Bali Late November

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hi,

My wife and I will be in Bali the last two weeks of November. She will be brand-new certified (in fact just so we can dive while we are there) while I have experience but also only an open water card (since 1978).

I am looking for recommendations on dive shops, and in particular we are considering getting our advanced open water certification there. I have been in touch with Blue Season Bali and am looking for some feedback on them, their instructors, their guides etc. I have also seen a lot of good references for Aquamarine.

Some places have told me that some of the best diving (Nusa Penida, Tepekong) is not available without an advanced card or over 30 logged dives, unless you take the advanced course with the shop, in which case they will do the qualifying dives at Nusa Penida, Tepekong, etc, conditions permitting.

I have no problem with safety first as I am a careful diver, but I wanted feedback from people who have been there.

We are REALLY excited about this trip and I look forward to getting some info.

We saw a thread farther down by Calvin Tang with his photos from 2009. AMAZING!!

Guy

 

[frogfish]

I have dived many times in Tepekong, Mimpang and Penida. Currents can be strong and unpredictable, and you often hit thermoclynes. In my opinion, the issue is not about having an advanced certification but rather being confident/ experienced enough to cope when conditions get tricky during the dive. As your wife is newly certified, I'd suggest you concentrate your diving around Tulamben/ Amed where I think you will really enjoy yourselves, and then move to Penida/ Candidasa dive sites towards the later part of your trip.

 

[Kilili]

Don't know anything about instructors, but spent a week last year with one of their guides diving the north coast. I think they have a top-notch operation, would be hard to find someone better.
Agree with diving Tulamben, lots to see, but nothing big unless you encounter a mola mola. Bit late in year, but I have seen in Nov.

Look also at Scuba Seraya. One of my favorite places, and reasonable prices. I'll be there again this Nov.

If trying to save even more, check out Tulamben Wreck Divers, in town. Across road from Liberty wreck. I like them too, but different kind of setting. They all can dive the same set of sites.

 

[vladimir]

Some places have told me that some of the best diving (Nusa Penida, Tepekong) is not available without an advanced card or over 30 logged dives, unless you take the advanced course with the shop, in which case they will do the qualifying dives at Nusa Penida, Tepekong, etc, conditions permitting. I have no problem with safety first as I am a careful diver, but I wanted feedback from people who have been there.

I have never been asked for an AOW certification anywhere and, in general, I consider it a bit of a shakedown attempt to drum up instruction revenue. However, diving conditions in Bali can be challenging at times, and caution on your part is appropriate. Diving around Nusa Penida in particular might be a bad idea under some conditions, as strong currents are the norm and down-currents are frequently reported. I dived with Sven at the Bali Diving Academy earler this year and they seemed to be safety-conscious and professional.

 

[fuggler]

My partner and I are also going to be in Bali next month. We're staying in Tulamben with Liberty Dive Resort. I haven't seen anything negative about them on SB and Tripadvisor. They have free wifi, free nitrox upgrade, and they also offer different courses. People say that the Liberty wreck in Tulamben is a very easy dive, no currents, and lots of life to keep you diving it again and again. I've even read of people doing their basic OW check-out dives there.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Thanks everyone for the very good advice. Aquamarine also said basically the same thing, that experience counts. They suggested that we dive with them at Talumben so their guides can check us out in easy to moderate conditions, and then move on to the more challenging sites if they think we are good to go, and if conditions permit. I have some experience with currents, but I don't have a wild west mentality either, and their advice (and that here) sounds good. They also said that, with three days of diving, they would offer the AOW course for just a small additional charge over the regular guided dives but they put no pressure to do that. It would give the advantage of having an instructor dive with us and might open up some of the more challenging sites. We are seriously considering this because we might have three days to dive, or more if we want (we have 11 days in Bali total), and their price for AOW was actually very reasonable compared to shops here in the states.

Sounds like I have been in touch with two good operators. I think we pick one and stick with them because they can get to know us and our abilities. That seems more valuable than using a local shop in different locations, where we would start from scratch each time. This might be a once in a lifetime trip for us and want to get the best experience we can.

This is a great forum! Thanks for your advise and tips, and please keep them coming!

Guy