Low budget options

[outofofficebrb]

Lots of people try to push newer divers away from currents, but I don't see a problem for me. I've only done 1 dive with substantial current (Washing Machine in the Bahamas) but it was one of my favorites. We covered so much more ground and got to see so much more than other dives. I do see how it could be problematic, and wouldn't recommend it as a very first dive, but I didn't find it particularly challenging, intimidating or dangerous - just a little more important to listen and follow directions. Of course, bigger currents could be bigger problems.

I am a 200 lbs male, and while my air consumption improved over the 30 dives on my trip, it isn't great compared to 120lbs females. I had one as a dive partner that surfaced with around 1600 psi after a full hour, I was still over 800, and only went up because the other divers went sooner, and I bet many went below the 500psi we were asked to return with.

I have a much harder time NOT moving. My air consumption compared to others is a lot better the more active we are. I am in great cardiovascular shape even if I am less experienced, which pays off more the more everyone exerts themselves. But our dive master could hold perfectly still horizontally 6 inches from an interesting animal, while I tend to start flapping my arms like a bird unless I have some momentum.

It’s not about pushing newer divers away from current. Current is fine. It’s needed to practice and gain experience. Current that is strong and sometimes unpredictable while also presenting itself as up or downcurrent at the same time as a drift current is different. Couple all that with bluewater safety stops while trying to hold a certain depth or descents/ascents as you’re drifting. Forget lines for descent and ascent. There are none. Some places in Indo such as Komodo and Raja are well known for these types of erratic current. I wish I could have said with such confidence after doing 1 dive with substantial current that I was ready for something like that. I suppose we are very different people. Challenge, intimidation, or danger is clearly personal perception and I am one that is conscious of it and am never complacent.

I carry 10lbs with a full wetsuit and aluminum tank in saltwater - I am not overweighted. Trim is different, I have (and prefer) integrated weights, but might do better with this specific problem with a weight belt putting everything in the middle. The divemaster I mentioned recommended "crunching down like a sit up" which does help, but while he moves and stays stationary with the grace of a humming bird, I flop around like a fish out of water. I have gotten (and will continue to get) better, but my point is swimming against current is not an air disadvantage for me vs better divers, at least compared to trying to stay still.

I do not "HAVE TO" use my hands for anything except my GoPro. 40 years of at least occasional swimming, never with fins, makes using my hands instinctive. I have to think about not using my hands or I will.

I suppose we all don’t know what we don’t know or we think all we know is all there is to know.

My guess is the vast majority of divers started diving with more weight in the beginning then dropped more weight as they gained more dive experience, all other factors like exposure protection and body weight, gear, etc. being the same. It all felt right and enough in the beginning, even with the test many of us are shown and taught to determine if it’s the right amount. In any case, that reduction in turn helps air consumption, along with more dive experience. My guess is that will happen to you, too.

My opinions may not sit well with you and perhaps I am alone on my thoughts. Or not, and others can chime in. You offered your experience levels, your desires regarding time and money, location suggestions, and I presented my thoughts. In any case, I hope it helped at some point or another and if not, hopefully someone else finds it useful.

Do reconsider Lembeh in the future if macro ever appeals to you later on. It’s nothing like what you would find in Lake Eerie, I promise.

 

[bvbellomo]

Confidence goes both ways, feeling comfortable can get you into trouble. However I don't know how much more experience will help, whether it's adding up quarry dives around here I can do any time cheap, or another trip with similar conditions, I am not going to get better at strong, erratic current by diving gentle water.

Bubble Vision posted an awesome YouTube video of Lembeh. I doubt you can see everything in the video on 1 dive, but if you can see a good fraction of that, I'd love to do it.

Don't take discussion or even outright disagreement as offense. I appreciate everything. I am not going to book a trip to the Red Sea because that is where the first Internet poster told me to go. I am going to ask a lot of questions and do a lot of research, even if some of it just because it is the closest thing to diving I can do in the next 6 months.

 

[matts1w]

Plain and simple: if you choose to come to Indonesia, and you should, your descriptions tell me you want to visit Komodo. Raja Ampat would certainly work too, but if budget is part of the equation... Komodo for sure.

You can get to Bali in under 30 hours no problem. I dont know where you are in Ohio, but if you have connections in the Chicago area, it might be worth it to drive over and start from there. Chicago to Tokyo or HK, then direct to Bali. Chill for a few days to get over the awful flight, maybe dive a few, then a cheap one hour flight to Labuan Bajo/Komodo. Look at boats like Moana, Wicked Diving, etc... There are a number of middle-range budget boats that wont break your bank. Do a week or more liveaboard in some of the best diving on the planet, chill in again Bali for a day or two, then back home.

I learned to dive in Indiana in 1985 when I was 14 and didn't get to the ocean until I was 17 in Florida. My mind was blown! And then I got to the Caribbean and never looked back. Don't get me wrong, I still love places like Saba and T and C. But the coral triangle makes parts of the Caribbean look like Hidden Paradise Campground in St. Paul Indiana in the 1980s. If you have the time, opportunity, and means to get here, for sure make it happen.

 

[Luko]

Komodo is not the big bad thing some try to describe, it mainly comes to the dive operation.
Last year I went with Dragon Dive Komodo budget liveaboard, we were 8 divers, 4 were in the experienced group ranging from 40 dives to 1000, I was the most experienced, and 4 young people who had dived not more than 15 dives each, 2 of them were OW freshdivers. (you can read the report somewhere on this board)
At the end of the liveaboard, thanks to the sensible dive crew and the itinerary that educated the less experienced to more demanding dives from easy to difficult, everyone had a blast : the young ones could enjoy ripping current in Castle Rock, have fun a a rollercoaster Shotgun, while I could go shooting down at 40m in Tatawa Besar and back with 8mn deco. Everything depends on the operator on your confidence, and on the reliability you can show to the dive guides you have.

So I'm with Matts here : when I read corals and fish your post screams "KOMODO" at me. You do not find such abundance in the Phils (or on a couple of spots) nor in the Red Sea.
And FWIW after 20 trips in Indo ( of which 4*Komodo), 10 trips to the Phils and 6* to Egypt/Red Sea, I can say that all are a notch below Indonesia, more over that if you avoid some operations that cater to N/American divers, won't cost you much more than Philippines. Especially in Bali and Komodo while not that true in N/Sulawesi because of the customers profiles.

Indo sucks. Try Thailand

That's mean and you know it.

 

[bvbellomo]

Using Wicked as an example, according to Google flights, $859 books me a round trip to Ngurah Rai via Hong Kong and Dallas/Fort Worth, and $1190 gets me 6 nights a liveaboard, putting the cost just over $2000 + plus the flight to Labuan Bajo from Ngurah Rai and a $4 taxi ride. At least in theory, I can do it for less than my Bahama's trip.

I understand flights out of Chicago would be faster and cheaper, but that is a 6 hour drive, and the cost of gas and parking would more than offset the savings.

 

[bvbellomo]

I am just curious why I need to avoid operations that cater to N/American divers, and how to identify them? I will need someone who speaks English, but otherwise, besides overeating, what do Americans have in common?

I did look at Dragon Dive. I like their more traditional Phinisi, the Yosi, better, but that is less important the diving. The longest trip is 5 days, 4 nights, so I'd need another trip in Indonesia.

 

[Luko]

I am just curious why I need to avoid operations that cater to N/American divers, and how to identify them? I will need someone who speaks English, but otherwise, besides overeating, what do Americans have in common?

If you read everything I wrote you'd have a clue : budget.
If you want to pay more, locate operations that cater to N/Americans usually you recognize them with the higher price tag that will be wrapped with some unnecessary marketing features (aircon, inhouse photography courses, etc.), that's pretty obvious in N/Sulawesi and in the Philippines too.

I did look at Dragon Dive. I like their more traditional Phinisi, the Yosi, better, but that is less important the diving. The longest trip is 5 days, 4 nights, so I'd need another trip in Indonesia.

Do you think you'd cover Indonesia or even a part of this area in a week time? So you'll come back to Indonesia...
One of the advantages of Komodo is that you can stop and dive Bali as well.

 

[chillyinCanada]

If you choose to go to Indo and dive Komodo with diving in Bali also, do the Bali diving first.

For the record, I agree with outoftheofficebrb and her recommendation to do other places first. I haven't been to the Phillipines so I recommend that you do the Red Sea first. You will not be disappointed.

 

[drk5036]

I carry 10lbs with a full wetsuit and aluminum tank in saltwater - I am not overweighted.

Everyone is different of course, but that doesn’t necessarily tell us anything. I sounds similar in size to you, about 200 lbs with a good amount of muscle, and I use only my 5 lbs backplate, no extra lead when diving with Al80 tank and 3 mm full suit.

I’m usually an outlier in this conversation, I’m still honestly not sure why I am inherently so negatively buoyant, but just keep in mind if you are using 10 lbs of lead, you could be overweight.

I’m not sure if I missed it or not, have you done AOW yet? Get that checked off before you go.

 

[Tribal]

If I do 1 Indo trip and a Red Sea trip the following year and the Philippines the year after, and am going to be disappointed, then why no just do Indo 2 or 3 times, then the Red Sea will be more impressive just for the variety.

When you are new to diving everything will be awesome, if you do the best things first you will run out of “wauw that’s awesome” moments.
I’m new to cave diving, every time I have to turn the dive because of the conservative gas rule, I’m sad I’m not technical cave yet. The advantage is that I can do a lot of dives that are exiting for me but would be boring for the more experienced people.