Destinations
Loading...
If you have dived in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan before, please share your experiences: Dive spots you would recommend, which Dive Center you used, Fishes & Diving, Visibility, Currents, etc. Please post your comments in the section below, by doing so you will help fellow divers to plan their next trip
Diving around Nusa Penida is just fantastic! It offers incredible dive sites where you have great chances to see the famous and rare Mola Mola also called Oceanic Sunfish. The best period to spot it is from August to October.
The Mola Mola usually live very deep (and therefore not easy to see) but during these months they come up to shallow waters to be cleaned of their parasites. During this period divers from all over the world come to Bali especially for the Sunfish and it can be a good idea to book your dives in advance as they can get pretty full.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39891373@N07/4177153125/
The best place to see the Mola Mola is the dive site Crystal Bay. However the current can be strong and tricky and it is not always possible to dive there.
One of the most famous dive sites around Bali is Manta Point where numerous manta rays come all year round to enjoy the cleaning station. Seeing Manta Rays there is not always a 100% guarantee but they are there almost every day so you have a good chance of spotting them. Also some dive companies offer money back if you do not see the Manta Rays. The surrounding is very beautiful with limestone cliffs all around the bay.
Diving Manta Point is quite easy and shallow (max depth 15 m) and suitable for all divers. This site is very popular and often crowded so try to get there early in the morning to avoid the crowd. Moreover the conditions are better in the morning, after the sea could become choppy and visibility less good. If the Manta Rays are not there it can be a boring dive.
Nusa Penida is also great for hard and soft coral with many gorgonian sea fans along the steep walls.
Safety Warning! The current can be very strong and unpredictable around Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan. Having 4 knots of current is not rare and most of the dives are drift dives. Diving there is NOT recommended for beginners and inexperienced divers. See Below for more information.
In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan.
Table of contents
How to dive Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan?
Padi Dive Training in Lembongan Island:
If you want to get Diving Courses, I can recommed you Blue Corner Dive Centre. They have a nice pool to practice and their two Padi instructors Cody and Andrew are great teachers!
Dive Centres:
Nusa Lembongan is the best base for you to dive around Nusa Penida. It takes just a few minutes to go to Nusa Penida dive sites from the dive centres on Nusa Lembongan.
You can also go diving around Nusa Penida on a daytrip:
From Padangbai: it takes about 1.5 hours with a fast boat. Everything is arranged by the local dive centres.
From Sanur: It is a 45 min boat ride to get to Nusa Penida dive sites. Everything is arranged by the local dive centres.
Where to stay?
I usually use this website to book in advance my hotels in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because it's free to cancel and change the dates.
Top liveaboards in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan according to divers reviews
Scuba Diving conditions
The water around Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan is usually quite cold due to cold water coming from very deep. Sometimes it can go as low as 22°C and even right down to 16 °C! So it is better to dive there with a 5 mm full wet suit! The coldest months are from June to October and hottest ones are from November to February.
The water is also very clear among the best visibility around Bali. This clear water is due to the strong current sweeping the area.
But if you know how to deal with the current it can offer you unforgettable drift diving memories of literally flying over the reef! You should always be guided by an experienced guide and try not to question his judgement as they know the area very well. If the conditions are good it can be amazing dives but if not careful, it can rapidly become a nightmare and there have been cases of accidents in the past. But this is this current which brings big fishes and clear water
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leafbug/5134592245/
Diving Safety
If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan, it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Photos Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan
Travel Guide
Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.
Diving Reviews for this region
Dive spots reviews in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan
Liveaboard Reviews in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan
This is a planning question. We are a brother and sister each with 3-4 prior dives over a long period, now going to both Gili Trawangan and to Padang Bai. On the basis of a friend’s experience that Gili was delightful but the diving poor there, we are planning on diving more in Padang Bai. A guide we will hire then suggested just Amed and Lembogan, rather than diving out of Padang Bai. Do you have any comparisons to offer? Thanks very much.
Did my 30m deep cert with Bali dive academy on Nusa Lembongan. Did a drift dive on Mangrove point. The coral is in much better condition than around the Lombok islands. the whole island is paradice with many dive options as well as great food and cheap beers
I think the safety warning in the above article is very misleading. Professionallying run dive shops on Lembongan have been teaching beginners to dive for years. With the correct planning there is no reason why beginners can’t enjoy the stunning reefs and fish life on offer. Being so close to the diving here we are able to be flexible with our dive times unlike the dive shops from Bali. Choosing a good well run shop is important.
Crystal bay’s coral wall and other dive sites in Nusa Penida is substantially damaged by divers grabbing wall with hand.
You can go countercurrent easily with your trunk getting near to floor or wall, doing gentles kicks(preferably frog kick with trim)instead of touching, grabbing it.
Nusa Penida is a perfect drift dive site. There are only few places you can drift for 45min.
However I guess it is a most crowded of sites in Bali. So in next trip to Bali I’m about to exclude Nusa Penida.
I di’ndt know where to find this info then kaboom it was here.
Just returned from a trip to Bali. Tried some diving at the recommended Nusa Penida. The drift was so strong that the dive was not enjoyable. It also causes everything to be green and dirty in color as it picks up all the silt in the water. We didn’t even do the second dive because of the motion sickness of the drift from the first. I was able ot see some clown fish and star fish, but we drifted so fast, that you didn’t have time to enjoy anything let alone get good pictures
I’ve been diving Nusa Lembongan twice now and definitely going back. There were heaps of Manta rays, amazing coral, lots of fish, very good viz and even a pod of dolphins.
I was diving with Legend Diving Lembongan who were friendly, knowledgeable and above all provided a safe and comfortable dive experience.
When do you think the best time for snorkeling (not diving) around Penida and Lembongan is? I mean the time when the sea is calm and no strong current.
Big thanks!!
There are so many adventures courses provided and relaxation in scuba diving.Nice Post
I so wanted to do this and still do. Had a couple of taster sessions in pools in UK, then booked a PADI course in Dahab about 5 years ago. Completed all the confined water stuff but as soon as instructor took me down for 1st open water dive panic set in. I settle for a bot of snorkelling now, but I can still dream!
Hi Diana, I’m sorry to read this about the panic while diving. It’s indeed something that happens and if you’re not ready to dive again it’s 100% fine! Plus, the world is big and destinations with crystal clear waters are many so you can get almost as much as a dive by staying on the surface! Wishing you the best snorkeling explorations in the future
There are so many advantage provided for scuba diving and relaxation
Hi, I will be doing my Padi course in Bali with my partner and were looking at Nusa. She has never dived before and could be apprehensive about the current being to strong for her as a beginner? I dont want it to scare her off. So im looking to hear from anyone who has experience of the area please. Or would we be best to do it on the Gilis where im told its calmer? Or would there be any other recommendations?
Thank you in advance
Andy
Hi Andy!
Quickly my thoughts are that there are better places to learn to dive at first. The water in Nusa is perhaps colder than other places and there are currents, even “sweeping” ones as mentioned above. But, on the other hand, a good dive center knows what it’s doing and will go to the proper sites for an Open Water training so I’m sure it would be totally fine! Your best clue will be to look at some dive centers website and contact the ones you’re interested in! Remember, in term of diving, the priority should be the quality of the training and not only the price
Plus, as a personal opinion, snorkeling is fine in the Gilis, meaning that I found nothing over exiting in scuba there. But, this also means it would be great and easy for a beginner
Best bubbles, always!
Also I should add for the question above. We will be doing it mid March time.
Thank you
Nusa Penida is one of the best dive sites in Indonesia. If you want to see big stuff, this is a fantastic (and relatively easy to reach) locations. I have had close encounters with Mantas, Molas, turtles and sharks here. Yes, the currents need to be respected, but a good dive operation like World Diving creates the daily schedule based on the tide, currents and where the fish are. Simply put, this is a great place to dive and in the same league as the Komodos and Bunaken.
Hello!
We are coming to Bali on September and we would like to know how much does it cost for Scuba Diving at Nusa Penida, for 2 persons?
We would like to do this activity on September 13 2022 in the morning (one half day). Is it possible ? How long the activity take?
Thank you! Tania