Padang Bai diving - planning advice

[Ninpuukamui]

Hello,

First post in the forums, hope I'm not doing anything wrong...

I'm going to be in Indonesia for a week on the beginning of May, and I wanted to spend as much time diving as possible. I'm going to be in Bali for 4 divable days, and I plan to stay in Padang Bai (I want relax, and cheap lodge!); after researching and asking various dive operators, it seems like the following plan is the best thing to do:

Nusa Penida - 2 dives.
Tulamben Ship Wreck - 2 dives
Gili Biaha / Tepekong - 2 dives.
2 night dive at Blue Lagoon area

I still have another 2 dives free somewhere else, but it'll have to be close to Pandang Bai.

So, I wanted to ask you, do you think this is a good plan for Bali diving? Or is there something I else I should definitely go to? For what I've about those places, I think it's a good plan, but thought I'd ask in case I'm missing something.

Also, would it be ok to ask how much do you think I should pay for it? I have various rates from different operators (including the stay + transfer to the airport), so I can also post how much it seems it will cost.

Thank you very much!

 

[mjgoodman]

Hi,

Dive with Absolute Dive in PB. Very professional and good DM. Your plan looks good. The only thing is that most dive centers plan their dives depending on the conditions. I wouldn't worry about the other two dives. You may want to go back to one of the other places.

Lodging: I stayed at the Kopi Inn. It is at the end of the street about a 2 min walk from absolute dive (and the other dive shops.) If your worried about saving money take the Parama bus shuttle to PB from Kuta.
Enjoy.

 

[Agus Bali]

Hey there,

What about if you do safari diving in Bali. For example 1st day you dive in menjangan for 2 dives and stay over and next day to Tulamben for 2 dives and after Tulamben go to padang bai and stay over there and then the rest you can do diving in Tepekong and Nusa Penida or Blue Lagoon from padang Bai.

Many dive operator offer daily trip and dive safari in Bali. For further information you can find at Air Diving Academy. As i know that their dive guides had many diving experienced for diving around Bali.

Have fun...

 

[tzeyap]

Hello,

First post in the forums, hope I'm not doing anything wrong...

I'm going to be in Indonesia for a week on the beginning of May, and I wanted to spend as much time diving as possible. I'm going to be in Bali for 4 divable days, and I plan to stay in Padang Bai (I want relax, and cheap lodge!); after researching and asking various dive operators, it seems like the following plan is the best thing to do:

Nusa Penida - 2 dives.
Tulamben Ship Wreck - 2 dives
Gili Biaha / Tepekong - 2 dives.
2 night dive at Blue Lagoon area

I still have another 2 dives free somewhere else, but it'll have to be close to Pandang Bai.

So, I wanted to ask you, do you think this is a good plan for Bali diving? Or is there something I else I should definitely go to? For what I've about those places, I think it's a good plan, but thought I'd ask in case I'm missing something.

Also, would it be ok to ask how much do you think I should pay for it? I have various rates from different operators (including the stay + transfer to the airport), so I can also post how much it seems it will cost.

Thank you very much!

There are 2 dive centres in Padang Bai.... Absolute and Geko. I have not dived with Absolute . During the week i was there, I went with Geko. I would not recommend Geko. However from the time I was there, I was not too impressed from what I saw at Absolute. They are right next to each other. With Geko, there was one day when I refused to get on the boat.

If I were to do Padang Bai again, I would go with the freelance divemaster which Geko engaged for me. He was great but I cannot say the same for Gecko . If you would like his contact, you can PM me.

2 other sites which you may consider are Mimpang and Ferry Channel.

Minpang, Biaha and Tepekong are all very challenging dives and not for beginners. Great dives if you are comfortable with strong currents...up currents and downtows.

The Ferry Channel is surprisingly a great dive. It is just off the harbour right in front of the beach but watch oput for the ferries over head during your deco/safety stop. Best to move away from the channel for that.

 

[Geoff_H]

Try Manta Point too!

 

[divewench1]

There are 2 dive centres in Padang Bai.... Absolute and Geko. I have not dived with Absolute . During the week i was there, I went with Geko. I would not recommend Geko. However from the time I was there, I was not too impressed from what I saw at Absolute. They are right next to each other.

As the managers wife at Absolute, I wonder if you would let me know what you saw that you didn't like? Any feedback will be gratefully received! We cannot improve if we aren't told. Thanks :cool2:

 

[tzeyap]

As the managers wife at Absolute, I wonder if you would let me know what you saw that you didn't like? Any feedback will be gratefully received! We cannot improve if we aren't told. Thanks :cool2:

Hi Amanda,

Good of you to come in and seek feedback.

As I said I did not dive with Absolute so what i wrote was just my impression. In terms of Dive centre appearance, I felt that your outfit appeared better organised than Geko.

Firstly, I stayed at Allila and the people at Allila recommended Geko over Absolute. They did not seem too enthusiastic when i enquired about absolute. But the main impression was from one occasion when on a dive at Mimpang when there was a fairly strong current , we saw a group of your divers being led against the current. At least 2 of the divers appeared to me to fairly seriously stressed. Perhaps that was the dive plan.. I don't know. I was led by a freelancer and was diving with Geko who knew the site well and we had a good dive..moving along with the current and being taken to shelter now and then,. I enjoyed the dive. Secondly, I stopped by your dive centre just to get to know you guys better and possibly consider you guys for future trips .....because i was not happy with your friendly neighbour. My enquiry was not responded to in a friendly welcoming manner. Could it be because your staff did not want to appear as trying to woo your neighbours' customers ? I don't know.

I liked Padang Bai as a base for diving in Bali. Easy access to Tulamben and the sites just outside the bay as well as to Nusa Penida. I was there 19 months ago and have since been to Bali 3 times . The last time was in January of this year when i actually thought of going back to Padang Bai. I did not do so as i was unable to contact Widana.

In summary, your response here has some positive effect and you may well hear from me sometime later this year and if Widana is working with you then that would make a differrence.

 

[AngelfishDiver]

There are more than 2 dive centers in Padangbai.
I've done 3 trips there and dived with Ikan, always in good conditions, always with good guides. Maybe you can have a look at this dive center : Ikandive - Home - US

 

[IB Indra S]

As local dive guide and instructor in Bali, I know very well about all dive sites around padangbai. Some dive locations there unpredictable conditions. That's why I never suggest the challenge sites there for beginner divers. As long as my experiences when diving there I recommends absolute if you stay in padangbai and air diving academy Bali Diving - Bali Air Diving Academy if you want to do safari dive, those have good facilities, planning and dive emergency management. You can note this, Before you choose the dive operator or only hire freelance dive guide, ask about Oxygen available and insurance cover.

 

[Ninpuukamui]

Hello all,

Thank you very much for all the advice, it's greatly appreciated. After a lot of research and emailing, I'm going to do the diving with Waterworx, as they offered me the best plan at the best price. I could only find good reviews of them in the forum, so I think it was a good choice. However, if you think I'm making a mistake, please tell me so!

In case anyone is interested, this is the plan:

08-05:
Blue Lagoon – 2 afternoon dives.
09-05:
Manta Point / Penida – 2 dives + 1 night dive Blue Lagoon.
10-05:
Tulamben Ship Wreck - 2 dives + 1 night dive at Blue Lagoon area
11-05:
Gili Biaha / Tepekong – 2 dives + 1 night dive at Blue Lagoon area

The first day I arrive to PB, so there is no time to do anything else really. Maybe I'm being a bit too ambitious spreading the diving like that, but I want to see it all!

Edit: Waterworx and Absolute had similar packages for about the same price, but difference with the plan from Absolute Scuba is that Waterworx includes the night dives in the package. Changing some day dives for night dives with Absolute was too expensive for my budget.

I'll be staying at Pantai Ayu, which offers rooms for 50.000 rupiah. For what I read, I should be able to get something cheaper once there, but they were the cheapest ones among the places I phoned to, and once again it has very good reviews, seems like a nice place and it's pretty cheap anyway; also I'm doing the airport transfer with them as I don't want to waste any time to get more dives, for 250.000 rupiah. I will probably use public transport to go back.

Once again, thank you for your advise, sorry I'm not replying to each one of you individually, but you have really helped me out and I've been in contact with all the operators you recommended.

I'll post here again once I come back to report how it went