The Sober Diving journal

Answers to the questions divers ask us most, written by the people who dive these sites every day.

A diver blowing bubbles in close-up, mask and regulator visible, with a second diver in the background

4 min read

The 120 Rule in Diving Explained

Long before dive computers, divers needed a quick way to guess how long they could stay down without decompression stops. The 120 rule was that shortcut, and it's still worth understanding even though almost nobody plans a dive with it alone anymore.

A diver hovering beside a large pink barrel sponge on a coral-covered reef wall

4 min read

Diving Without a Certification in Bali

You don't need a certification card to breathe underwater on your first trip to Bali. You do need the right programme and a properly qualified instructor, and it's worth knowing what that actually looks like before you book.

A hawksbill turtle resting over the reef, the kind of sighting a first-time diver might see

4 min read

Discover Scuba Diving vs Open Water

Both get you underwater with a tank on your back, but they're built for different goals and different budgets. Here's how Discover Scuba Diving and the PADI Open Water course actually compare, cost included.

A mola mola (ocean sunfish) suspended mid-water at Crystal Bay, Nusa Penida

4 min read

Diving Crystal Bay Safely

Crystal Bay earns its reputation two ways: it's one of the best mola mola sites in Bali, and it's also one of the sites divers ask the most safety questions about. Both are true, and neither is a reason to skip it if you're briefed and guided properly.

A manta ray gliding over the reef at Manta Point, Nusa Penida

4 min read

Manta Point vs Manta Bay

Nusa Penida has two well-known places to dive with manta rays, and they're different enough in character that which one you end up at can shape your whole day. Here's how Manta Point and Manta Bay actually compare.

A mola mola (ocean sunfish) approached by three divers in open water off Nusa Penida

4 min read

Mola Mola Season in Bali

For a few months each year, cold water welling up around Nusa Penida brings one of the ocean's strangest fish within reach of recreational divers. Here's when to come, where to look, and what a mola mola encounter actually involves.

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Every article here comes from real dives around the islands. Book a few days with us and we will show you.

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