Bali with UW camera???

[Liang]

Hi Everyone,

I will be making my first trip to Bali in September. As the dive sites are all scatter over the island, I would like to know which are the dive operators that are camera friendly. ie soaking of the camera in fesh water after each dive day as the journey from the dive sites to the hotel can be from minutes to hours.

I am bringing along a housing and probably a Nikonos V. Please advise.

Cheers
Liang

 

[Dee]

Sorry...I can't help you with Bali.

If you ever find yourself without a rinse bucket for your camera, take a wet towel and wrap your camera/housing in it. That will prevent the water from drying on it. It doesn't matter if you wet the towel with fresh or salt water as long as you keep it wet. It's the drying process that causes the salt crystals to form.

 

[Liang]

Thanks Dee, that's a good idea!!!

 

[Eric]

You will love the diving, everything from wrecks, walls to fast (and I do mean fast!) drifts. In my experience most of the operators are not all that camera friendly. But if you insist on having a rinse bucket they will try and provide one. This usually works better if you are diving with the same operator for a couple of days.

Once I figure out how to do it I will post some pics. I am not sure if you can do it directly to the board or have to use another URL and just point to it.

Hey Dee any advise?? Oops, just noticed the attach file button at the bottom. When I get into work I will send some pics along.

Eric

 

[Liang]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the info.

BTW, I am planning to stay in Tulamben and just dive at the dive sites around that area. Can you find ghost pipefish and good critters easliy in that area. As this is going to be a relaxing trip (not the hardcore type as I am going with my girlfriend). Do you think I should bring Nikonos V for Wide Angle only or I should bring along the housing as well for macro.

Any recommendation on where to stay in Tulamben for diving. How about Kuta area, where should we stay for the rest of our trip (sightseeing). Cheers

Liang

 

[Reefwalker]

Liang
I have travelled & dived Bali for 20 years and haven't seen a really photo friendly operation yet! But the Balinese are the friendliest people in Indonesia, if you ask they will arrange something.
At Tulamben the Mimpi Resort is THE No.1 spot, their beach side rooms all have fresh water showers with a tiled tub adjacent, which is just the right size for a camera/strobe system to soak in.
They rooms are air conditioned and the dive sites are a literally a few steps from your room, food is excellent see their web site www.mimpi.com
2nd choice would be Tauch Terminal try www.tauch-terminal.com though I haven't stayed there, I have had reliable friends stay there who thought it was as good as Mimpi.
Definately take your macro housing as well as a Nikonos, there are ghost pipefish within 50 metres of your room at Mimpi!! Also a coral wall with fantastic fish life, soft corals, bump head parrots, tiny boxer crabs, you'll love every minute. September to November is the best time of year.
Try to get a guidebook by David Pickell & Wally Siagian titled DIVE BALI, by Periplus Action Guides, it tells you everything. If you can contact Wally, he is a fantastic guide and will find every critter you ever wanted to see.
Regards
Jeff Mullins - Australia

 

[Eric]

The recommendations you gave are just what I would have said. The only thing else you could do is stay in Candidasa and stay at the Puri Bagus. Then you could dive with either Geko Divers or Baruna Divers who will bus you up to Tulumben for the day.

This is a nice option as there really isn't anything to do up there if you are staying there.

Good luck. Instead of posting pics I will post the link to our website once the Bali stuff is complete.

A great book to get is called Diving Bali - The Underwater Jewel of Southeast Asia, by David Pickell and Wally Siagian. Wally is the Bali God of diving.

Have fun,

Eric

 

[Eric]

Here is some quick info and pictures I took while in Bali last November. We had 17 people on our group trip and we had a blast. So much so, we are doing it again this coming November.

Bali Info

Just for information I use a Nikonos V with 15mm Nikon Wide Angle, 35mm standard lens for close-ups and small Sea and Sea YS50 strobe. I will need to get another strobe as the S&S doesn't throw a wide enough beam for the 15mm.

Hope this helps.

Eric

 

[Liang]

Hi Jeff and Eric,

Thanks a lot for the information. Greatly appreciated.

Ya, I will probably stay either in Mimpi or Tauch Terminal. Will definitely do both WA and macro.

Next time when I am there with hardcore buddy, I will contact Wally.

Cheers
Liang

 

[ben arthur]

I've know of people who swear by Wally Siagian, apparently he really is the top man when it comes to dive guides in Bali

Make sure you dive at the sites around Gili Tepekong - lots of currents but lots of big fish, sharks etc