First time to Indonesia- help?

[billt4sf]

Best advice is to beg, borrow or steal more time off. Bali and "Komodo" are amazing places with great diving and tons to do topside. Spend 7 days in Bali then 7 in Komodo, minimum. You will wish you gave even more time to this adventure. Once you invest in getting there you will regret not staying longer.

I have to agree with this. Maybe work harder on your boss or something. I found back in the day, that the longer in advance I asked for the time, the longer period I could get. Most LOBs and many resorts you need to book a year or so in advance.

- Bill

 

[scuBecca]

I wish I could get a 2nd week, but my vacation request for this fall was denied 5 times before I was finally able to get this one week- we're really short staffed right now and are in the middle of changing scheduling systems, so they just aren't giving out any time off. To get this vacation, I'll have to work back to back weekends and a week of overnights. It's been rough few months around my work- morale is pretty low right now. Can't wait to escape for a week!!!

 

[chillyinCanada]

I wear a scarf too. LOL, I know that sounds funny but I actually have a kerchief that I purchased from Borneo Divers years ago in Sipidan. The thing still looks brand new and oddly enough, tying it around my neck keeps me somewhat warmer, no matter what other levels or layers of protection are needed.

 

[pelan-pelan]

Good luck with your trip. Scarf sounds like it could work. I wear a hood and it gives me at least another degree - or 20 minutes more comfort.
Dan's trip sounds great. Visited the Amira a few years back when she moored in Lembeh Strait. Beautiful. It is on the bucket list.

 

[btscott]

Not sure if you made your plans yet...

My wife and I spent a month in Bali last December and dove quite a bit while there on Bali and the Gili Islands. Of all the diving we did, by far the dives off Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida were the best. It was December so we missed Mola Mola season, but you may have some luck in November. We were told the week before we were there, there was a sighting. Water on the Nusa's were a little chillier, but had no trouble 3mm wetsuits. There are some decent currents off the Nusa's, something to keep in mind.

We used World Diving and highly recommend them. Also looked at Dive Concepts, but didn't get a good vibe from them. Then saw their boats out in the water and they had way too many divers on the boat for my comfort. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Mike1967]

Dive Concepts

I did 23 dives over 9 days at 3 different locations with them in June, they were great!

 

[btscott]

Glad it worked out for you. We ended up not diving with them as I said. The one guy we dealt with was pretty condescending and seemed to be trying to impress some new diver women that were there while we were chatting to them about what we were looking to dive. Left a deposit and after chatting with some others about their reputation, went back and got my deposit back. Could have just been the one guy and sounds like it was... Lots of options of places to dive with.

 

[Centrals]

Padang Bai is only couple of hrs from Denpasar(Bali). And local dive operators routinely arranged dive to Manta Point(Crystal Bay) etc as well as Tulumban.

 

[Luko]

Glad it worked out for you. We ended up not diving with them as I said. The one guy we dealt with was pretty condescending and seemed to be trying to impress some new diver women that were there while we were chatting to them about what we were looking to dive. Left a deposit and after chatting with some others about their reputation, went back and got my deposit back. Could have just been the one guy and sounds like it was... Lots of options of places to dive with.

DiveConcepts is a low cost operation, they operate cattle boats or trucks and hire loads of gringo DMs or instructors "living their dreams" in the sun.
7 years ago, they were the operation that lost a handul of divers drifting at night after diving Blue Corner at the wrong time of the day, led by a young certified DM who didn't know anything about the spot nor diving in currents : call that safety minded. You know how good an operation is by the way they handle problems or when you ask for somehing special, they don't handle anything and it's not really the operation you would choose for taylored dives.
Think Koh Tao style factory in Bali.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

I only dived and stayed with Dive Concept in Tulamben, and found them to be extremely professional and safety minded, far better than Matahari across the street, My DM was AMAZING and highly capable and totally local. The place looked like it was run by a sassy and friendly local lady.

Btw, Koh Tao is also not nearly as bad as people say. There are highly professional dive shops and topnotch instructors there, and the place can be very quiet.

However, the diving at both places is rather meh.