Warmwater Wank
Contributor
Here are some Lembeh thoughts from a March 2012 trip. We stayed at NAD Resort on Lembeh Island for 2 weeks, never having been to Lembeh before. (Prior Indonesian experience: a couple dive trips to Bali and one to Raja Ampat.) So, chock full of personal opinion, here is what passes for my Lembeh trip report.
Lembeh Lament?
There were times on some dives I wondered about the wisdom of diving Lembeh. 10 minutes of staring at what seemed like the bottom of some bleak, dead stateside reservoir of fresh water with little but muck to see in seriously diminished viz. What’s so great about Lembeh though is how instantly that all changes when your guide finds a real cool treasure like a Mimic or Blue Ring Octopus or a Flamboyant Cuttlefish or…maybe something you really aren’t sure of! It’s different diving than I had done (Beautiful corals, big schools of fish, decent visibility etc.) but it certainly offers it’s own rewards. With a few days of paying attention it’s amazing how much more you start to see.
The Diving
Currents were usually not a problem, though you occasionally were in some they were nothing serious. The viz was probably typical for the area. Some dives it’s pretty dismal, often in layers though, so maybe it would be a bit clearer on a sandy bottom than the middle depths you went through. Occasionally the bottom was such that almost any activity nearby sent clouds of crud up into the water. It was easy to lose sight of folks in those situations so you should definitely feel comfortable in low viz conditions. Pay attention, listen to the briefings, have a plan w/ your dive buddy on what to do if you are separated etc. I don’t mean to harp on viz because really, after a while, you didn’t pay it all that much attention.
Dive Boats and Schedule
Two dive boats were available, depending on the number of divers. You never have more than 4 people per guide and when possible, you’ll have the same guide your whole stay. (Three of us shared a guide, they never wedged anyone else in.) Most dives were 5-15 boat minutes away, some a bit more. Bottom time was generous, 70 minutes was typical. It was usually a bit shorter later in the day but no one was putting a stopwatch on you, another 10 or 15 minutes was never a problem.The schedule was a two tank dive in the morning, back for lunch. A 2:30pm boat dive then an evening dive if desired (or shore diving on your own). Dinner when folks got in, no later than 8pm. I dove nitrox and saw some very consistent O2 numbers around 31% or32%, tank pressure was always 3K psi or better.
Good briefings, always a diagram and discussion of landmarks, directions, conditions. Our guide (Jonnie) was great. Good English, very solid guide abilities, funny and upbeat. Onshore you could most easily find him near the resort library looking at a fish or critter ID book. You can talk to your guide, let them know what your interests are, what sort of diving you want to do. Although there may be 2 or even 3 other groups on a boat they were always good at delivering some varied dives.
Take this as a heads up though. Have enough dive experience to be comfortable taking care of yourself. Dive guides in Lembeh, as a rule, are not there to serve as DM’s or safety managers. As always, you are responsible for your own safe diving, even more so if you have been lulled into other boat diving approaches where “someone else” seemed to always be watching out for you. The guides are there for their specialized knowledge of the waters and what they hold, they are not there as safety monitors. Sure, they care about your obvious safety but don’t be surprised when they swim off and disappear into the muck. They’ll be back, usually excitedly with some new wonder to show you. // End Part 1, Resort review in Part 2 // ww
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