When you heard about Nusa Penida and scuba diving, you will probably thinking about the infamous Manta Ray and Mola Mola sunfish. These local residents of Nusa Penida waters have been attracting the attention of worldwide divers and crowned as the local star ever since. The prospect of meeting these awe-inspiring creatures might excites you, but you should not just hop to Nusa Penida without much preparation. Well, you might have a scuba dive centre to arrange all the transportation, accommodation, and diving hassles (that’s convenient!), but they won’t tell you everything. Here’s some lessons learned from previous divers and travelers alike from their trip to Nusa Penida.
Should You Bring Your Own Equipment for Scuba Diving in Nusa Penida?
If you’ve been travelling to the corners of the world in pursuit of the clearest waters and richest ocean life, you might have been used to pack your dive gears on the bag. While it’s comfy to wear your own stuff, you actually don’t need to bring them all. Just use some from your dive centre and pack lighter. You don’t want to be burdened with heavy equipments when there are so much exciting adventure to do in Nusa Penida!
Let’s Talk About the Currents
Contrary to most dive sites in the mainland Bali, the currents in Nusa Penida is quite strong. And that’s what attracting the majestiv Manta Rays to come around in the first place! Given with the situation, you need to be at least having Advanced Open Water license to be able to dive in the island. Scuba diving in Nusa Penida should be proceed with caution. Most of the dive will be drift diving—it’s totally fun for the experienced! Also, the water in Nusa Penida is quite cold—despite of the strong sun. So you might want to invest on bringing (or renting) a warmer wetsuit here.
More Diving Stories:
Menjangan, One of the Best Diving Places in Bali
Protecting the Ocean on Scuba Diving Vacation for Beginners
How to Behave around Mola Mola Bali
The Sun is Hot and Unforgiving
This need to be remember all the times! Seriously. Think about all the heat and the sun you get in Bali and double it up in Nusa Penida. Think about the sun to all aspects of your travel. The sun in the beaches could be very hot and almost painful to walk on during the noon. Think about snorkeling just in bikini. You will basically roasting your self and come back with awful sunburn in the back and the limbs. Buy a removable sleeve piece or wear light jacket if you want to motorbike around. Slather all the reef-friendly sunscreen to your body and face. Reapply when necessary. Bring a bottle of aloe vera gels to soothe your face and body after the dive. Think about all the things you need to combat the strong sun during your scuba diving time in Nusa Penida.
Scuba Diving in Nusa Penida Means Away from Modern Civilization
Nusa Penida is away from all the swanky beach club, luxury spas, or organic cafes in Bali. While it means Nusa Penida is fairly free from heavy congestion, it also means that everything in the island is pretty basic. That includes public facilities like ATM places. There are hardly ATM box in Nusa Penida and sometimes they are even out of order. If you plan to have a scuba diving holiday in Nusa Penida, consider to bring enough cash to last for your entire time on the island.
