Maldives (LoB) vs Indonesia (LoB) in June

[Centrals]

Actually really considering SJ now! Reading up about it, the location and ease of access seems wonderful (not to mention money saving). Same with not having to deal with the potential seasickness of a newer diver on a LoB. Would the dive sites we'd access be limited, or is it drastically inferior to a LoB in terms of what we'd see, @Centrals ?

I have done LoB and SJ on two different occasions and they visited more or less similar sites(log book to prove). The only difference is the number of dive offered. 3 vs 4-5.
However, if seasickness is a real concern then none of them is really suitable. Because we are talking minimum of 5-6 hrs travelling on the boat(not counting time underwater).
SJK is highly recommended.

 

[CWK]

Thinking we can fit in 2 or 3 days of Tulamben before flying from Bali into Lubuan Bajo for SJ. Or is there anywhere else close to Bali DPS that would be good for this - as a "check dive" and to get acclimatized?

I personally am not a fan of Tulamben and I’ve dived the Liberty on 3 trips, the most recent being earlier this month. It’s about a 3 hour road transfer from Denpasar and the Liberty is usually a shore dive with a rocky beach entry/exit that may be tricky if the sea is not calm. To me, this was a definate NO since I was diving doubles last time round. I’ve also been told that the Liberty has been shifting, possibly due to the recent volcanic activity, so take care if you dive it.

Padang Bai may be good for macro and easy diving. Amed may also be an alternative and you may be able to do the Liberty from a boat, thereby avoiding the rocky beach entry/exit. I do Amed for tech training but it would not be on the top of my list for recreational. They are both also about a 3 hour road transfer from Denpasar.

Of the places I’ve been, my preference would be to stay at Sanur and do daily 3 tank trips to crystal bay/manta point. The boat ride is about half an hour each way. You can also stay at Nusa Lembongan but check whether the dive op does 2 or 3 dives a day. Some my usually do 2 because of tide considerations loading and unloading from the beach as there is no jetty. At least this was the reason given to me for 2 dive days.