Bali Dive Blog

One of the best things about being a diver and living in Bali is the ease of spontaneous dive trips. You wake up on a Sunday morning and think “Diving would be nice.” A few hours later, there you are, communing with the fishes.

Tom, Mia and I recently became PADI Assistant Instructors. Not that it really confers much, but we thought we’d test our new skills on some of Tom’s friends from Jakarta.

Thea, Gregor and I left Kerobokan for Tulamben Saturday night so we could be in the water early Sunday morning. We drove up with Tom and Mia caravanning. We knew we couldn’t make it all the way to Tulamben without dinner, so we stopped in Candidasa at Vincent’s which had recently been recommended by quite a few people.
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The beautiful Villa M is hidden away in the rice fields, just ten minutes drive from Berawa beach on Bali’s south western coast. Offering guests a choice of renting options, this 4-bedroom retreat covers 2,000 square metres of land and is comprised of two self-contained villas, each with a private entrance and a private pool. The 1-bedroom villa and the 3-bedroom villa can either be linked or alternatively remain totally separate and private. Designed by Balinese architect Putu Edy Semara, the style blends modern Balinese architecture with minimalist design, local materials, hardwood floors, and graceful, contemporary furnishings. Read more … »

Bali Dive Centers and Operators

This is a list of diving resources in Bali including dive centers, dive operators, and dive shops. As an island famous for its tranquil waters and diverse marine life, Bali has lots of scuba diving centers. Some big companies have their own speed boats, air fill stations and transport (buses). Others are little more than a sign and a dive guide. I estimate that there are more then 200 dive operators in Bali. Of these, only about 50 dive centers are officially registered.

The dive centers are located throughout Bali. Many are based in Sanur. And others are located in Kuta, Denpasar, or directly near Bali’s dive spots in Tulamben, Padang Bai, Lovina, Menjangan, Nusa Dua, and Nusa Lembongan.
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Tulamben Dive Sites

Diving Tulamben is very easy, most of the time there are no strong currents, swells, surges or big waves. Almost all of the sites are shore dives, so all you have to do is walk right in. Other sites are accessible by JUKUNG (small traditional wooden outrigger boats).

Tulamben beach is rocky, covered in volcanic stones from nearby Mount Agung which exploded most recently in the 1960s. It can be difficult to walk along the beach if you are not used to it, so make sure to wear your booties. The porters have no problem scrambling along the beach with a tank or two balanced precariously on their heads, but you might find that it’s hard enough just to manage your own balance.

Divers are spoiled by the porter system in Tulamben. You set up your gear at the hotel or cafe where you are based, and the porters carry your gear for you along the stony beach to your dive site. So all you have to do is put on the gear and walk into the water. When you finish your dive, just take off your tank and leave it for the porters to carry back to your base station. But be kind to the porters- make sure you carry your own weights (and fins and mask)… still easy though compared to lugging your tank around!

In addition to the porter service, many local women have also organized a massage cooperative. So after your dives, you can get massaged right on the beach while gazing out at the tranquil ocean. Just ask your hotel to organize this for you if you don’t get approached by one of the masseurs.

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Diving Secret Bay, Gilimanuk

Secret Bay diving site in Bali is located beside Gilimanuk harbor in West of Bali Island. Gilimanuk is the only harbor for crossing to and from Java Island by car. Going to Secret Bay from Denpasar will approximately take 3 to 3.5 hours by car.

The traffic is very busy due of the main road to Java Island. Heading to west of Bali, passing Tabanan city and further away crossing Negara city, finally you will get to Secret Bay.

Diving Secret Bay is a muck diving, there is no corals just black sand full with garbage, cold water at about 15 degree Celsius, dirty water, shallow around 2 - 7 meters, poor visibility less then 4 meters and lots of local people have their recreation by renting water cycle especially on Sunday.
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