking into account tides also

Now Crystal bay.I ask the question why do many OP'S dive this site at these times,knowing that there are open water divers,divers with little dives or lack experience to say the least and people mind's more on the focus of Mola Mola.We all know why and theses actions lack responsibility.

Dive this site avoiding new/full moon periods and right timing of the tides and staying close to the reef at all times and staying focused on conditions and max depth 25m when Mola Mola is spotted generally you will be fine,that is for a generally experienced diver,seen them at 12m there,thing is as soon as spotted they are chased Mola soon go deeper,like i said the last time there was my last,just one big circus.If you want to go then go early season as even the Mola's are fed up with the circus

Seen Mola Mola around vaious places in Indonesia,remember a site off Pandang Bai there was 3 of us went to see a pigmy and found a Mola instead,as i told the other two we very slowly went towards the Mola and did take its space up and stayed with the Mola for about 10 minutes,that really was wonderful,big on too

Did you know that there are Mola in British waters