Gillis and Lembogan

[DownUnderwater Dan]

Hello everyone, I’ve been through the existing threads and couldn’t find any advice on dive outfits in the Gillis and Lembogan, so hoping for some help. I will be travelling in early October with my husband and 11YO son. although my son has only been certified earlier this year, he is a strong swimmer and a competent diver. We shore dive around Sydney so he is used to diving in not perfect tropical conditions. He will have over 50 dives by the time we get there. I have 2 questions…

1. Will there be enough sites he can do in Lembogan?

2. What dive outfits do people recommend for the Gillis and Lembogan? Like more personal centers which have good local knowledge, are professionally run with a real focus on safety - not asking for much

Thanks!

If you're going in early October, then you should absolutely, positively be going to Lembongan, as the diving season at that time is some of the best in the world. I've seen experienced dive instructors who've dived Red Sea, Galapagos, Komodo etc. and when they've finished a dive they say their Nusa Penida dive was the best ever.

I'm a Sydney boy originally, and I reckon your son will be able to handle the temperature just fine. Actually the dive sites of North Side Nusa Penida in October stays warmer than south side, around 25°C-28°C on average.

Lembongan island has more to explore, different beaches, spectacular cliff lookouts. And just a 30 minute boat ride to mainland Bali.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I was in Lembongan in the last week of September 2022 and had a great time there.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Thanks Dan. Did you son get used to the conditions around Pernida? It’s making me have second thoughts about that… I think my son has had about the same number. We dive in Sydney and he finds the 22 ave temps too cold. also, how did you go in the Gillis and who did you dive with? Diving isn’t amazing, but we are always just happy to get into the water!

Neither of us did. The dives were around 23-26*C most of the time, colder at depth/thermocline (down to about 17-20*C). I was frozen even in my 5mm semi-dry. But we're both Southeast Asian and more used to the 28-30*C range. The weird thing is sometimes you do one super hot dive (29-30*) then the next dive is 22*. Sometimes that happens in the same dive - first half extremely warm to the point I had to unzip my suit, and second half freezing cold. Needless to say it was rough for us.

Gilis was some of the worst diving I've ever done. We did a coral propagation course with Gili Eco Trust and Trawangan Dive, both were extremely wonderful and I'd highly recommend the course. The instructor is incredibly good with kids too. But the diving was very boring. Even my kid thought so. Viz was very good and the water was super warm and nice. Not much to see.

 

[JonnieB]

I'm in Lembongan with my 13yo. He's had I think 40-50 dives, and still I feel the cold + super duper strong currents + low viz combo has been a real challenge. In hindsight, we should have gone to Amed.

Headed to Gili next and will let you know how it goes. From what I've heard, the diving isn't as good, but maybe it wouldn't bother new divers as much.

We're doing marine conservation courses with Blue Corner and Gili Eco Trust. GET in particular seems extra good with teaching kids. BC is geared toward adult divers.

Such easy relaxed diving in Amed with lots of fish, sharks, and turtles and little to no currents and great vis. Why do people take kids to washing machines like Penida/Lembongon? Do your research divers!

 

[DownUnderwater Dan]

Such easy relaxed diving in Amed with lots of fish, sharks, and turtles and little to no currents and great vis. Why do people take kids to washing machines like Penida/Lembongon? Do your research divers!

I kindly disagree

Penida/Lembongan arent "washing machines". Most of the sites are drift dives, the majority ranging from gentle to medium. But that in by no means, that every dive there is a "washing machine". Not even Komodo deserves the title of "washing machine". I often see families diving Penida/Lembongan, especially during the good season.

Also, I've never heard or known Amed as being a dive destination "with lots of...sharks". Places in Indonesia known to have lots of sharks for diving, are Bira, South-Sulawesi and The Magnet, South-West Lombok.

But I agree that Amed is a nice spot to stay and dive at. But it's not on same level as the Nusa Islands

 

[JonnieB]

I kindly disagree

Penida/Lembongan arent "washing machines". Most of the sites are drift dives, the majority ranging from gentle to medium. But that in by no means, that every dive there is a "washing machine". Not even Komodo deserves the title of "washing machine". I often see families diving Penida/Lembongan, especially during the good season.

Also, I've never heard or known Amed as being a dive destination "with lots of...sharks". Places in Indonesia known to have lots of sharks for diving, are Bira, South-Sulawesi and The Magnet, South-West Lombok.

But I agree that Amed is a nice spot to stay and dive at. But it's not on same level as the Nusa Islands

I think it comes down to what one is looking for...I'm sure we both agree on this Penida/Lembongan are more "big fish" open water oriented dives and Amed/Tulamben more reef/macro focused. I could care less about sharks, tuna, or molas so the former has little appeal to me, but a rare nuddie, octopus, or frogfish at Amed I'm all in for. That being said, White Tip Reef Sharks are a pretty common sight at a couple of the Amed divesites.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Such easy relaxed diving in Amed with lots of fish, sharks, and turtles and little to no currents and great vis. Why do people take kids to washing machines like Penida/Lembongon? Do your research divers!

We were there for a marine biology/conservation course. All the conservation places in North Bali were closed for the season already.

 

[JonnieB]

We were there for a marine biology/conservation course. All the conservation places in North Bali were closed for the season already.

Not sure what you're referring to...all the dive areas of the north coast are open year round. Maybe the specialized reef conservation projects have periods when they are closed.

 

[Centrals]

Such easy relaxed diving in Amed with lots of fish, sharks, and turtles and little to no currents and great vis. Why do people take kids to washing machines like Penida/Lembongon? Do your research divers!

LOL.
So you imagine you know everything on diving in Bali!

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Not sure what you're referring to...all the dive areas of the north coast are open year round. Maybe the specialized reef conservation projects have periods when they are closed.

Exactly, all the conservation programs in North Bali were closed. Not sure what's so confusing about that?

LOL.
So you imagine you know everything on diving in Bali!

Yeah, I wouldn't categorize Penida as "washing machine" either. Strong drifts, sure, but JohnnieB's comment made me think he's never been to, say, Alor, or even Pulau Weh and Komodo. Diving without my kid, I don't even think about navigating currents in Penida, whereas Komodo requires more brute force, Weh requires a lot of feeling and thinking and strategizing sometimes to get around currents, and Alor requires knowing one's limits to know when to quit lol. It's just that having a very ADHD OW teen diver on my watch was nerve-racking. I also imagine that even if we want to stay on Bali island, Menjangan would be a nicer place to take him than Amed (more reef and fish, less macro/muck).