Bali - Open Water Reccomendations

[l1ncs]

Hi,

I've never done diving before but am really keen to start and would like to gain my PADI open water certification when I am in Bali in early September.

Please could people recommend any reputable dive centres on Bali which are good for first time divers. I'm a little worried I'll end up somewhere that is so laid back I wont learn anything and end up getting little out of it other than a certificate and put myself in danger when I go out on my own.

I am looking for somewhere relatively close to kuta if possible as I have friends staying in that area when I am there, although I would be happy to do it elsewhere on the island if it was worth it.

I have gone through some of the posts on here but most posts that are relevant are getting quite old now so not sure if they are still current. Also I have had a look on some of the review site (tripadvisor etc) and there are so many to choose, plus it is hard to tell which reviews are genuine.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[divewench1]

Hi, most of the dive operators are out of Kuta, would you choose to stay elsewhere whilst you complete your dive course?

Sanur would probably be your best bet (closest to Kuta area), and there are a lot of dive centres to choose from in this area. I would recommend (in no particular order) Crystal Divers, Bali Scuba, Bali Aqua, Joe's Gone Diving, D Scuba Club. You need not worry that you will end up as an unknowledgeable certified and dangerous diver, as none of these dive centres would qualify you if they thought that you were not ready. It is also your responsibility to voice your concerns if you feel unhappy with any point of your teaching, or if you do not feel confident enough to continue.

You can also choose between learning to dive with other agencies rather than just going down the PADI route. A lot of the dive centres in Bali are registered with SSI (Scuba Schools International) and some are even dual agency (they teach both PADI and SSI courses). You can even start your learning now, before you leave home, by signing up for e-learning. The e-learning is free with the SSI teaching system.

Do your research, email the centres, get a feel for the people you will be learning with, and go with your gut reaction. Remember that the course cost is not as important as the Instructor that teaches you.

 

[adad28]

Hi,

Are you going to be based around Kuta? I have dived in Tulamben, and for me is a very good place to learn. There's the Liberty wreck there and marine life is very good. Tulamben is on the east part of the island, about 3 hours from Denpasar if im not wrong. I dived there with a company called Tulamben Wreck divers. not sure if they are the best, but for us they were very professional and very organized. equipment was in good conditions and the guides were very experieced, very good at spotting things. we were with a friend of us that is DM so not sureif they did a great effort because of her... although we did our advanced course there, we didnt really like the nagivation part, we think they should have done a better effort. Nevertheless it was a very good dive shop and i would recommend to dive with them. Tulamben is a rocky black sand area, this is why underwater theres very very good marine life. The wreck its easy to see even if you are snorkelling, so while learning i think you will be able to see it for a bit i think

Hope it helps!