Ocean Rover in Sulawesi

[ssra30]

I know that dive op in Sipadan discourage divers from wearing gloves because many divers like to hitch a ride by grabbing turtles. In some cases, people will also grab hold of corals/sponges or whatever else when they really should be learning to control their bouyancy better. However it is hard to imagine people damaging anything with their gloved hands in Lembeh but I suppose it would discourage people from grabbing the animals and setting up the scene etc for photography. However KBR diveguides will readily do that for you anyhow.

My only reason for diving from liveaboard in Lembeh is that most liveaboards will let you dive more and less restriction on time.

Personally, in the past I found KBR management to be incredibly arrogant and rather snooty so I am glad that I now have other choices to choose and ignore KBR totolly. Their attitude may have changed now since they don't have monopoly on Lembeh anymore.

 

[scubashooter]

Don'tlietome
I'm sorry you had time limits at KBR. Been going for years (actually now that I calculate it, it's not been 9 years but 11 years) and I've always been able to dive til my air goes down to 300PSI or 10bar without time restrictions. I do know things have changed dramatically (a swimming pool and Wifi?) since Eco/Steve took over. I went just as they did so they respected the old customers I guess. 60mins? That's like a joke but then again, Lembeh has had a lion share of DCS cases due to silly shooters who dive with their nitrox computers set at 23-24% while on air. Real Darwin award winners but they tend to spoil the show for others.
As for the no gloves rule, I think again it's the people who abuse the privileges who spoil it for the rest of us. Obviously education is better than restrictions, but then again, the thai liveaboards are there a few months out of the year during Phuket's off season, they have less vested interest in protecting the area, although I'm sure they don't promote damage at all.
The Panunee and the japanese divers... think about it... the japanese have reputations for being touchy feelie on marine life (just like the italians have the deep dives on air air rep), maybe it was a wise decision to keep them off Nudi Falls. They get ripped off anyways so what's a little more ripping by burning their air off with a little exercise! LOL
Liveaboard on Lembeh has pros and cons. You can hit a spot at dawn and not come out til you're freezing and wrinkled like a 150yr old. However you can't keep that up for more than a week. I usually go for 3-4 weeks. I don't think diving 5-6 dives a day (even on nitrox) for 3 weeks can be sustained (I often wonder how the guides do it). I suppose that is why the 60min rule at KBR is there...to protect the guides who do it 350 days a year.

 

[RSdiver]

Don'tlietome
...........(snip)......
Liveaboard on Lembeh has pros and cons. You can hit a spot at dawn and not come out til you're freezing and wrinkled like a 150yr old. However you can't keep that up for more than a week. I usually go for 3-4 weeks. I don't think diving 5-6 dives a day (even on nitrox) for 3 weeks can be sustained (I often wonder how the guides do it). I suppose that is why the 60min rule at KBR is there...to protect the guides who do it 350 days a year.

I was just at KBR last month and they rotate their DM days on a strict schedule so that no DM has continuous exposure