Bali, an incredible island filled with green rice terraces, beautiful ancient buildings and stunning beach locations, is one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world for adventure seekers. You can dive into tropical coral reefs, swim along amazing underwater cliffs and float with reef sharks and manta rays, Bali has many diving opportunities for divers of all experience levels.
With all of these exciting activities come the responsibility of being safe while enjoying them. Scuba Diving in Bali can be extremely fun, but your safety should always come first. This guide contains the necessary information to help keep you safe and have an amazing experience while diving in the ocean!
Why Safety Matters in Adventure Scuba Diving in Bali
Adventure scuba diving in Bali is not only a fun holiday activity, it is also an experience within the living marine system. Each dive site has different challenges no matter if you are diving at Lembongan with current that can catch even the experienced diver by surprise, or you are diving on a gentle reef at the Pemuteran dive centre.
1. Choose Reputable Dive Centers Bali
Finding an excellent diving company is your first step in ensuring that you'll have a fantastic, safe diving experience in Bali. Even though many companies are available in Bali, they're not all the same.
Look for companies with the following attributes:
Experienced & certified instructors
Small ratios of divers per guide
Clean and well-maintained equipment
Clear safety briefing and defined emergency procedures.
There are many trusted names. For example, Pemuteran Diving Company has knowledgeable instructors and is committed to providing safe diving. It doesn't matter if you're diving the calm coral reefs at Pemuteran or doing the drift dives at Nusa Lembongan; a solid diving company will help establish your entire diving experience.
2. Always Dive Within Your Limits
Scuba diving in Bali could provide you with amazing visions of huge manta rays, or a wild drift diving adventure, but the most important thing is that you dive within the limits of your training and experience.
Tips to stay within safe limits:
Be honest about your level of certification
If you're inexperienced, avoid diving at sites with strong currents
When diving in areas with strong current, choose guided dives with instructors that know the local conditions
If your training was some time ago, take a refresher course
For instance, although Lembongan diving is beautiful, there are many sites that have significant tidal currents that make it necessary for divers to possess good buoyancy control and prior experience with drift diving.
3. Get Familiar with Local Conditions
Each dive site in Bali is unique in its own way. The differences between Tulamben, Nusa Penida and Pemuteran are not only in tides, thermocline, sea conditions, and marine life; they are very different from one another.
Before you start your dive, be sure to:
Check with your guide concerning currents and surge
Have a good idea of the entry and exit points from the site
Understand the best times of year to dive at a given site.
Additionally, it is important to have an understanding of how the weather can affect the visibility of underwater objects.
Finally, because of the geology of Bali, it is common to have deep drop-offs and steep walls as part of the dive sites. This is especially evident in areas like Nusa Penida and Candidasa, therefore it is extremely important to run through site previews and briefings at these locations.
4. Prioritize Buoyancy Control
If you want to be a safe diver, developing buoyancy control is one of the most important things to learn as a diver. Not only does it make your dive more enjoyable, but it also protects the coral reefs and reduces the likelihood of rapidly rising to the surface or uncontrolled descents.
Having good buoyancy helps you:
Conserve air more effectively
Prevent you from hitting sharp corals and marine creatures
Stay close to your dive buddy or instructor
Swim against the current more effectively
If you are having problems with buoyancy while diving, seek advice from your instructor or attend a targeted buoyancy training session; it can have a significant impact on your overall diving experience.
5. Stay Hydrated and Avoid Dehydration
If you dive in Bali's tropical heat and humidity you may find yourself in a dehydrated state much quicker than anticipated, particularly on the day of your diving activity. In addition, being dehydrated can increase the risk of suffering from decompression sickness (DCS), a major concern for divers when surfing, and fatigue.
Below are some water safety tips for you to follow:
Drink lots of water before and after diving
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption the night before diving
Eat balanced meals to keep your energy level up
Rest between dives, especially if you are doing multiple dives in one day
Hydration will assist your body’s ability to safely get rid of nitrogen from your body, as well as preventing headaches, cramps and fatigue all of which can distract you while you are participating in safe diving activities.
6. Observe Proper Equalization Techniques
The most common way for divers to get injured due to barotrauma is by not equalizing properly while ascending and descending due to the change in pressure.
Tips for equalizing safely:
Make sure to descend at a slow speed and not force descent.
Use the Valsalva or Frenzel methods in order to equalize your ears
If you cannot equalize your ears during descent, do not continue to descend.
Communicate with your buddy or guide about any discomfort you are experiencing.
Instructors throughout Bali have continually stressed the importance of equalizing your ears, but this is especially important at deeper dive locations where the pressure changes rapidly as you descend.
7. Respect Marine Life and Reef Ecosystems
Many of the places you can scuba dive in Bali offer underwater beauty you will see through your scuba mask, but interacting with marine animals should be done with respect to the wild animal they are. Wild animals are unpredictable and if you touch one you can create harm both to yourself and the animal.
Therefore to protect marine animals:
Avoid directly touching and not trying to chase marine animals
Do not let your fins, hands and gear touch the coral
Use reef-safe sunscreen
Maintain your buoyancy to prevent the sediment from being kicked up off the bottom
Responsible divers will continue to help ensure that the reef ecosystems of Bali will continue to be alive for future generations and thus allow divers to enjoy the coral and marine life as seen in the colorful coral gardens near Pemuteran and the dramatic walls of Nusa Penida.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the minimum age for adventure SCUBA diving in Bali?
Most dive shops will allow certified SCUBA divers aged 10 years old and older to complete Adventure SCUBA Diving programs typically designed for Junior Divers. To be fully certified as a SCUBA diver you need to be age 12 or older. Please consult with your dive center on minimum age requirements and any medical requirements before planning your dive in Bali.
2. Is there a way to participate in Adventure SCUBA Diving if you are a beginner in Bali?
Yes! There are many diving sites that are suitable for beginner divers and can provide a calm diving environment (such as dive sites supported by Pemuteran Dive Center). However, more advanced dive sites, such as diving at Lembongan, may be better suited for more experienced SCUBA divers or for SCUBA divers to proceed on guided drift dives.
3. What happens if I start to feel uncomfortable while submerged in the water during my dive in Bali?
Signal to your dive guide or dive buddy immediately! Try to calm yourself down by slowing down your breathing rhythm and maintain equal pressure on both your lungs (You will feel neutral buoyancy). If necessary, ascend to the surface of the water as fast as possible. All dive professionals are trained to deal with these types of situations and should be able to assist you with making necessary adjustments to your dive, or terminating the dive altogether for your protective safety.
4. Do I need special or specific equipment to dive in Bali?
Most dive centers provide you with the equipment that you need to dive. However, if you plan to dive frequently, or would like to have greater comfort while diving, you might explore purchasing your own mask, snorkel, and fins and possibly exposure protection. In addition, if you will be in waters with colder water temperatures, you might want to check to see if a wetsuit of 3-5 millimeters thick (or some style of semi-dry suit) would be recommended by your dive center.
Conclusion
Adventure scuba diving in Bali has an incredible combination of beauty, marine life, and adrenaline-creating opportunities beyond imagination. When you choose a dive center in Bali that you can trust, are aware of local diving conditions, and always dive at your level of certification, then you are ready to experience all that the water below the surface has to offer you. You will have the best possible experience if safety is at the forefront of every dive you do, from the beautiful coral reefs in the Pemuteran dive centre through to exciting drift dives in Lembongan. With professional guidance and proper preparation, Dive Concepts Bali ensures your underwater adventure is not only thrilling but also secure and unforgettable.
