Diving Cerfificate Indonesia 2012 - Serious Diving Schools
Replies: 22 - Last Post: Nov 26, 2012 7:11 PM Last Post By: wisdm14
jump to
Diving Cerfificate Indonesia 2012 - Serious Diving Schools
WelcomeMy name is Jacob, a fellow Swede who's travelling half the world from Moscow to Southern Indonesia by land with my girlfriend Matilda. We just crossed the equator and arrived to the town of Bukuttinggi in the middle of Sumatra, where we intend to spend a couple of days hiking and trekking in the surroundings of the town.
When we headed out on our journey in late October last year, we promised ourself to take the advanced open water diving certificate somewhere in southeast asia and we first aimed to do it in Vietnam. But as time went on it has become just too obvious that Vietnam wasn't the place to do it in. So, now we're in Indonesia for 60 days and our main objective if to find a diving school somewhere on our way around the islands (excluding Papua, west Timor and Maluku) where we can first take our open water and then advanced diving cerfificate!
So, anyone who can recommend any schools anywhere in Indonesia, we would be most grateful (I know this been posted some times before but I want it up to date). We are looking for a serious diving school in nice environments and good diving spots, if visiting wrecks and doing night dives if possible it's even better! We don't have to visit the best, most remotest places for diving in the world (let's save then for later eh?) - I guess it will be equally epic breathtaking the first time - but we want something, let's say praiseworthily and serious. We heard that there's a lot of not serious schools in Bali and the Gili islands that don't give a proper education and just hand out certificates as if they were flyers. These are the places we're trying to avoid. Also for you to know is that we are travelling on a limited budget, which means that we can't afford 5-stars hotels and too much costs in excess of the diving - so if you know a place easy to reach from the different islands it would be great and we don't mind travelling of the beaten track! If you have taken a certificate or dived in some places in Indonesia just write it here and post a link if it's possible. We intend to take it in march to the middle of april so mind the weather situations in some places :)
So, any advices will be much appreciated and thanks in advance!
Best regards
Mr.B
2
You mean accommodation? Yes, accommodation is much less than $50 a night. A dive, I think is about €30, if you take a package, less. If you are on a budget, try one of the dive centres on Alor (Kalabahi or Kepa Island). You have to contact them for the price of the open water course. I really liked the simple resort on Kepa Island. The food was great there as well. Check it out!3
Check out La Petite Kepa. Accommodation including 3 meals is something between 15 and 20 euros. And the food is great! Contact them for the price of the open water course. I think in April they should be open again. Also contact Alor Dive in Kalabahi, where you have the choice between several hotels, and more possibilities for other activities (volcano hiking ...) That part of Indonesia is cheap.@flyingorange: Do you happen to be German? Alor Dive is a "deutsche Tauchschule", which may matter if it comes to taking a course.
4
Hi,Padangbai has strip of about 6 diving schools, calm waters, cheap clean hotels, and a wreck just over an hour away by car. We have used Absolute Scuba. Look for Stiljn.
Cheers.
5
I have friends who are serious divers who speak highly of Blue Marlin on the Gili Islands. There may be a lot of places handing out certificates in Bali and the Gilis but there are also some quality outfits.7
We highly recommend Eco-Dive at Jemeluk Beach in Amed, East Bali.http://www.ecodivebali.com/
John Huxley is the master diver there and he’s been at this for over 15years now. Our oldest son and our niece became open water certified with him last Summer and the whole process took the better part of three full days…from early AM to late afternoon. John does not hand out certificates like candy, and he is certified to instruct all the PADI diving courses.
Jemeluk is a great location and there is great diving right off of his beach. Night diving is no problem either. They are only about a 15 minute ride to Tulamben and the great diving on the USS Liberty wreck there.
If you go to the Scuba Travel site and scroll down to Eco-Dive you will read more rave reviews about John’s operation (Eco-Dive) than any other:
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/indonesia/baliop.html
10
Thanks for answer!Yeah, I have heard much good things about the diving in Alor - I got in contact with the guy who runs www.divealor.com which is supposed to be one of the best in Indonesia and he had a school in Kupang and wanted around 658 Euro for open water and advanced - do you know anything about it? I'll defently check out the other places!
/ Mr.B
12
With Eco-Dive, the open water certification takes 3 days and includes 4 dives, the total price being US $375.00. The advanced diver certification takes 2 days and includes 5 dives, the total price being US $325.00.Eco-Dive also has on site bungalows available for divers undergoing certification courses.
You might want to have a look at their web site:
http://www.ecodivebali.com/
13
Hi Mr.B.,A price between 600 and 700 euros for the Open Water Diver (OWD) and the Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) courses together is normal. Many people do the AOWD immediately or shortly after the OWD because so they can join the deeper dives; and most of the dives go down below 25 m, many of them below 30 m. There are dive operators who do not apply the rules that strictly, though. After your certification as an OWD you can do a few fun dives as a member of the group of certified divers, and some of your dives can then be counted as AOWD-certification dives, e.g. a dive into a cave.
Donovan - http://www.divealordive.com/ - has his main office in Kupang, and in Alor, he is based in one of the hotels. I think it is the Pelangi, but I'm not sure. His guests stay at a hotel of their choice. His boat is based in Kalabahi, and he goes out through Kalabahi Bay to Pantar Strait for the dives. He may just take you along on the boat with the other divers. I saw his boat last July and it looked decent to me - it's a basic, but big and comfortable boat, just like the ones that are usually used as dive boats in the region.
Have a look at Google Maps.
As to your other question, the OWD course is the basic course. Often, the first two dives are done in a swimming pool, but if there is no pool, they will take you straight into the sea (at a suitable location). You will be lucky on Alor - there is no pool : )
Have fun!
Klemencja
14
Klemencja,How can you say that for the combined course for the open water and advanced open water course a fee of between 600 and 700 Euros is normal when one of the best known and highly recommended dive operators in Bali only charges US $700 for both, which is the equivalent of 523 Euros?
