Scuba diving Bunaken – North Sulawesi
Out on the dive boat
The boat is scheduled to leave for scuba diving at 08:30.
After breakfast you walk down to the jetty and dive center where you will find all your equipment already on the boat, ready to go scuba diving. Everything has name tags on it as does your personal equipment mesh bag. Just double check that all your dive gear is there.
Dive sites are chosen together with the boat crew, guides and other guests. The closest dive sites are about 10 minutes away and it can take up to 1 hour to get to the furthest dive sites around Bunaken Island. This all depends on the dive site selection and which boat your are on.
Diver / guide ratio is maximum 4:1 but often 1:2. If necessary we can even do 1:1.
We have 2 boats: Diver III (pictured below) and Diver IV (pictured above). They are specifically designed & equipped for a day of scuba diving on the ocean. Both have a toilet on-board. During the boat ride to the dive site you can sit outside on the front to enjoy the view or go to the sunroof to work on your tan. Diver III is catamaran style, has inboard engines, is larger but slower than Diver IV. Diver IV is smaller, has outboard engines and is much faster than Diver III.
A scuba diving day trip usually consists out of 2 or 3 boat dives around Bunaken National Park or Manado Bay. But we are highly flexible with our dive schedule. The more relax divers can do 2 dives including lunch on Diver III. For the more hardcore divers we can offer 3 – 4 dives on the faster Diver IV. Anything is possible but within reason, we won’t send 2 boats out for just a few divers.
House reef shore dives are always possible and can be done unguided by the more experienced shore divers. We will always send a guide along on your first house reef dive. After that you can dive the house reef by yourself, as a buddy team. Less experienced shore divers will always be accompanied by a dive guide on the house reef.
Night dives are possible on the house reef or by boat at one of the dive sites close to the resort. We recommend to do at least 1 night dive during your stay as they are something special. Usually after 1 night dive you want more.
A day of diving
Water & weather conditions
And other useful information
Surface
Diving & snorkeling is possible year round. The waters around Manado are usually calm. In the period from December-February, when the west-wind blows, there can be high swells. We can’t always go out during that period.
Water Temperature
Water temperature ranges from 26° to 30°C (79° to 86° F). A 3 mm shorty is enough. A full suit is recommended if you get chilled easily. It also offers more protection. We maintain a strict “no gloves” policy in the national park.
Visibility
Visibility ranges from 15 to 35 meters. Visibility can be especially good around Bunaken island. Visibility in Manado Bay is usually a bit less because of the sandy bottoms and more influence by tidal movements.
Currents
Currents can occur around Bunaken, usually mild but can be strong. There are many dive sites that have almost no current, very suitable for beginners. We always dive with the current and the boat will pick you up after surfacing.
Equipment
Dive computers are mandatory while scuba diving. Bring your own or rent one from us. We have (limited) rental dive & snorkel equipment sets available. Let us know in advance if you need rental equipment and which size.
Weather
Weather around North Sulawesi can change fast. The air temperature is a steady 29 – 31°C. Wet season runs from early December until March, dry season from April until November. It hasn’t been as predictable anymore as before.
