Manta Point
Makassar Reef, in the middle of the park. Eight to eighteen metres and a cleaning station, so it suits most certification levels.
Diving Komodo From the Boat
Over fifty named sites, currents that run to five knots, and three to four dives a day without ever going ashore to sleep.
A Komodo dive liveaboard puts you on the sites at slack water rather than an hour after it, which is the whole reason to sleep aboard rather than in Labuan Bajo.
- Three to four dives a day, night dives included on most schedules.
- Advanced Open Water is strongly recommended; many operators want 50 logged dives.
- Currents reach five knots in channels such as The Cauldron.
Komodo is not a beginner destination
Some itineraries take Open Water divers, but the sites that make Komodo worth the flight do not. Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, Batu Bolong and The Cauldron all sit in moving water, and Batu Bolong regularly passes thirty metres. Most operators ask for Advanced Open Water and around fifty logged dives before they will put you on them.
A Drift Diver specialty before the trip is worth more here than any amount of extra kit.
- 50+
- Named dive sites in the park
- 5 kn
- Peak current in the channels
- 3–4
- Dives per day, night dives included
- 26–29°C
- Water temperature, year round
Where a liveaboard takes you
Six that shape most itineraries, north to south.
Castle Rock
A northern pinnacle with dense schooling fish and reef sharks. Current-dependent and best on a rising tide.
Crystal Rock
Its neighbour, shallower and often clearer. Hard coral in good condition and reliable pelagic traffic.
The Cauldron
Also called Shotgun, near Gili Lawa Darat. A drift through a channel with trevally and barracuda, and the strongest water in the park.
Batu Bolong
A small rock with a very steep wall, frequently past thirty metres. Experienced divers only, and never at full flow.
Night dives
Run from sheltered anchorages rather than the channels. Most schedules fit one or two across a week.
How the day is actually run
Dives are timed to slack water, not to the clock, so the order shifts with the tide.
Diving outside the dry months
Rain does not close the park. Visibility averages fifteen to twenty-five metres, occasionally better than the dry season because there is less plankton bloom, and water holds at twenty-six to twenty-nine degrees. Operators watch BMKG forecasts and reorder the itinerary around weather rather than cancelling it. The real gain is that the sites are empty.
Diving, answered
Do I need to be an advanced diver?
For the signature sites, effectively yes. Advanced Open Water is strongly recommended and many operators want around fifty logged dives, because Castle Rock, Batu Bolong and The Cauldron all sit in current.
How many dives a day?
Three to four, night dives included on most schedules. The first is usually around 07:00, with sixty to ninety minutes between dives.
What does a dive charter cost?
Rates are quoted per vessel. Across 145 Komodo boats that publish one, they run USD 1,550 to 20,000 a night for the whole boat. If you are diving as a pair, a shared-cabin trip starting near USD 300 per person is the cheaper route in.
Can I dive in the rainy season?
Yes. Visibility averages 15 to 25 metres and water stays at 26 to 29°C. Operators follow BMKG forecasts and reorder stops around weather. Fewer boats is the upside.
Are there non-diving days?
Most itineraries build in the ranger-led dragon trek on Rinca or Komodo, plus beach and snorkel stops, which also serve as your surface interval before flying.
Tell us your level
Certification, logged dives and dates. We will tell you which boats will take you and which sites are realistic that week.