Diving in Bali: Top Dive Sites, Courses, Prices and Safety

Is Bali good for diving?

Yes. Bali sits at the edge of the Coral Triangle, the most species-rich marine region on Earth, and within a few hours' drive you can dive a Second World War wreck from the beach, kneel beside manta rays, drift along vertical coral walls and, in season, meet the strange oceanic sunfish. It is also one of the most affordable places in the world to learn.

The headline sites are Tulamben and Amed on the east coast, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan off the southeast, Menjangan Island in the northwest and Padang Bai between them. Beginners and experienced divers want different parts of that list, and the difference matters, because some of Bali's most famous sites have some of the strongest currents in Indonesia.

Tulamben: the USAT Liberty wreck

The USAT Liberty is the dive most people come for, and it lives up to it. The 125-meter US Army cargo ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in January 1942 and beached at Tulamben. When Mount Agung erupted in 1963, the tremors shifted it into the sea, and it now lies on a black-sand slope about 40 meters from the beach, between roughly 5 and 30 meters deep.

You walk in from a stony beach, fin out a few minutes and the hull appears, broken up and thickly covered in soft corals, sponges and gorgonian fans. Schools of jacks and batfish hang around it, and the shallows are good for macro life. Conditions are usually gentle, which makes it suitable for newly certified divers, and dawn dives before the day-trip crowds arrive are memorable. Night dives here are excellent.

Tulamben also has the Drop Off, a wall dive, and the Coral Garden, both easy shore dives.

Amed and Padang Bai

Ten minutes south of Tulamben, Amed offers relaxed, mostly shore-based diving on gentle slopes. Jemeluk Bay has a coral garden and a wall, there is a small Japanese wreck at Banyuning, and Pyramids is an artificial reef. It is a calm, unhurried place to do a course or log easy dives.

Padang Bai, the ferry port an hour from Sanur, has easy sites such as Blue Lagoon and Tanjung Jepun, good for macro life, plus more advanced options offshore at Gili Mimpang and Gili Tepekong, where currents can be serious. Day-trip pricing from the south for two dives at either area is typically around IDR 2,200,000 to 2,500,000 (USD 135 to 150) per person, including transfers, with a minimum of two divers.

Nusa Penida: mantas and mola mola

Nusa Penida is Bali's big-animal destination and its most demanding. Reef manta rays visit cleaning stations at Manta Point year-round, usually in 5 to 15 meters of water but often with surge. From about July to October, cold upwelling brings the mola mola, or oceanic sunfish, up to cleaning stations at Crystal Bay, Blue Corner and other deep sites, often at 20 to 40 meters.

During mola season the water can drop to 18 to 24°C, so a 5 mm wetsuit and hood are sensible. More importantly, currents around Crystal Bay, Toyapakeh and Blue Corner are strong, change quickly and can include downcurrents. Reputable operators ask for Advanced Open Water certification, deep and drift experience and around 30 logged dives for the challenging sites, and some keep Blue Corner for very experienced divers only. Take that seriously. Trips from Sanur take around 45 to 60 minutes each way, and a day with two or three dives typically costs around IDR 2,900,000 to 3,500,000 (USD 175 to 215). For the wildlife, see our guide to manta rays and mola mola in Bali.

Menjangan Island

The walls around Menjangan Island, inside West Bali National Park, are Bali's prettiest: vertical coral walls dropping from a shallow top into deep blue, with gorgonian fans, turtles and visibility that is often superb. Currents are usually mild, which makes it suitable for newer divers with good buoyancy. It is about four hours from the south, so most people base themselves in Pemuteran for a night or two. The national park charges an entrance fee on top of the dive price.

Learning to dive: courses and prices

A PADI or SSI Open Water course, the entry-level certification that lets you dive to 18 meters, takes about three days in Bali. Expect around IDR 6,000,000 to 8,500,000 (USD 365 to 520), depending on the school, location and group size; doing the theory online before you arrive can save a day. Advanced Open Water, two days and five dives, costs roughly IDR 6,900,000 to 8,000,000. A half-day try-dive with no certification runs around IDR 600,000 to 1,500,000.

Amed, Tulamben and Padang Bai are excellent places to learn, with calm water and dive sites close to shore. Nusa Penida is not a good place for a first dive.

You will fill in a medical questionnaire, and some conditions, including asthma and heart problems, need a doctor's sign-off. Check that your travel insurance covers diving, or take out separate dive insurance.

When to dive in Bali

Diving is possible year-round. The dry season, roughly April to November, brings the calmest seas and best visibility, especially on the east and north coasts. July to October is mola season off Nusa Penida, and also the busiest time. The rainy months, December to March, can reduce visibility near river mouths, but they are quieter and the water is warm everywhere. Remember not to fly within 18 to 24 hours of your last dive, and plan your volcano hikes with the same rule in mind, since altitude has a similar effect.

Choosing a safe dive operator

Bali has hundreds of dive centers, and prices vary for a reason. A few checks help:

• Look for an established PADI or SSI center with good recent reviews, and ask how long the guides have worked locally.
• Ask about group size. Around four divers per guide is a good standard on fun dives, and fewer for students.
• Check the equipment. Gear should look well kept, and every diver should carry a surface marker buoy at Nusa Penida.
• Ask how they handle currents. A good operator will change sites or cancel when conditions are wrong, and brief you on what to do if you are separated.
• Look at the boat. It should carry oxygen, a first aid kit and a radio or phone.
• Green Fins membership is a good sign of reef-friendly practices.

Be wary of operators who skip certification checks or promise mola sightings. Nobody can. If you would rather stay near the surface, our snorkeling guide covers the best reefs.