One Year in Bali

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Just my small input


For the Similans, Surins We used Wicked Diving, and found them to be great - very Eco minded and safe. in fact we went back 6 weeks later and let them take our two boys (12 & 14) on a DSD - Thats how good they were and how much we trusted them

The diving - for us it was just okay Bear in mind we have the Musandam on our doorstep which s crammed full of life. I read the report posted earlier and recognised all the sites. I can't say it was bad as we extended our stay - I'd rate it as just okay.

Likewise the Philippines I've only dived on a boat leaving Cebo - around malapascua. All muck diving. Again after a few days it all became the same, But my friends rave about the northern sites so maybe we'll try that one day.

If in Bali try Villa Alba, it's run by a good Friend and his wife who are used to BPW and rebreathers etc.

Komodo - My wife dived with Wicked Diving and had a Ball we want to go back. On the wicked front they do a 3 week safari from Raja Ampat to Komodo which is meant to be fantastic - we just cant get the time as yet...


 
Continuing the update of the pre-trip for our year in Bali which will begin in May 2016...

I just spent 10 days on a liveabpoard in Raja Ampat -- club trip with Rainbow Divers and it was great!

I do not have a great many pictures, but others do! (Go Jak Crow!) In any case there are a great many pics of Raja Ampat around.

What I learned was....

1) Dampier Straits has more current than the Misool area. Also I loved the diving more in Misool, where we saw HUGE schools of fish, ost noticeably anchovies swirling aorund us in an other-worldly experience. Also oceanic mantas. And much, much more. I want to take my wife there and I gues the only ption is Misool Eco Resort. A 10 day trip in peak season approaches $5K per person which gives us pause...but what the H. We could redo the Mermaid trip which was excellent but we spent time in Danpier which has some significant (and sometimes scary) currents which are even worse for her than for me.

2) I leanred quite a few skills on this trip. In large part this was eneabled by the fact that I had dived about 20 dives in Amed, Bali before heading to the Mermaid so I was already feeling comfortable. I highly recommend that approach! I had my weight really dialed-in at 4 lbs and I was very comfortable in the water before I hit the dive boat with its concomitant group expectations, and new environment in RA.

3) So I was able to learn new skills like launching an SMB at depth. Did that maybe 15 times on Mermaid so I feel good about it. It's really fun to learn new skills -- especially when there's no pressure. Arranging the kit well (thanks GUE Fundies) and launching it BEFORE the safety stop were key -- not to mention making sure your finger is in the damn hole first!

4) Along with that did several blue water ascents. Having perfect comfort with my weighting and buoyancy were key.

5) did a number of negative entries. Had never done them before. Muscle memory of finding the butt dump is key here -- once again had that nailed from having done Fundies (and gotten comfortable after Fundies by diving Bali Amed).

6) We had one major clusterf*** and I wrote up my experiences at Lessons Learned:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...earned/518285-how-i-almost-drowned-twice.html

I survived to tell that tale, and it left me feeling that I *really* need to dial down on gas planning so I can assert myself on dive planning rather than relying on someone else's expectations, who is after all, planning for a group not for one person.


==> What we need to do now is to make a schedule and plan our dives around Indo beginning May next year. I think we are going to de-emphasize muck diving, and do our best to dive during half moons to reduce the current risks.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy the blog.

- Bill
 
Now you have me paranoid about my trip to RA :(

I think I'm just going to speak with the dive manager when I get to the resort on Kri, because with a big camera, I wonder how much I will struggle with the task loading in that kind of situation. When I went to Misool (a long time ago), the currents were nothing to write home about. Sounds like Kri is another story entirely.
 
Almost everyone I dove with at Raja Ampat had some kind of camera and a couple of them were very large. I think you'll be OK for the most part, as long as you've got it bungied to you and can let it go if need be. Of course, getting the take on it from dive guides before each dive will be important too.
 
Wetpup im not a photographer but......Dampier Strait currents ARE a different kettle of fish...think reef hook territory on some sites like Chicken, Sardine, Kri and Mayhem if the current is running.
 
Continuing the update of the pre-trip for our year in Bali which will begin in May 2016...


==> What we need to do now is to make a schedule and plan our dives around Indo beginning May next year. I think we are going to de-emphasize muck diving, and do our best to dive during half moons to reduce the current risks.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy the blog.

- Bill


Hi Bill,

Great post that has become very informative as well, owing to the posts provided by many others. Will be very interesting to read about your adventures in the coming year.

We might have even crossed path while diving with Geko. I dove with Geko Nov. 1-4. A great time. I left for Lembeh a day later, spent a week there and had a great time there as well.

It is unfortunate that you have not found muck diving exciting and I am writing to suggest that you not dismiss muck diving just yet, as long as you are going to be in Indonesia for a year and traveling all over. I say this because the muck diving that you may have experienced while diving off of the RA liveaboard may have not been representative of what you could see diving land-based at some of the premier muck diving destinations like Lembeh, Ambon, PNG or the Philippines. Even Bali has some superb muck diving at Gilimanuk in the northwest, along the north coast, in Tulamben and adjacent Melasti and Seraya in the northeast, and at Padang Bai.

Perhaps two reasons why your RA experience may have not lived up to the muck diving hype: while RA is well known for good all-around diving, with lots of fish and immense diversity of coral and animals, muck diving for exotic creatures is arguably not one of its stronger points. Also, when doing muck diving destinations, I tend to prefer land-based over liveaboard because local dive guides who dive the area almost daily tend to know best where and when to find the really exotic stuff.

Muck diving may not be as pretty as diving at colorful and lush coral reefs, and arguably not as electrifying as seeing big animals, but there is something to be said about seeing 10-11 different types of octopus in one week, including the Holy Grail of octopi – the Hairy Octopus. That is in contrast to diving other destinations, where seeing one type – the common reef octopus – might be cause for excitement for some.

Add to that other types of Cephalopods like cuttlefish, especially the Flamboyant, and squid such as the Bobtail squid; 6-7 types of frogfish; Crustaceans – shrimp, lobsters, and crabs – in all kinds of sizes, shapes and colors: the squat lobsters on crinoids and barrel sponges; Harlequin, Hairy, Donald Duck, and Tiger shrimps, to name a few; and boxer crabs. Then there are colorful nudibranchs galore, including really exotic ones like the Melibe Colemani and the gorgeous Janolus species, both of which were first-time sightings for me even after 3 past trips to Lembeh and multiple trips to the above mentioned muck dive destinations.

Lembeh actually has nice corals and lots of fish too, but those are normally not the focus of most who go there.

Other factors to consider in the context of your diving conditions preferences: there is usually very little, if any, current on muck dives and the pace is really slow and relaxed; depths are seldom more than 70 feet, about 40-60 on average, and there is stuff to marvel at even in 5 feet of water; I have never seen downcurrents or washing machine conditions in muck dive sites, and if there were to be a downcurrent, at least there is a bottom. All of the above will help you conserve air and get longer bottom times.

So my suggestion is to give it a good chance - it will grow on you.

Good luck.

Manuel
 
Wetpup im not a photographer but......Dampier Strait currents ARE a different kettle of fish...think reef hook territory on some sites like Chicken, Sardine, Kri and Mayhem if the current is running.

Yes, I know. I have in fact gone and bought a reef hook. It's glaring at me from afar saying "you're totally going to destroy the reef you evil person!"...
 
Hi Bill,

Great post that has become very informative as well, owing to the posts provided by many others. Will be very interesting to read about your adventures in the coming year.

We might have even crossed path while diving with Geko. I dove with Geko Nov. 1-4. A great time. I left for Lembeh a day later, spent a week there and had a great time there as well.

It is unfortunate that you have not found muck diving exciting and I am writing to suggest that you not dismiss muck diving just yet, as long as you are going to be in Indonesia for a year and traveling all over. I say this because the muck diving that you may have experienced while diving off of the RA liveaboard may have not been representative of what you could see diving land-based at some of the premier muck diving destinations like Lembeh, Ambon, PNG or the Philippines. Even Bali has some superb muck diving at Gilimanuk in the northwest, along the north coast, in Tulamben and adjacent Melasti and Seraya in the northeast, and at Padang Bai.

Perhaps two reasons why your RA experience may have not lived up to the muck diving hype: while RA is well known for good all-around diving, with lots of fish and immense diversity of coral and animals, muck diving for exotic creatures is arguably not one of its stronger points. Also, when doing muck diving destinations, I tend to prefer land-based over liveaboard because local dive guides who dive the area almost daily tend to know best where and when to find the really exotic stuff.

Muck diving may not be as pretty as diving at colorful and lush coral reefs, and arguably not as electrifying as seeing big animals, but there is something to be said about seeing 10-11 different types of octopus in one week, including the Holy Grail of octopi – the Hairy Octopus. That is in contrast to diving other destinations, where seeing one type – the common reef octopus – might be cause for excitement for some.

Add to that other types of Cephalopods like cuttlefish, especially the Flamboyant, and squid such as the Bobtail squid; 6-7 types of frogfish; Crustaceans – shrimp, lobsters, and crabs – in all kinds of sizes, shapes and colors: the squat lobsters on crinoids and barrel sponges; Harlequin, Hairy, Donald Duck, and Tiger shrimps, to name a few; and boxer crabs. Then there are colorful nudibranchs galore, including really exotic ones like the Melibe Colemani and the gorgeous Janolus species, both of which were first-time sightings for me even after 3 past trips to Lembeh and multiple trips to the above mentioned muck dive destinations.

Lembeh actually has nice corals and lots of fish too, but those are normally not the focus of most who go there.

Other factors to consider in the context of your diving conditions preferences: there is usually very little, if any, current on muck dives and the pace is really slow and relaxed; depths are seldom more than 70 feet, about 40-60 on average, and there is stuff to marvel at even in 5 feet of water; I have never seen downcurrents or washing machine conditions in muck dive sites, and if there were to be a downcurrent, at least there is a bottom. All of the above will help you conserve air and get longer bottom times.

So my suggestion is to give it a good chance - it will grow on you.

Good luck.

Manuel

Points taken. Thank you. Maybe one reason I am not so interested in muck right now is that with my old eyes I can't see the stuff! Pygmy sea horses, yeah...sure...it was there.... uh huh.....

But perhaps I am misunderstanding what muck is all about. When I hear "macro lenses" I am thinking small critters.

- Bill
 
Bill, I have a magnifying glass attached to my bcd with a bungee. I've just got to see the smallest of creatures! :)
 
Hi Bill,

Trust me, I haven't been your age yet, but I'm not far behind. I swallowed my pride and went to bifocals on my mask a couple of years ago - that beat swapping masks multiple times while underwater - not a big challenge in of itself, but the constant fogging on both masks afterwards (because the baby shampoo washes away and spitting underwater is about as effective as pissing into the wind) killed that idea. Now I can at least read my computer and pressure gage.

I also fully understand your dilemma with being able to see the really small stuff like pygmy seahorses. Been there.....and I don't even bother with those anymore either. The Hairy shrimp and the Green shrimp are just a tad smaller than the pygmy seahorses. The tiger shrimps can grow a little bit bigger, as can the Harlequins (they are exquisite and in Tulamben, Seraya, and Ambon, they are old farts seeable). Forget about the Lady Bugs. Some of the nudibranchs are also best left to the younger folks.

The magnifying glass is a great idea. Me? I aim the camera in the vicinity of what the dive guide pointed to, take a picture and hopefully if it is in focus, I find out what it is by 4X'ing the pic on the camera screen. Not an innovative idea - just something that old geezers like me learn to do when technology is placed in their hands.

But most of the other stuff I mentioned ought to be visible by naked eye, and with a good dive guide. For example, the 1-inch Hairy octopus, which is very seasonal (shoot for November), ought to be quite visible once the DM finds it, except when it decides to contort itself thru a 1/8" hole in a rock.

And speaking of Holy Grails, the fish in the picture under your name.....which is, to me, the Holy Grail of all frogfish, was last reported on muck dives in Ambon. Similarly, arguably the Holy Grail of all fish - the Lacy Scorpionfish or Rhinopias Aphanes - has been reported on dives in Loloata and Milne Bay in PNG - both considered good muck diving locations, and also reported on muck dives in Padang-Bai in Bali. Its other Rhinopias cousins - the Weedy and the Paddleflap - are also usually reported on muck dives in multiple places in Indonesia (Bali, Lembeh, Ambon and Komodo), PNG and Philippines.

My point is that even tho macro lenses and muck dives sort of go hand-in-hand, it is not just about the minute stuff: there are just as many fascinating things to see that are more suitably sized for us older folks.

Reef fish and corals may get a little stale after a while, but every dive in the muck is an opportunity for something new - especially in a place like Lembeh. On this last trip I counted at least 15 new creatures I had never seen before.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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