5 Best Sites For Scuba Diving In Nusa Lembongan
Nusa Lembongan, off the southeast coast of Bali, is one of our favourite destinations for many reasons. The laid-back island vibe offers a much-welcomed escape from mainland Bali, but what truly captured our hearts was the incredible scuba diving in Nusa Lembongan.
Scuba diving in Nusa Lembongan is an absolute must if you’re travelling to Bali. The island’s diverse dive sites promise unforgettable adventures, especially swimming alongside the majestic manta rays.
We spent two weeks on Nusa Lembongan, intending to spend just a day or two scuba diving. However, after my initial dive at Lembongan Bay, I was hooked and decided to complete my Open Water Course – which Dylan already had. This decision extended our diving adventure to three days, allowing us to explore most of the island’s dive sites.
Understandably, you may not have three days to spend exploring all the scuba diving sites in Nusa Lembongan, so we’ve put together a list of our top 5 locations for scuba diving in Nusa Lembongan. Our guide includes our recommended companies to book with and extra tips for planning your Lembongan diving adventure.
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5 Best Locations For Scuba Diving In Nusa Lembongan
Manta Point, Nusa Penida
Manta Point, although the busiest dive site in Nusa Lembongan, was undoubtedly our favourite spot! Swimming with manta rays is a unique experience that we will never forget. It’s impossible to grasp the enormity and majesty of these sea creatures until you witness them gliding gracefully past you.
Note: Manta Point is actually located on Nusa Penida, but every scuba diving company on Lembongan offers trips to this magical location.
Manta Point costs an additional $20 USD (roughly) compared to the other dive sites, but the hour-long boat ride itself is worth the extra expense. Along the way, you’ll pass the famous south coast of Nusa Penida, witnessing the breathtaking cliffs dressed in a tangled mess of green, plunging dramatically into the untamed ocean below. You’ll also drive past the famous Kelingking Beach, enjoying a fresh perspective of the incredibly popular beach without the endless stream of tourists.
Once we arrived at Manta Point, we got ready and flipped backward off the boat into the deep blue water. As soon as we descended to the bottom, we were greeted by a majestic manta ray gliding by. This breathtaking encounter quickly became the norm, and throughout our 30-minute dive (my breathing efficiency could use some work), we were continuously surrounded by manta rays. They paid us little attention, allowing us to fully appreciate their beauty and grace.
Manta Point has a blend of reefs and sandy seabeds that gradually slopes from 5 to 14 metres, before dropping off to a depth of 30 metres. We dove to a maximum depth of 12 metres as this was my first dive, but there was no need to go any deeper since the manta rays were staying around 10 – 12 metres.
This experience was truly incredible and even though there were quite a few divers around, there was no frenzied pursuit of the mantas. Plus, thanks to the blind spots you get when diving, it hardly felt crowded at all.
Note: We were extremely lucky to see so many manta rays. It’s not a guarantee and some days, divers will only see one or even none. This was a surreal experience to have so many floating around us, going about their daily business and we hope you are as fortunate.
Lembongan Bay Pontoon Dive
If you’re new to scuba diving or need a refresher, diving at the artificial reef system in Lembongan Bay – one of the MARS Coral Reef Restoration sites – provides the ultimate experience.
Exclusively owned by Bali Hai, this session involves a boat transfer to their private pontoon in Lembongan Bay where beginners are given a brief lesson on the gear and how to breathe underwater. Afterwards, you’ll descend 10 – 12 metres using a rope to explore the regenerating coral reef for roughly 30 minutes.
As someone who had never scuba-dived before, the pontoon dive provided the perfect experience, allowing me to enjoy a real dive in a controlled setting. I loved it so much that I decided to do my Open Water Course!
Even Dylan, who used this dive as a refresher, was blown away by the artificial reef. The vibrant regenerating coral was teeming with colourful fish, including Nemo! After the dive, you’re transferred back to Bali Hai and given a free lunch at their delicious restaurant.
Although the pontoon dive costs more than a pool refresher, it feels like an additional dive and is absolutely worth it! For beginners, it’s a great choice if you’re feeling uncertain. I found that diving at the pontoon was much less stressful than learning in a shallow pool.
PED Point, Drift Dive
Located on the northwestern coast of Nusa Penida, PED Point offers an epic drift dive experience, featuring some of the area’s most stunning coral reefs. The reef’s steep drop-off allows you to leisurely glide alongside, admiring the breathtaking array of coral species and marine life.
PED Point is renowned for its sightings of turtles, pufferfish, and groupers, with the occasional appearance of mola mola. Sadly, we didn’t spot a mola on our dive, but the abundance of other sea life made up for it.
We dove to a depth of 18 metres, though the drop-off continues to plunge into the blue abyss for those who like to dive deeper. This was our first drift dive experience and while it took a little more concentration to stick close to the reef as a beginner, we both loved it.
SD Point, Drift Dive
SD Point lies to the west of PED Point and was our favourite of the two drift dive sites. While the drop-off continues and you’re exposed to all the same marine life, the coral at SD Point is even more vibrant than at PED Point.
Our slight preference for SD Point over PED Point could also have something to do with the fact that this was our second drift dive and by that time, we had somewhat got the hang of letting the current take us on a journey.
Once again, we descended to a depth of 18 metres. As this was my fourth dive, I was finally getting my breathing under control, allowing us to drift for about 40 minutes before surfacing at the beginning of PED Point.
The only downside to these drift dives is that they can end quickly if the current is strong and you can’t stop to inspect things you discover on the reef.
Mangroves, Drift Dive
The Mangroves dive site is another drift dive, located to the west of SD Point. Rather than a steep drop-off, the Mangroves features a flat bottom that’s roughly 12 – 15 metres deep. Due to the shallow reef, the vibrant colours of the diverse coral were simply incredible.
As we drifted, we were fortunate to see more turtles alongside a myriad of colourful fish, such as angelfish, scorpionfish, and boxfish. While this drift dive was more manageable since we didn’t need to stick close to the steep reef’s edge, it had the fastest current and we were sadly finished in 20 minutes!
Tips And Recommendations For Booking Your Lembongan Scuba Diving Experience
During our scuba diving experience in Nusa Lembongan, we dove with two reputable companies that we wholeheartedly recommend for divers of all skill levels. These companies were Bali Hai and Dive Concepts.
After researching and meeting with various diving companies on Lembongan, these two dive shops stood out as the friendliest, most accommodating, and professional. We have nothing but good things to say about these Lembongan Diving Companies and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great day out in the water.
Our Experience With Bali Hai
We booked with Bali Hai for our first dive at Lembongan Bay, which served as an introduction to diving for me and a refresher course for Dylan. Instead of practising in a pool – like we would have done with other companies – we enjoyed a shallow dive off their pontoon, swimming through an incredible artificial reef that is forever growing.
Our experience with Bali Hai was nothing but positive and that mainly boiled down to the professional but light-hearted approach of the staff.
Despite Bali Hai’s resort-like approach and slightly higher price, I would recommend them to anyone looking to dive in Nusa Lembongan – especially beginners who don’t have their dive certificate.
Our Experience With Dive Concepts
After our initial refresher, we chose to dive with Dive Concepts because their 5-dive package was well-priced compared to Bali Hai and they had great reviews. A decision I hold no regrets over as the team at Dive Concepts was awesome, especially our instructor, Imi.
We booked a package of 5 dives, allowing us to select our dive sites based on the team’s knowledge and advice. I also decided to complete my Open Water Course with Dive Concepts as a result of loving my initial Lembongan diving experience.
The team at Dive Concepts were extremely flexible in arranging our diving tours, even after we had to make changes due to bad weather, illness, and a last-minute decision to take the course. This made the entire experience super positive, seamless and enjoyable.
How To Book Your Lembongan Diving Experience
You can book with Dive Concepts or Bali Hai directly through their websites. However, if you’re staying in Nusa Lembongan, contact Bali Hai before booking their Discover Lembongan dive as the only bookable option we found departed from Bali’s mainland.
For those who prefer using an online travel agency for all bookings, you can also book your experiences with Dive Concepts through Viator.
- Dive Concepts 5-Dive Package
- Dive Concepts 7-Dive Package
- Dive Concepts Open Water Course
Another easy way to book is through WhatsApp, as both companies have active accounts, allowing you to call or message without needing a local phone number.
Pro-Tip: Everyone in Bali uses WhatsApp so I highly recommend setting up a WhatsApp account before you visit.
In addition to the two methods mentioned earlier, you can arrange your Lembongan Dives by visiting either of the Dive Shops in person. We booked with Bali Hai in person, but we used WhatsApp to organise and plan all our dives with Dive Concepts for added convenience.
Is Scuba Diving Equipment Provided?
Both Bali Hai and Dive Concepts will provide all the essential scuba diving equipment. I assume this is standard for all diving companies on Nusa Lembongan, but it’s crucial to confirm with the company you plan to book with.
You are welcome to bring and use your own gear if you’re more comfortable with it, although it’s uncommon because travelling with diving equipment is quite impractical.
Here is the gear that was included in the dive packages listed above:
- Wetsuit
- Booties
- Cressy BCD
- Regulator
- Tank
- Weight Belt
- Scuba Fins
- Mask & Snorkel
Note: Our guides carried a dive computer and a surface marker buoy in both cases and controlled the whole dive extremely well.
Final Thoughts
Our experience scuba diving in Nusa Lembongan was truly unforgettable. Not only is Nusa Lembongan one of the best places to visit in Bali, but the exceptional dive sites are among some of the best we’ve encountered.
Swimming alongside manta rays was obviously the highlight of the trip. However, even without these majestic creatures, the vibrant coral reefs and diverse marine life made the adventure whole-heartedly worthwhile.
We hope our list of the best sites for scuba diving in Nusa Lembongan has helped you plan your diving trip. If you have any additional questions about the dive sites or the companies we recommend, drop a comment below or reach out to us via Instagram.
Happy Travels 🙂
