Q: What's the water temperature?

The water temperature is highly variable. Dive sites to the north tend to be 26-28°C. Southerly sites are usually cooler at 24-26°C. There can be cold upwellings down to 17-20°C. We have 3mm and 5mm wetsuits for guests, plus a few shorties if you need to 'double bag' yourself. We also have a small selection of hoods. From August to November, in the channel between Lazy Turtle Dive and Pulau Kepa, a localised phenomenon called Air Laut Dingin (lit. cold sea water) can occasionally occur. For a couple of hours an extreme upwelling event brings very cold water (around 12°C) from the Savu Sea up into the channel. Fish are stunned by the cold shock and float unconscious to be gathered up by competing dolphins, seabirds and villagers. Quite the spectacle.

Question 1

Can I bring a DPV (diver propulsion vehicle)?

Accepted Answer

Sorry, no.  The noise of a DPV is really irritating to other divers and can also disturb the marine life.

Question 2

Just how strong is the current?

Accepted Answer

It ranges from absolutely nothing to 'get me out of here', and can change quickly.  We pay close attention to the tides and time of the month when selecting dive sites, and check carefully before entering the water, but the Alor currents are fickle and unpredictable.  It's one of the reasons our tagline is "Expect The Unexpected"
​​
Current junkies should come at full moon or new moon.  
Chilled out divers will prefer dates around the half moons.​

Question 3

Should I bring my own reef hook?

Accepted Answer

Bring your own or use ours.   We don't take them on every dive but there are a few sites where we recommend them.  If you've never used one don't worry, it's pretty easy and we can guide you through it.

Question 4

Should I bring my own DSMB?

Accepted Answer

Each of our BCDs has an SMB in its pocket, but feel free to bring your own instead.  If you haven't practiced using it lately we can show you how.

Question 5

What's the water temperature?

Accepted Answer

The water temperature is highly variable.
​
Dive sites to the north tend to be 26-28°C.
Southerly sites are usually cooler at 24-26°C.
There can be cold upwellings down to 17-20°C.​

We have 3mm and 5mm wetsuits for guests, plus a few shorties if you need to 'double bag' yourself. We also have a small selection of hoods.

From August to November, in the channel between Lazy Turtle Dive and Pulau Kepa, a localised phenomenon called Air Laut Dingin (lit. cold sea water) can occasionally occur. For a couple of hours an extreme upwelling event brings very cold water (around 12°C) from the Savu Sea up into the channel.  Fish are stunned by the cold shock and float unconscious to be gathered up by competing dolphins, seabirds and villagers.​ Quite the spectacle.

Question 6

Do I need dive insurance?

Accepted Answer

Health care facilities in Alor are rudimentary and if you need a chamber you'd have to go to Labuan Bajo or Bali.  We recommend diving conservatively and having dive insurance.

We offer DAN (Divers Alert Network) Short Term Dive Insurance from 1 day - 1 month.  It's good for anywhere in Indonesia and coverage begins immediately.  Sign up in advance or arrange it when you arrive.

Question 7

How often do you muck dive?

Accepted Answer

It depends.  Most people want to see a bit of everything that Alor has to offer so we usually do reef/walls in the morning and muck in the afternoon.  If you have strong feelings (love or hate) we'll do our best to adjust accordingly, but obviously if two guests are on opposite sides of that particular divide then compromises must be made.  We only have one boat. 😊

Question 8

What will the weather be like?

Accepted Answer

We don't know.  From April to Nov it's typically dry and sunny, but climate change affects us all and we are already experiencing  occasional rainstorms throughout the year.

Question 9

What's the best time of year to come?

Accepted Answer

We're open from mid-March to mid-Dec. Actual dates vary, it depends on what bookings we get.  If we have no confirmed bookings we may open a bit late or close a bit early (we are Lazy Turtles after all.)

Rainy season is usually Jan/Feb but with climate change shifting things around we're seeing rain at times throughout the year.

Visibility is usually excellent throughout the dive season with 30+m vis being the norm.  If there is an unusual weather event the vis can drop for a few days.

Current junkies should aim for dates around the full moon and new moon.  Those who prefer more relaxed diving should come around the half moons.

Question 10

Can I choose the dive sites?

Accepted Answer

We choose our dive sites the day before we dive them, and operate a booking system with other dive operators so that we don't descend on sites at the same time.

Dive site decisions are made based on 
guest preferences for muck/walls/reef/currents/particular marine life species
the expected conditions given the phase of the moon and tide cycle,
guests' diving ability
other dive operators' plans

Given the dynamic nature of Alor's water system it is not unusual to arrive at a site and discover it's not actually safe to dive so we have to relocate.

Please do let us know what kind of diving you enjoy and what you hope to get from your trip to Alor, but ultimately we will select what we consider to be the best sites for the group based on the above criteria.

Question 11

Can I rent a go pro?

Accepted Answer

Sorry, no.  We don't have cameras to rent.  We also don't provide a private photographer service.

Question 12

Can I have a private guide?

Accepted Answer

Probably not.  We do our best to group divers of similar diving ability and interests, and we try to give photographers a bit of space to capture their shot, but we are a small dive centre with limited space on the boat and only a small crew.  Depending on how many bookings we get we could be really busy with no-one available to guide privately, or you could get lucky and be the only guest on the boat.

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