Last updated on January 31st, 2024 at 09:10 am
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Scuba diving in Bali is one of the best reasons to visit this island in the Indonesian archipelago. The Bali experience isn’t complete without a visit to the world that awaits under the waves. As a beginner-level scuba diver with diving anxiety, I was a little nervous about scuba diving in Bali but I am so glad I was able to overcome my fear. If you have ever dreamed of scuba diving in Bali, even as a beginner, this guide is for you.
We spent two months living in Canggu and during that time we got to see much that Bali has to offer. We enjoyed trying all the amazing restaurants and exploring the island, but scuba diving was high on our list of things to do in Bali. I also overcame a fear that has been haunting me since 2019.
Bali is a Scuba Diving Destination
Bali is an island in Indonesia that is part of the coral triangle, a marine biodiversity hot spot, home to over 500 reef-building coral species. The province of Bali includes several smaller nearby islands, Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan, and Menjangan. Scuba divers are drawn to Bali with the hope of seeing manta rays and the Mola mola (oceanic sunfish). Drift and muck diving are also sought-after experiences for scuba diving in Bali.
Top Dive Spots in Bali
Manta Point
One of the most popular dive sights is Manta Point and the area around Nusa Penida, an island just off the coast of Bali. This is one of the best places in the world to see manta rays, so it is a main attraction when visiting Bali. To get to Manta Point, you will likely take a boat from Sanur. The boat ride to the dive site is about 45 minutes to an hour. If you are certified up to 80 feet, there is a manta ray cleaning station where you can witness the manta rays getting cleaned by smaller fish. If you are only certified up to 60 feet, don’t worry, you will likely still be able to see manta rays at Manta Point.
Crystal Bay
Between Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan, Crystal Bay is where scuba divers can see the mola mola. This dive site is only for advanced divers because the Mola Mola can be seen around 30 meters or 98 feet. The currents can also be strong in this area.
Other Dives around the Nusa Islands
There are a few other dive sites around Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, many of which are mangrove dive sites and involve drift diving. Drift diving is typically better for advanced divers, however, my mom completed a drift dive during her scuba certification so it is possible for beginners as well.
USAT Liberty in Tulamben
Another popular dive site in Bali is Tulamben Beach, on the eastern side of the island. This is a popular dive because there is a shipwreck just off the shore of Tulamben Beach. This is a shore dive.
The history of the site is really interesting. The USAT Liberty was originally commissioned in World War I for animal transport. It was then used in World War II for shipping supplies. The ship was torpedoed not far off the coast of Bali and brought on to shore at Tulamben. The USAT Liberty stayed there until 1965, when a volcano erupted, pushing the ship into the sea.
The ship has been underwater long enough now that it has become home to marine life, making this an excellent dive site. The wreck extends 120 meters long and varies in depth from 3 to 30 meters. It is estimated that there are 400 species of reef fish around this site. For people who are interested in wreck dives, this is one that you shouldn’t miss.
Padang Bai
Another place to scuba dive in Bali is Padang Bai. One of the dive sites is the Blue Lagoon, which many people claim looks like an aquarium, and Shark Point, where you can often see sharks. This area is home to fish, coral reefs, sting rays, and on occasion, sharks. It is considered a good spot for beginners to dive because the current isn’t very strong. There is also a wall dive site at this location.
Amed
For muck diving, Amed, also on the eastern side of Bali, is the place to go. Muck diving involves diving in a location where there are fewer reefs and more sediment on the ocean floor. It requires greater attention to detail to spot the interesting marine critters living in the sediment. There are also shore dives at this location.
Sanur
Sanur is on the southern coast of Bali. If you go to one of the Nusa islands from Bali, you will likely take a boat or ferry from Sanur. It can be a somewhat central location to stay while scuba diving in Bali. Sanur is good for beginner divers. When we went scuba diving at Manta Point, we drove from Canggu to Sanur and took a boat about 30 minutes to the dive site.
Menjangan Island
Menjangan Island is north of Bali and it is the least accessible of the dive sites in and around Bali from the main tourist areas. It has calm waters and a variety of soft corals, so if you have time, Menjangan Island is a great place to explore for divers For more advanced divers, there are wall dives as deep as 30 to 40 meters.
My History of Scuba Diving
Growing up, I always wanted to be a scuba diver. When I would write life goals and dreams in my journal as a little girl, “go scuba diving” was always one of them (although so was sky diving and I’m pretty sure I’ve changed my mind about that one). I always loved water growing up and would spend as much time as possible swimming. Scuba diving felt like something that I was meant to do. A logical next step in following my passions. For some reason, maybe because I grew up landlocked in Colorado or because I never had anyone to go with, I didn’t get scuba-certified until 2019.
Getting Scuba Certified
In 2019, some friends and I decided to get scuba-certified to do a shark dive in the Bahamas. There’s nothing like peer pressure from your friends to get you to do something, so we signed up to take the certification class together. One of my friends had a co-worker who was also a divemaster, so she became our private teacher. It was a ton of fun because I was with my friends and we were learning something new together. Our course required a few different pool sessions over several weeks and completion of the online material before we did anything in open water. I was nervous and the more that I learned about scuba diving the more my anxiety increased about actually doing it.
Regardless, I went through all the motions and completed all the exercises. I kept waiting for something bad to happen, for the panic to penetrate my mask of bravery. It never did though. There were scary moments, like when we all descended into frigid Aurora Reservoir and held onto a square pipping, my friends across from me. The visibility was so bad I could hardly see them just a few feet in front of me.
On our last certification dive in Aurora Reservoir, I had an issue with descending too quickly and not clearing my ears. The visibility was terrible. The task of the last certification dive was to descend without a rope, so it was difficult to tell how fast I was descending until I was already there.
Afterward, I went to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor with a little ear pain and my constant companion, hypochondria. The doctor said there was no lasting damage and cleared me to fly to the Bahamas, but he wasn’t sure if I should dive or not. He said it was risky to dive. There was no way for him to know if diving would worsen the condition of my ears. I decided not to go on the dive in the Bahamas. Instead, while the other four of our friends did the shark dive, I went to a bar with my friend Josh, who was not interested in diving either.
Ever since that experience, I have been carrying this weight on my shoulders. I felt like a failure. Technically, it wasn’t the best idea for me to dive in the Bahamas, but I knew it was my fear holding me back more than anything. I also traveled to the Maldives in 2021 and didn’t go scuba diving. After that summer in 2019, thinking about scuba diving would bring up these intense feelings of anxiety and indecision. Do I need to be a scuba diver? I could just give up. People give things up after trying them all the time. It’s okay to decide you don’t like something. But did I really try? Does scuba diving in a frigid, murky green lake count as trying? Ultimately, I decided no.
My Experience Scuba Diving in Padang Bai
Preparing for Scuba Diving after a Four-Year Break
I wanted to try scuba diving again in Bali because I knew I would always wonder if I gave up without ever really trying it and this was the perfect opportunity. So during our two-month stay in Bali, we booked a trip to Padang Bai to scuba dive with Adventure Scuba Diving Bali. The location, Blue Lagoon, was supposed to be one of the best on the island for beginners. I was so nervous leading up to it. I spent all week rewatching the PADI dive course videos and twisting my hands in anticipation.
On the Saturday before, I had a refresher course in the pool. I told myself I would just try it and see how it goes. There is no harm in trying. If I end up having a panic attack, I would at least know this sport isn’t for me. So I did the pool refresher course and the instructor, Rico, was great. I told him about my anxiety. At the end of the day, I had done alright, by Rico’s terms, even though I still wasn’t feeling very confident.
I told myself, again, that I would just try. I would try to go on that first dive and see how it went. I now had proof I could do all of the skills that were needed, for the most part, and I had reviewed all the content. We rented dive computers from the dive shop for an extra cost, as an additional comfort. I needed to trust myself, which is easier said than done sometimes.
First Dive in Padang Bai
I got in the water for that first dive and went through the steps to descend. But I wasn’t sinking. I was deflating my BCD, but I was still floating on the surface, my head partially submerged. Rico added some weight to my weight belt and helped to pull me down as I equalized constantly. It took a long time and my ears and sinuses protested, but I gave them time and continued to equalize, and before I knew it, we were about 12 meters under the water. I had gotten over the first hurdle.
The colorful reef and fish were beautiful and I tried to take it all in despite my nerves. Before I knew it, it was already time to go up. The whole dive, I still couldn’t believe I was actually scuba diving. I clutched my oxygen gauge as if my life depended on it.
When I went to ascend, I ended up ascending a little too fast and felt out of control. By the time I reached the surface, I was again starting to panic. But I inflated my BCD like I was trained and motioned to the people on the boat. My dive computer didn’t read anything out of the ordinary. I later discovered that it would have said “error” if I had ascended too quickly. I also learned that it is no good having a dive computer if you don’t know how to use it.
While I had felt a little out of control on my ascension, no one else was concerned. They told me that I didn’t need to be adding air to my BCD underwater yet and that is what caused me to float up too quickly. I silently scolded myself for forgetting that as you ascend, the volume of oxygen increases, which is why having just a little air in my BCD on the bottom caused me to float up faster as I ascended.
Next Dives in Padang Bai
After that first dive, I felt a little more confident, but still really concerned about descending and ascending, because that seemed to be the hardest part. The second dive went much better. I still needed Rico’s help to descend. The second dive was the most interesting, as we were swimming along a wall of coral. You could see little fish communities, with different types of fish living in their unique anemones, just like in Finding Nemo. It was amazing. The second ascent was also more controlled.
After talking to the other dive instructor on the boat, I learned that my difficulty descending was due to holding too much air in my lungs. I was too nervous to fully exhale. By the third dive, I was feeling much more confident and began to enjoy myself a little bit. I was able to let go of the oxygen gauge so that I could take some pictures. I practiced exhaling most of the air in my lungs so that I could better control my buoyancy.
The current got a little stronger towards the end of the dive and that was a little scary. I again felt out of control. When we went to ascend, we weren’t quite as deep, and a big warm current came by and caused me to float upwards. My dive computer didn’t say I was out of range, so it wasn’t too fast.
After the third dive at Padang Bai, I felt so accomplished. I knew that I still needed more practice with scuba diving but I had successfully made it through all three dives. I couldn’t remember a recent time I had felt as accomplished as I did after this day of scuba diving. I was floating on a cloud the following week, feeling like I could do anything. It also made me feel so much more confident about living as a digital nomad, another thing that was causing me to experience self-doubt.
My Experience Scuba Diving at Tulamben
Preparing for Scuba Diving
About a month later, we had another weekend of scuba diving planned. My mom and her boyfriend, an avid scuba diver, were coming out to visit and that was at the top of their list of things to do in Bali. My mom was getting her scuba certification, which entails completing at least four dives in open water after one day of pool training. She spent Friday practicing in the pool, while I stayed back at the Airbnb and again became tense with anticipation. I tried to hold it in though, for her, because I knew she was also nervous. Her pool session went well and before I knew it, the four of us and our two dive instructors piled into a van and began the journey to Tulamben.
From where we were staying in Canggu it was a very long drive, about two and a half hours. After what felt like an eternity, we parked the van near the beach. We pulled on all our equipment after discussing the dive plan for the day. Then it was time to get back in the water. I was still nervous, but seeing how my mom was so bravely getting her certification and not letting it ruin her mood, I tried to channel some bravery too. I reminded myself that I had done this successfully three times a month ago. I could do it again.
Scuba Diving in Tulamben
Tulamben is a shore dive, so we sat on some steps above the rocky beach and put our oxygen tanks on. Then Luke and I held on to each other and walked across the rocky beach, carrying our 10L tanks on our backs and our other gear. The shore dive was much better than I anticipated. It made descending and ascending much easier. Instead of having to go straight down into the depths of the ocean, we could follow the natural slope of the shore.
The first dive that weekend was my best dive yet because I wasn’t in my head as much. I was starting to enjoy the scenery around me more instead of just focusing on everything that I needed to remember or could go wrong. I also made big strides in improving my buoyancy, controlling it by taking deep breaths when I wanted to ascend a little and exhaling when I wanted to descend a little.
Diving at Tulamben was beautiful. There was so much to see. The Liberty is huge, and almost not recognizable as a ship from where we were diving. Almost every inch of it was covered in marine life or eroded beyond recognition. There were so many fish and corals. We rounded a tall side of the ship, just on the edge of the abyss of the great wide, blue ocean. I couldn’t look that way too long or I thought I might start to panic, so I focused my attention on the ship.
We continued circling the ship as a huge school of fish swarmed around us. I turned towards the fish and time seemed to stand still as they swam right in front of me. I felt like a mermaid. It was such a beautiful moment, worth all of the suffering that I had endured to get there.
As we started to head back towards the shore, we saw a bunch of sea snakes with their bodies sticking out from the sandy bottom. They almost looked like plants. Then we saw a tiny stingray in the sand. Gradually, we ascended back to the shore where we waited for my mom, Bob, and her dive instructor to return.
READ MORE: SWIMMING WITH WHALE SHARKS IN THE MALDIVES
Second Dive at Tulamben Beach
After lunch, we did our second dive, which was similar to the first but we spent more time exploring the boat. Luke was working on controlling his oxygen use so we could dive longer. During the second dive, I had more trouble equalizing my ears again, so I was trying to swallow and move my jaw, all the things I had been taught would help with that process. I had to equalize constantly on that second dive. I started to freak out a bit about holding my breath, which is the number one rule in scuba: never hold your breath. But sometimes I felt like when I was trying to swallow I would be forced to hold my breath. My overactive brain latched on to that and suddenly I was not enjoying the dive very much anymore. That was the entirety of the second dive that day.
I was so disappointed because I wanted to end the day on a high note, considering we had three more difficult dives to do the next day. For most of the three-hour drive home in traffic, my brain spiraled with anxious thoughts about the next day, the impacts of potentially holding my breath, and the way I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. Ah, anxiety, my old friend.
My Experience Diving Near Nusa Islands
Scuba Diving at Manta Point
The last day of diving in Bali was spent near Nusa Penida and Lembongan. The first dive that day was at Manta Point, which was the dive I was most excited about. We had another couple with us, so Rico had to split his attention between the four of us. Luckily, I did well on the descent. We waited for several minutes to see if any manta rays would appear. The dive plan was to descend and then wait 5 minutes or so to see if manta rays showed up. If not, we were going to swim around the area and see some coral and then come back to Manta Point to hopefully see manta rays. I was hopeful that we would see them since it was one of my main motivations for trying scuba diving again.
A manta ray appeared shortly after we descended, and then two more. They were all fairly small, according to our divemaster, but they seemed big to me having never seen one up close before. Two of the manta rays were all black, and the other was black on the top and white on the bottom. Seeing them glide seamlessly through the water just in front of us was like a dream. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
I was trying so hard to just enjoy the moment and not stress about scuba diving, but it was difficult. I was still pretty nervous. At one point my oxygen tank came unstrapped from my BCD, and Rico efficiently fixed it before I could even notice.
Scuba Diving Near Nusa Lembongan
The second dive site that day was a drift dive. The drift dive is why Adventure Scuba Diving recommended we do Blue Lagoon or Tulamben before we did Manta Point. Drift diving is a bit more advanced because instead of swimming, you let the current carry you from where you descend to where you need to ascend and then the boat picks you up. The idea of that was pretty scary to me, but if my mom could do it while she was getting her certification, surely I could do it too.
We descended and then swam a little, but very quickly we were floating along effortlessly, being carried by the current. Below us, the coral reef floated by a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. At one point, we floated over a sea turtle. I wanted to stop and look at it, but the current wouldn’t permit it. On we floated.
It was a beautiful dive. At times, I found it scary, and other times I found it serene.
It was important for the group to stay somewhat at the same depth because the current speed varies with depth. Sometimes I would be behind and just a little shallower than someone else and the next second I was looking directly down at them because my current had carried me faster. I didn’t want to be too deep because the coral varies in height and sometimes you have to attempt to scramble out of the way before you run into it. I knew I was not yet skilled enough to drift so close to the coral.
To our left, the reef curved downward so that often there was a cliff followed by the great, wide ocean. That was a little scary as well. Several times my overactive imagination pictured me veering uncontrollably to the left and being stranded in that wide expanse.
Scuba Diving in the Future
By the time that second dive was over, I felt like I was getting off an emotional roller coaster. I had seen beautiful things and, most importantly, had been successful. I had also experienced multiple days of anxiety over this experience. Ultimately, I decided not to go on the third dive that day, which was another drift dive. I was tired. My ears had required constant equalization on the second dive and it felt like it was more difficult to do on a drift dive. I was worried that I would have more ear discomfort or not be able to descend comfortably.
At this point, I had completed six dives, which is more than I thought I would at one point in my life. I had been successful. I was still nervous about scuba diving, but I had proved to myself over and over again I could do it. I felt satisfied with what I had accomplished so far and I decided to feel good about that instead of disappointed that I didn’t do the last dive.
I don’t know my future with scuba diving, but I know that I am capable of more than I think. I don’t love scuba diving the way that I thought I would, but I had some pretty magical experiences under the sea in Bali regardless. Most likely, I will give it another try in the future. I wish it was as easy as doing it successfully once and then having all my insecurities vanish, but unfortunately, that is not how things usually work. I will probably always have a little bit of anxiety about scuba diving. Hopefully, I can keep chipping away at it because there is so much left to see under the water.
Adventure Scuba Diving Bali
There are a plethora of dive operators in Bali. We worked with Adventure Scuba Diving Bali, located in Seminyak, for all of our dives in Bali. They were great. They fielded many questions from myself and my mom before the dives. We were able to reserve in advance by wiring money through Wise. Although this initially felt sketchy, it was completely fine. Our dive instructors, Rico and Raz, were incredibly patient and kind. Since we were staying in Canggu, which is not very close to the scuba diving locations, we had to arrange transfers to the dive sites with them but everything was very easy.
The price of certification with Adventure Scuba Diving is 7,600,000 IDR ($491 USD) or 8,600,000 IDR ($556 USD) for the course with Nusa Penida and Manta Point on the third day of diving, including one additional fun dive.
A two-hour pool session refresher, recommended for divers who haven’t been scuba diving in 12 months or more, is 750K IDR or $48 USD.
A day of scuba diving with Adventure Scuba Diving including two or three dives typically ranges from 2,000,000 IDR or $129 to 2,950,000 IDR or $191 USD. The prices include local land and sea transfers, standard dive equipment (does not include dive computers), lunch, refreshments, PADI divemaster, and any other fees. Contact Adventure Scuba Diving for the most up-to-date prices.
READ MORE: PLACENCIA, BELIZE: A TROPICAL PARADISE
Tips for Scuba Diving in Bali
If you are working with a dive operator, make sure you book well in advance, especially during the high season. The more popular dive sites like Manta Point book up in advance.
Make sure you allow at least 24 hours after scuba diving to decompress before flying or visiting any of Bali’s mountains. You also want to avoid drinking alcohol the day before scuba diving. Getting a massage is not recommended before or after scuba diving. Unfortunately, these are some of my favorite things to do in Bali!
We always get Dive Accident Insurance (DAN) before going scuba diving because regular insurance, even travel insurance, often won’t cover some dive accidents. I recommend it for the extra peace of mind.
Here are a few other tips for scuba diving in Bali.
Packing Essentials for Scuba Diving in Bali
While it may not seem necessary, having an underwater camera to capture the magic experienced under the sea is a must for me! We recently upgraded to a GoPro and were able to capture these photos while scuba diving. They are always coming out with new versions of the GoPro, but we have a GoPro Hero 10 Black which works well. You can save some money if you don’t need the newest version. For scuba diving, make sure you get a waterproof case, since they are only waterproof up to 33 feet (10 meters), and a floating hand grip (paid links).
When is the best time to scuba dive in Bali?
The best time of year to scuba dive in Bali is September, which offers good chances of seeing the Mola Mola and manta rays with good visibility. However, the best time to scuba dive in Bali might vary depending on your goals. Mola Mola are typically visible between May and October, with the best chances of seeing them between July and September. The rainy season in Bali is from October to April, which can negatively impact visibility for scuba diving. The water temperature around Bali is usually 27 to 30 degrees Celcius but the water temperature around Nusa Penida is a bit lower from July to October, usually 22 to 26 degrees Celcius. Manta rays can typically be seen all year long, with the best chances being April to May and September to November. We went scuba diving at Manta Point in June and saw three manta rays.
Is scuba diving in Bali safe?
Yes, scuba diving in Bali is safe. Always make sure to work with a PADI-certified dive company and follow your PADI dive training. On the three different dive trips we went on with Adventure Scuba Diving Bali, we felt safe while scuba diving.
Is Bali a good place to get scuba-certified?
Bali offers scuba diving for all different skill levels. Due to the many different dive sites, I think Bali is an excellent place to get scuba-certified. My mom got her scuba certification in Bali and I did my first non-certification dives in Bali. I had some anxiety about scuba diving as a beginner, but I was able to overcome my anxiety with the help of the dive masters at Adventure Scuba Diving Bali and the beautiful marine life that Bali offers.
Are you scuba-certified? Or, if not, would you ever get scuba-certified? What was your experience? Have you ever been scuba diving in Bali?
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