first time in Bali

[71%]

Shanghai Manta

I guess you are lucky when you dive with Geko Diver. I have corresponse with them and here is their reply

"The transport we normally use is either a fan or a "kijang", it is
difficult to get an airconditioned transport for diving because most car owners don't like to travel with diving equipment"

You are correct! Geko Diver location is the best place to stay cause there are number of great site are just within 10 - 30 minute travel except tulamben.

Cheer

 

[annie]

I didn't say anything before as I wasn't sure it was the same dive shop I was thinking of . . . .but I wouldn't recommend Geko dive in Padangbai. I haven't dived with them myself as I was flying out the next day, but some friends of mine dived with them and found it very dangerous. I met other people afterwards who had dived 'The Toilet' with Bob and the whole thing sounded hazardous - no way would I do it.

Maybe it's more to do with the site (bad down currents) - who knows. I wouldn't take a chance on it.

 

[71%]

Annie

Mind sharing more about ur friend experience? Why do u said dive with bob are dangerous? What happaned to your friend?Heard Bob is the boss and he is good dive guide? btw "the toilet" refer to which dive site?

annie once bubbled...
I didn't say anything before as I wasn't sure it was the same dive shop I was thinking of . . . .but I wouldn't recommend Geko dive in Padangbai. I haven't dived with them myself as I was flying out the next day, but some friends of mine dived with them and found it very dangerous. I met other people afterwards who had dived 'The Toilet' with Bob and the whole thing sounded hazardous - no way would I do it.

Maybe it's more to do with the site (bad down currents) - who knows. I wouldn't take a chance on it.

 

[frogfish]

Ok - I'll give my feedback as I have dived with Geko several times (I always go with them when in Bali). Bob is an excellent dive guide who knows the dive sites very well; Geko is an excellent & professional diving operation in my opinion.

What you call the "toilet" is actually an underwater canyon at Gili Tepekong - a small island off Candidasa. This site is very famous for down currents and washing machines, and should not be dived around new moon and full moon because of the stronger tides. It is definitely a place where only experienced divers should go but unfortunatly every one wants to try it whatever their skills.
The key thing about this site is that it is apparently utterly unpredictable and conditions can change drastically during the course ot the dive...

Note also that Bob told me that they called their shop Geko because quite often when you are diving the Tepekong Canyon and if strong currents pick up you have to crawl-up like a geko lizard

 

[annie]

Hi

I've spoken to two people who dived that site separately with Bob and they both said that no way should the other divers have been there, they were barely able to cope with the conditions and that the whole dive was a near disaster.
I don't believe that the divers in question insisted on going - more a case of 'they had no idea what they were getting themselves into'.
One guy told me he was hanging onto a boulder/massive lump of coral for a dear life and the whole thing just took off and bounded along the sea floor. The other said that divers in the same group were pushed up and down by current and got separated, people were lucky to come out of it unharmed considering they weren't experienced. Actually he has 400+ dives and considered himself lucky to come back from it.

I don't mean to rubbish what's probably a decent dive shop as I didn't dive with them, but I think a word of warning about Bob and the Toilet is in order judging from what I've heard, not just random people I met but friends of mine.

A

 

[juggernutt]

Wow..that's one scary story. The toilet or Tepekong Canyon is an infamous place. It's kinda funny the way you described the guy hanging onto the rock for dearlife and it bounding off.

But it looks like my worse nightmare. have done my advance and OWC....so from now on if I dive it would be with an DM.
I'd hate to be diving with an DM who misjudges my abilities or who just doesn't care. But just wants to fill the seats.

I notice that most diveschools have dailydivetrips planned and they stick to it. You just have to hope that the organisations are not trying to fill the spots, but truly tell you if you are able to dive there or not.
It won't surprise me a bit if Tepekong was the daily divetrip planned. can you tell me how many dives your friends had?

 

[Bloop]

I just came back from Bali and did not dive with Gecko or Tauch Terminal.

I dove with Atlantis (a new shop but the same owner). We did a full tour of Bali from Menjangan, Tulamben and Nusa Penida.

Drift dives, boats with nice cover and a lot of space, night dive at Liberty wreck, dawn dives. Great trip. The whole of Bali was raining and we out run the rain and had blue skies throughout the trip.
Too bad we did not get to see the Mola Molas at Crystal Bay .The boatman saw one jump, no one else can verify #@$#$%

 

[Shanghai Manta]

Tepekong IS infamous as Juggernutt mentioned - however experienced / knowledgable boat handlers or Instructors / DM's are supposed to be able to evaluate the conditions - although again as previously mentioned they can change rapidly.
However, there ARE other dives in the area that are much easier and would make reasonable alternatives if Tepekong is a no-go, so there is no reason why any outfit planning a dive there would have to cancel all diving if Tepekong was out. I hgave heard that some outfits take divers to the other (easy) side of the island and tell them it is the famous / infamous Tepekong as some divers (Japanese ?) insist on diving the site.

I suggest reading the Bali Diving Bible 'Diving Bali' for extremely detailed descriptions of all these sites. A strong warning is given regarding Tepekong as it has claimed numerous divers, according to the book which I have no reason to doubt, although Tepekong it is also given a strong thumbs up if conditions are good. Great book.

 

[pappinyc]

I've read each of your posts with great interest, I will be in Bali in April. I've read Diving in Bali and can't wait to dive Tepekong. It sounds like the people that had issues with Geko really had issues with the site. I personally love the advanced dives...there's usually better stuff on these sites because of the reduced diver traffic.

It's always important to dive sites that you are comfortable with. I've had relative newbies (less than 50 dives, recent AOW certs) want to dive the difficult sites despite warnings and sometimes straight out NO-don't-do-its...only to have them try, get thrashed around, panic, and abort...leaving the others without a buddy or forcing their buddies to abort with them.

Let's not trash without first-hand knowledge of the situation, or out of our own inexperience. At the end of the day, diving decisions are made by you and you alone.

 

[Shanghai Manta]

Pappinyc,

Have a great time - I'm sure you will, lovely people and lots to see, good diving too, try diving the USS Liberty late afternoon and doing a night dive there to see the Bumpheads sleeping off the days exertions ! There will be less divers around in the p.m. and probably no-one but you and the DM in the evening. Much better than the crowded mornings.

I guess the Mola Molas will have moved on by now but maybe not - I did hear they were around until November so you may get lucky - amazing fish ! We saw them twice (3 the first time - not close up though) and 2 the second - one of them face to face at less than 6 ft ! We also saw one jump too - may have something to do with removing parasites.

Dive Safe - have fun !
Shanghai Manta