Shore (&boat) diving in Bali (for cheap!)

hello

hi my name is scott, I live in LA

I'm going to bali 10/23 - 11/6, I saw your post about diving for cheap in tulamben (and everywhere else in bali)

my friend I am meeting there has no money, so we want to shore dive for free also, just paying for equipment rental, tank, and fills. we will also pay for a few boat dives (maybe nusa penida, panang bai and menjangan)

I'd also like to try that in amed, kubu, and secret bay.

do you anywhere in amed, kubu, or near the secret bay we can do this, and with which dive shop?

we are going to try dive paradise and mari hari in tulamben to start with.

if anyone else has favorite hotels or dive operators to recommend (or not recommend), please post here!

thanks alot!

scott gietler

www.gallery.scubapost.net

Yes, you can certainly dive for cheap in all those places. You can rent equipment in Tulamben which is close to Kubu. Not sure if you can rent tanks in Amed, but I bet you can. Alex will know.

In Tulamben, you can dive most sites from Paradise bungalows - with the ladies carrying your tanks to the wreck and teh dropoff. If you want to dive other sites, you're going to need transport.

I dove 10 days in Bali and only did THREE boat dives in my time there. Shore diving is super-easy especially if you have transport. You can get a car-and-driver for ~$30US per day.

Cheers

James

thank james! yes, I heard paradise bungalows is the best place to deal with. I'm planning on staying in tulamben, I was told renting a tank is $15 for the 1st tank, then $5 for fills. I assume full equipment rental will be 10 a day (in case I decide not to lug mine around), and my friend doesn't have her own equipment.

so 3 shore dives should cost $10 equipment + $15 tank + $10 fills = $35, plus tips for porters, does this sound right?

we will probably do a couple boat dives in either nusa penida, panang bai, or menanjagan, looing for mantas and sunfish.

btw, if any has snorkeled or dove in amed during the last 2 years, I'd love to hear how it was, I've heard mixed reviews of how its recovered.

FYI, here is what other people PM-ed me: (I hope they don't mind me reposting it here)

I think that you can rent tanks at Mata Hari. Most operators want you to book a package with a guide. You are expected to pay the porters about $1.50 US/Dive. It's how they survive. For Kubu you'll need transport to get there and bring tanks, as the dive resort has closed down. For many places, knowledge of the language via a guide is the only way to arrange things. I wouldn't bother with Amed. It has suffered damage, and can have some current. For Secret Bay, you'll also need transport, and probably stay in Pemuteran somewhere. ( Secret Bay is a long way from anywhere, and isn't that great. They have an office there now, and you probably have to pay a fee. I always dive with Ena Dive Centre and request a guide named Tut De (pronounced Today). Guides should be tipped; about $10/day is appreciated. They work their butts off, and are paid little. Tut de will find you fabulous critters. If you want to do it alone, get some decent guidebooks with maps. There can be current and drop offs.