Komodo LOB - how many dives have crazy currents?

[cetacean]

@BarnBrat

Having been to Komodo on 3 separate LoB trips, there are sites that with the right moon phase and the right tide can get a little sporty.

Having said this, it's getting more prevalent for LoBs (and a few of the land based operators) to skip the strongest tides, and dive either side of them (or even just after a slack tide). At first I couldn't really understand why we were seeing boats dive these sites when clearly it was either "pre-peak" or "post-peak" and then a DM filled me in. Even though dive operators are mostly protected in Indonesia from legal retaliation, it's easier for many of them to just schedule dives at these sites when the dive is easier. Depending on the demonstrated skills of the guests, you might not even get to dive Shotgun when it's ripping, or Castle Rock in strong current...

Completely unrelated - in 3 trips to Komodo, it all felt manageable, with a couple of down currents in the south that were tricky, but not too much of a concern. On the other hand, Devil's Highway in the Solomons had a downcurrent (on an incoming tide) that took you from ~30ft to ~80ft in just a few seconds (if you didn't catch the end of the pass and hold on).

 

[Dan]

Batu Bolong (translated to Hole in Rock) or some time they call it Current City is a dive site you don’t want to miss. The current is mostly going from north to south on the west side of the island. So you would enter on the east side, the calm side, protected by the island. It is important to listen to the dive briefing and stay behind the guide.

Yan of Liveaboard Life gives a pretty good description on how to dive Batu Bolong:

 

[Dan]

Another good dive briefing by Yan on how to dive Shotgun:

 

[Dan]

When you are in Komodo, dive in the current may be unavoidable and there is where the fish actions are happening. The local guide would show you how and where to enter the water.

Mawan is good example of such dive site.