quick report: sekotong and dive zone lombok

[mslise]

I very recently went down to south west lombok as part of a longer trip in Indonesia. I intended to do 3 days diving focusing on macro sites. There is a new resort there which a friend went to a month or so ago and he saw a lot of great macro stuff and that inspired me. I didn't go to the resort as it was out of my budget this trip. Next time. I stayed at a local homestay and dived with DiveZone Sekotong. George in the shop was very helpful by email before I arrived.

To cut a long story short, after my first day (in fact halfway through the second dive) I decided I would not dive again there. I traveled a long way out of my way to get there and was very disappointed. I’m not an inexperienced diver; about 250 dives over the last 6 years mostly all around south east asia but this is the first time I have cut short a stay because I had no faith in either the rental gear nor the dive guide.

The conditions were not good either, vis was very bad and there were some really strong currents. That is not the fault of the shop, however the guide should be able to read the conditions and therefore suggest appropriate sites. At one stage I pointed out twice that I could see from the surface the current would be strong and he dismissed this and said it would be mild. It was so strong we missed seeing anything the first half of the dive because there was no way to fight it so forget seeing any macro. Yes, I take responsibility for my own diving however after making my point twice I just figured he knew better as he was a local.

I would be happy to elaborate if is of use to anyone who is thinking of going there. I can only say this was my experience on one day, maybe it was just a series of unfortunate events. We (the other diver who was there and myself) did make our concerns clear to the owner and he thanked us politely for the feedback and said the guide is ‘usually very good’ and the impression I left with was that he was not especially interested. He also told us that they were cheap there and we could go to the Gillis and pay more if we wanted.

So I did. I left and came to Bali, staying at Tulamben at the moment where in fact the diving is cheaper and I am infinitely happier with both the gear and my dive guide. When I'm done here I'll post a report and some photos!

I don't normally say much on scubaboard and I am sorry one of my first trip reports isn't a glowing recommendation but I hope this helps someone. There's not a lot of information on south west lombok diving, only mainly about the belongas hammerhead site which is out of season at the moment. I'm not saying don't go so sekotong, the area is actually nice and peaceful, I'm just saying I would personally go back when I can afford try diving (and stay?) with the new resort.

 

[DevonDiver]

Interesting report. I've not been to this area yet, but it is on my to-do list. I know many friends (all dive instructors working in Asia) who have been there and have recieved mixed reports about the quality of personnel and equipment used by the resorts. It's not normally a problem for me, as I take my own equipment and prefer not to rely on a DM, other than as a guide to find critters.

I suppose that having the confidence to over-rule a local DM, in regards to risk assessment, comes with experience - but I am not shy to do that, if they lose my trust.

Some DMs can be negligent in displaying empathy for customer's fears. What they consider to be a mild current can easily be stressful to a diver who is not used to that. Some DMs are just plain negligent....

Having lived and worked in SE Asia, I have found that some countries tend to produce poor quality 'native' DMs. This isn't a rule, just a generality. Coming from a western background, we have a much stricter perception of the term 'health and safety' that is sometimes not as well developed within certain Asian cultures.

Scuba is a competitive industry for shops/centers to survive in. I am quick to vote with my feet if I am not content with the value for money I recieve. I am glad you did the same. In most cases, I need nothing more that a tank of air and a boat ride - so I will usually opt for the cheapest alternative. That is not the case if you want/need more support from the dive centre staff.

What were your particular problems with the kit?

 

[Malene]

Thanks for the report. It is good information and a reminder that some places have excellent dive sites but not so good DMs. As Devon Diver said, if you have your own equipment and if you are experienced enough, it might not matter. But if you dive only while on holidays, you'll want to dive with a DM that you can trust.

I have a similar profile than yours (been diving for 6 years, have about 230 dives, all in tropical waters) and my main concern is to dive with a DM who is not going to take me in situations where I will not feel safe. Luckily I have had only one bad experience with a dive guide who did not seem to care about the way the dives were done and was relying on the quality of the sites (Bunaken) to keep the divers happy... After a disastrous dive, I spoke with the manager of the shop and they changed my DM. This new one was very good, very attentive and also very enthusiastic at spotting stuff. If I had to dive with the other DM, I am not sure I would not have continue diving there.

I hope you have a better time in Tulamben! Let us know how it went.

 

[Luko]

Having lived and worked in SE Asia, I have found that some countries tend to produce poor quality 'native' DMs. This isn't a rule, just a generality.

Ouuch! Another point where we will not agree ...

What do you expect from a DM? He's not an... instructor...I am more waiting for a dive guide and buddy who knows well his reef and the dive conditions.
- ALL the local DMs I dived with in the Phils (4 stays) were outstanding.
- Most of the indonesian DMs (10 stays in different or DCs or so) I have dived with in Indonesia were very good, except a really cheap operation in Bali where my buddy and I had to look after unexperienced guests,
- I stress that I would have confidently left my safety to the local malay DMs I have dived with (6 stays mostly in Borneo).
- I had mixed impressions on thai DMs (7 stays or so) and would state that locals were better than western Koh Tao DM newbies or Phuket hired DMs, because locals wanted to make a better impression on their guests.
- The locals DMs I had in Vietnam (2 stays) were very good, while the westerner was clearly an a**hole.
- The western DM I had in Cambodia (1 stay) was totally incompetent. I even had to stop the dives and ask for a refund.

 

[Centrals]

Before I went to Philippines(Moalboal) to complete my OW course back in 1996, my friend told me that I SHOULD chose a "Foreigner" as a instructor. But my buddy and I decided otherwise( Nelson at Philippine Dive Safari). It was a damn good decision.
I dived regularly around SE Asia and yet to come across any incompetent LOCAL dm over last 14 yrs. In Philippines, foreign dm is a an endangered species!!!

 

[mslise]

Devon Diver: Not so much that the current was an issue to cope with, but meant that half the dive was a write off. Sure, a quick current to see pelagics or on a nice colourful reef drift dive, but not in bad vis for macro! The DM should have been able to choose a macro site with better conditions on the day. We did have a vague dive plan (to go via the pier to find frogfish) but we missed it by a mile because of the current, so clearly it wasn't what he expected. When we got out he said to me 'wow really strong current' and I really couldn't help snapping back at him 'yeah, I warned you twice before we got in' and after that he didn't say a lot but he did hang around when we were back at the shop talking to the owner, I would suspect because he knew we were going to complain.

As for the kit, the first regs had a badly leaking occy, they changed to the spare boat regs which had a gauge which bounced when you breathed (sorry,don't know the technical term but know it's not good!) so I ended up with the guide's regs. Also, the only wetsuit which fit me was more hole than wetsuit. I'm an irregular size or anything! Don't get me started on the fins available either. I do of course prefer my own gear but this trip is backpacking so I can't carry it all unfortunately!

Also, I'd like to say I actually prefer local dive guides, I don't need someone to look after me the whole time but I almost always previously find the local guides are much more knowledgeable about the sites, in terms of the conditions and also finding critters.

 

[rpcaswell]

I just returned from a trip to Bali and Lombok. I had hoped to do a couple of dives in south Lombok, but was talked out of it by the dive operator who thought conditions might be too rough with strong currents. I ended up diving a couple of days in the Gili Islands. These islands are a very popular dive location and have a number of dive sites. Gili Trawangan would be a fun place to stay as there are no cars, lots of restaurants, and a party atmosphere. The dives were pleasant enough with a fair amount of photographic opportunities. Unfortunately there was very little healthy coral. I was told this is the result of dynamite fishing in the past. For this reason I probably won't go back.

When on Bali I did a couple of dives at Tulamben to see the wreck of the USAT Liberty. Visibility was good and there is lots to see including a school of jacks and garden eels. There were unfortunately a lot of plastic bags floating in the water, which detracted from the experience.

I went to Nusa Penida twice, an island 45 minutes away from Sanur by power boat. I had hoped to encounter Mola Mola, but was out of luck. I missed the season which is from July to October. There was lots of healthy coral and was my favorite dive location in Bali.

 

[Scuba Dive Asia]

Hi all,

I love diving and I enjoy it at its best when I am confident with the people I am diving with. It is just great to come out of a dive and to share what we have just seen.

Having worked in Asia with "local" dm and instructors for a long time I must admit there is one thing they are excelent at: "Spotting". They know their reefs inside out; Few of them have dived there for years. They know where to find all these treasures we are after.
It is true that at times safety might not be their top priority, or that what is important for us might be as important for them. However, I always found that talking to my guide and clearly express what I was expecting simply did it.
And guess what? When it comes to western DM what is important for me might be as important for them. However, talking to my western DM and explain what I was expecting did NOT always do the trick.

 

[Luko]

However, talking to my western DM and explain what I was expecting did NOT always do the trick.

Hahaha... Very well put! Spot on!
(same situation landside, when they post on SB too :biggrin: )