DIVING FAQS

1) Each diver must show proof of certification (card or online certification) or do your certification here.

2) Each diver must use a computer (we have computers available for rent if you don’t have your own).

3) All divers must respect the environment and marine life and use of gloves is not allowed unless you have a medical certificate.

4) Please fill out this online form before your arrival – the information will help us give you the best service possible.

By virtue of our unique geographic location, Lembeh Strait offers fantastic critter diving year-round. Although there can be strong currents running through Lembeh Strait at some times of day, there are always areas that are protected and comfortable for muck diving. Lembeh is also protected from big swells and most of the monsoon winds, which makes it comfortably ‘divable’ throughout the year. Changing trade winds can affect the seasonal appearance of certain critters.

Water temperature varies by only a few degrees throughout the year in Lembeh Strait. It lingers around 28-29 degrees Celsius (82-84 F) from October to March. Then it drops slightly in April, May, June and September to 26-27 degrees Celsius (79-81F). The coldest months are July and August, with average water temperatures of about 25-26 degrees Celsius (77-79 F). We recommend wearing either a 3mm or 5mm full-length wetsuit depending on your sensitivity to cold and which month you will be here.

The air temperature is fairly constant at around 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) throughout the year.

Lembeh Strait is a year-round dive destination. Since we are so close to the equator, we do not suffer from Typhoon season like our neighbors to the north. We do have a ‘rainy’ season from Nov-March, and we do have a ‘dry’ season from July-Sept, although worldwide weather trends have not been so predictable in recent years.

Lembeh Strait is known for its exceptional ‘critter’ or ‘muck’ diving, and therefore the weather does not dictate the diving. What we do have, however, is a cooling trend where the water temps can drop to 24-26 C (75-79F), during the months of April – October, which is very healthy for the critters of Lembeh Strait, and the visibility can vary from 6-20m (18-65ft). During the months from Dec-Feb, the visibility is more favorable, ranging from 10-25m (30-90ft) but we do have swells coming from the north which means during these months it is more difficult to get to the northern sites of Lembeh which boast beautiful coral reefs and sometimes schooling skipjack tuna, barracuda, and the occasional sighting of a manta or whaleshark.

Critters such as the mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, wonderpus octopus, long-arm octopus, hairy frogfish, painted frogfish, pygmy seahorse, Ambon scorpionfish and other famous Lembeh critters, can all be seen year-round. Blue-ringed octopus can also be seen year-round, but they have a tendency to be spotted more frequently during the months from Aug-Dec, with a chance to see them with eggs from Jan-March.
Mimic octopus have been seen mating during the months from January – July; Flamboyant cuttlefish are around all year, and can be spotted mating any time of the year, we can also find their eggs throughout the year, although some years we tend to see more of them (including them hatching out!) from August-January.

For complete information regarding all the cool critters a diver might see in Lembeh, please visit our easy to use <a href=”https://www.lembehresort.com/critters.php”>Critter Log</a>. Suffering from “Critter Overload”, a commonly used phrase by our friend, the late &amp; great Larry Smith? Our guides use a specially designed Identification Book and two types of underwater slates to ensure every diver who wishes knows what they observing underwater.

Visibility varies between dive sites and is unpredictable, usually fluctuating in the range of 5-20 meters (16-65 feet). Visibility is higher at the more open-water northern sites, while it diminishes to 10-15 meters (33-50 feet) at the most popular central muck diving sites.

Please note that most muck diving is very “up-close and personal,” so even at minimum visibility you will still have an amazing dive and underwater photography experience.

PADI Open Water certification, Cmas * diver or qualifying certification from another training agency is adequate for diving Lembeh Strait. We require specialty Enriched Air certification to dive Nitrox. You can do your Enriched Air specialty training or additional general dive training here.

If you haven’t been diving in a while and want to get re-acquainted with your equipment, we can arrange a check-out dive on our house reef for a charge of $15.

No special equipment is required to dive in Lembeh Strait, but we find a pointer stick/muck stick is very useful. If you don’t already have one and would like one, they are available for purchase in our dive centre. We recommend a full-length 3mm or 5mm wetsuit depending on your sensitivity to cold<em>. If you have DIN regulators, we do have many DIN valves and extra adapters.</em>

We have a “no gloves” policy. Exception will be made for divers with a documented medical need to wear gloves. Please bring a simple note from your doctor.

Our Dive Center offers the following rental equipment:

• APEX and Aqua Lung regulators
• Sea Quest BCDs
• Suunto dive computers
• Technisub masks and snorkels
• UV Torches
• 3mm and 5mm wetsuits

We also have 5 mm shorties for covering a 3mm full suit when temperatures drop.

Our display case offers the following:

• Suunto computers
• Technisub masks
• Pointers
• Underwater books
• Many other items of interest to visitors who love diving Indonesia and beyond!

You may show your appreciation for your Critters@Lembeh dive guide and boat crew with a tip. There is a tip box in the Dive Center. As a guideline, $15 per person per day is recommended.

Please do not tip your dive guide directly. We have a tip distribution system agreed upon by the staff, and direct tips are discouraged. All tips are divided among the dive team proportionally every month. If you would like to give special recognition to an individual who has given exemplary service, you may leave an additional tip for that person by asking for a second envelope on check-out. Rest assured that no tip money is used for operations; it is all given to our hardworking crew. A portion of the tip is set aside for educational scholarships for our staff’s children of which Critters@Lembeh is proud to donate matching funds.

Pre-paid dives are non-refundable. They are also non-transferable (except in the case of extenuating circumstances and at management’s discretion).