Scuba Diving Day in Nusa Penida: Fun Dives (2026)

By Blaise Jaeger — PADI Master Scuba Diver, based in Nusa Penida · Updated July 2026

Scuba diving day in Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan offer some of the best scuba diving in Bali. These three islands are 45 minutes by fast boat from the southeast coast of Bali — but you’ll probably enjoy your day more by leaving directly from the island to get the best scuba diving in Nusa Penida.

Nusa Penida’s dive sites are among the best in Southeast Asia. Why? Because they’re home to a hugely diverse marine life, from the tiniest pygmy seahorse to the impressive Mola Mola — not forgetting the majestic manta rays that stay around Nusa Penida most of the year.

If you’re a certified diver, join us to explore the underwater wonders of these islands on our scuba diving day! Not certified yet? Diving in Nusa Penida for beginners is also possible with a discovery dive.

Why dive with Dune Penida?

Dune Penida is a well-known dive centre on Nusa Penida, part of the international Dune network recognized for its quality and safety standards. Since opening in 2017 (as Warnakali, now Dune Penida), the team has trained and guided hundreds of divers on the island’s best sites. They know the local conditions — currents, tides and sites — inside out and adapt every trip to the divers’ level, with quality gear, a comfortable boat and small groups of a maximum of 4 divers per guide.

Your scuba diving day in Nusa Penida in a nutshell

A driver picks you up at your hotel and brings you to Toyapakeh, where our Buraq 3 fast boat is based. All your equipment is already on board, in the sizes you gave us the day before. You can also meet us directly at our Toyapakeh toko (shop) if you’d rather save on the transfer. After a coffee to get to know each other and fill out the forms, we’re ready to head off on our diving day!

Your choice: 2 or 3 dives, Nitrox, night dive and more

We usually schedule two dives in the morning and/or afternoon, and sometimes three dives for a full day. A night dive is also possible (when the tide and currents allow). Nitrox is optional, as are a 15-litre tank or a junior tank. Our instructors can also handle adaptive diving for divers with disabilities.

The tide and the day’s schedule drive the plan for our diving day in Nusa Penida. We usually leave around 8 am to be on site before the boats from Sanur arrive; in that case we’re back at Toyapakeh around 1 pm — in time to catch a boat to Bali or the Gili islands on your last day, or to spend the afternoon exploring the island of Nusa Penida.

After signing the log books, our driver takes you back to your hotel — with a head full of colours!

Where do we dive in Nusa Penida?

We dive around 50 dive sites across Nusa Penida and Bali — enough to suit every taste! We’ve picked our top 20 dive sites for you, but we’re open to other ideas too.

Let’s start with the most iconic sites. First, Crystal Bay, where divers from around the world come to meet the famous Mola Mola. Then Manta Point, with its manta ray cleaning stations. The drift dives of the north coast are also very popular: Ped, SD Point, Sental, Buyuk and Tugu, which together form a vast coral plateau.

If you like currents

If you like currents — sometimes strong currents — you’ll love the dive sites along the Nusa Penida channel, where the current brings a lot of life. From the easiest to the most challenging, there’s Toyapakeh, just below the Dune Penida dive centre; Gamat Bay, a vast shallow coral plateau extended by a wall dropping to 40 metres; Amok, a technical but intense dive below the eponymous sunset bar; and Ceningan Wall, a colourful wall that always holds surprises in the blue.

On the north coast of Nusa Lembongan you’ll dive Mangrove, an extremely complete and diverse site, and Blue Corner, a dive in the blue where you can meet pelagic animals. And finally, on the southwest coast of Nusa Penida, more technical sites including the legendary Batu Bolong, with its abundant life and its aquatic ballets of sharks, manta rays and Mola Mola!

Which dive experience is needed?

Nusa Penida’s dive sites are varied enough to offer exceptional moments to all divers, whatever their level. To join our scuba diving day, you need to be certified with PADI, SSI, CMAS or any internationally recognized organisation. If you’re not certified, you can still try a discovery dive.

We don’t mix the levels

Most sites accommodate different experience levels, but we aim to form groups of a similar level, with a maximum of 4 divers per guide. Discovery divers stay on the Manta Point or Gamat Bay plateau within the 12-metre limit, while certified, more experienced divers explore the deeper walls. The gentle slope of the north-coast sites also lets us adjust the depth to everyone’s experience and certification.

Some sites require an excellent level, such as Batu Bolong — so we only go there on very special occasions.

What time do we go diving in Nusa Penida?

Pool training and pool discovery dives usually take place in the afternoon, so we prefer to go fun diving in the morning, returning at the end of the morning — or early afternoon for a 3-dive day, or late afternoon if we head to the Gili islets off Padang Bai. We sometimes also schedule two dives in the morning followed by two in the afternoon. For a night dive, departure is around 6 pm to jump in at sunset and finish in the dark. Awesome!

A typical day

• hotel pick-up: 7:30 am
• departure from the port: 8:15 am
• first dive around 9 am (depending on the site)
• surface interval with coffee or tea and fruit salad
• second dive around 11:30 am
• return to port around 1 pm
• back at the hotel around 1:30 pm

Times vary with the tides, the sites we dive and your own constraints. If you have a boat to catch to Bali or the Gili islands, we can keep your luggage at the toko and bring you back to Toyapakeh port in time.

How much is a diving day in Nusa Penida?

A diving day of two fun dives in Nusa Penida, including a dive at Manta Point, costs around 1.9 million rupiah per person (about €100). A three-dive day is around 2.6 million rupiah (about €135). A discovery dive costs a little more if you’re not certified.

The price of the diving day includes:

• two fun dives with an experienced English-speaking guide
• rental of complete equipment (ScubaPro BCD, 5 mm wetsuit, boots, mask, fins, weight belt, 12-litre aluminium tank)
• transport to the Nusa Penida dive sites by fast boat, with oxygen, radio and safety equipment on board
• PADI insurance
• a snack on board: tea, coffee, a bite to eat, and lunch on a 3-dive day
• pick-up and drop-off within 5 km of the dive centre

Discounts

• if you bring your own diving equipment
• for packs of 5, 10 or 20 dives (ask us)

Options on request

• third dive (full day): +700,000 IDR
• Nitrox
• 15-litre tank
• night dive (tide and currents permitting)

Diving Nusa Penida on a day trip from Bali

Not everyone stays on Nusa Penida. Many divers are based in Sanur, Seminyak, Canggu or Ubud and want to dive Penida for a day without changing hotels. It’s entirely doable — here’s how it works in practice.

Day trip from Bali, or stay on the island?

• Dive on a day trip from Bali if: you’re in Bali for a week, you want one diving day at Penida (ideally with the manta rays), and you don’t want to change hotels. Two or three dives in a day is realistic.
• Prefer staying on Nusa Penida if: you want two or more days of diving, you’re chasing the Mola Mola in season (July–October), or you want time ashore to enjoy the island. Beyond two dive days, staying on Penida makes clear economic sense.

A typical day trip from Bali

A typical schedule for 2 or 3 dives (Manta Point + Crystal Bay or other sites), with lunch after the dives:

• 05:45–06:15 — pick-up at your Bali hotel (optional extra), or meet directly at Sanur port
• 06:45 — fast boat Sanur → Toyapakeh (40 minutes)
• 07:45 — arrive Toyapakeh, port pick-up included, transfer to the centre, briefing
• 09:00 — dive 1 (often Manta Point or Crystal Bay, depending on conditions and your level)
• 10:00 — surface interval, snacks
• 11:00 — dive 2
• 12:30–14:00 — lunch at the centre, then dive 3 (for a 3-dive day)
• 16:00 — fast boat back to Sanur, arriving around 16:45

💡 Lunch at the Amok cliff (for 2-dive days): instead of lunch at the centre, you can eat at the Amok Sun & Cliff Club, 25 minutes from Dune Penida — panoramic cliff, ocean and Mount Agung views, with pool access. The timing is tight but works if you take the last fast boat back at 17:00. For a 3-dive day the Amok slot isn’t possible; lunch is at the centre between dives 2 and 3.

Day-trip prices (Dune Penida)

That’s a day-trip budget of about 2,200,000 IDR (~€115) for 2 dives, or 2,900,000 IDR (~€150) for 3 dives, including the Sanur transport.

Practical tips for a dive day trip

• Level: Open Water minimum for Manta Point. If you’re freshly certified with no experience in currents, tell the centre — they’ll adapt the following sites.
• No flying for 18–24 h after your last dive. If you fly home from Bali, don’t dive on the day of, or the day before, your flight.
• Seasickness: the Sanur ↔ Toyapakeh crossing can be rough from July to September — take medication 30 minutes before boarding if you’re prone to it.
• Seasons: manta rays are seen year-round at Manta Point; the Mola Mola is mainly July–October, with demanding depth and current conditions.
• Book 2–3 days ahead in high season (July–August, Christmas, Easter) — Manta Point trips fill up fast.

Book your diving day

Message Roy at Dune Penida with your dates, your certification level and how many dives you’d like — he’ll pick the best sites for the day’s conditions and get you on the boat before the crowds from Sanur.

Plan your fun dives with Roy

Roy is an Indonesian dive instructor at Dune Penida who knows the daily tides and currents and exactly where the mantas and Mola Mola are showing up. Tell him your level and what you’d love to see, and he’ll build the best diving day for you.

Ask Roy on WhatsApp

Read some reviews from other divers!

Dune Penida has around 2,000 outstanding reviews from divers around the world, across Google and TripAdvisor. Read them and contact us with any questions — it’s always a pleasure to chat with divers. Here are a few recent reviews from happy fun divers:

Great diving experience

Roy was a great dive master for the 2 dives I did (Manta Point and Crystal Bay). Saw a lot of mantas and a Mola Mola too. Animesh

Mantas, the deep blue, sun and fun

What more could you wish for! We had an incredible time with Dune with our divemaster Chaca. Looking forward to coming back 🙂 Dea

More than comfortable and safe

Thank you Dune Penida for this amazing experience! If you want to dive in Penida, this is the place. The dive spots were stunning, the team takes great care of guests and they’re always smiling. They offer water, tea, coffee, snacks and watermelon on board to make your day the experience of a lifetime! Karl was our instructor and I had a blast diving with him. Emilie

Mola Mola

Appreciate the diving. Rama was an amazing guide. So lucky to dive with him as we saw a Mola Mola on 29 July 2024. Stanton

Mantas, seahorse, turtles and more

We saw many mantas, a seahorse, turtles and more. I really enjoyed my dives with instructor Thomas — very friendly, and he found so many amazing creatures to point out to me. The team at Dune made booking easy and provided everything I needed, including scuba equipment, towel, food and drink. Chantelle

The best diving days of my life

Super chilled people, very professional dive masters, amazing equipment and super safe. I’ve done 5 dives with Dune and my Nitrox specialty course. Coming from a country very famous for diving (Egypt), I’d say this is a 5-star-standard diving centre. Couldn’t have asked for more! Mouhammed

The best quality dive shop

Came to Dune for fun diving today. Roy is very kind and warm, attentive and considerate. He gave me the most professional guidance — skills, posture, technique and mindset — and helped me overcome the fear and stress of diving. Highly recommend the best-quality dive shop. Johnny

FAQ — scuba diving day in Nusa Penida

How much does a diving day in Nusa Penida cost?

Around 1.9 million rupiah (about €100) for two fun dives, and 2.6 million rupiah (about €135) for three dives — including full equipment, boat transport, insurance, snacks and hotel pick-up within 5 km of the centre.

Do I need to be certified to join the diving day?

Yes — the fun-dive day is for divers certified with PADI, SSI, CMAS or any recognized organisation. If you’re not certified, start with a discovery dive or the PADI Open Water course.

How many dives can I do in a day?

Two dives (usually in the morning) or three for a full day. Night dives are also possible when the tide and currents allow.

Will I see manta rays or the Mola Mola?

Manta rays are seen year-round at Manta Point. The Mola Mola is seasonal (roughly July–October) and found deeper, at 25–40 m. Your guide chooses the sites each day to maximize your chances.

What certification level do the sites require?

There are sites for every level — we group divers by experience (max 4 per guide) and adjust the depth to your certification. A few sites, like Batu Bolong, are reserved for very experienced divers.

Plan your dive trip to Nusa Penida

New to diving? Try a discovery dive or get certified with the PADI Open Water course, then level up with the Advanced Open Water course. For everything about diving here, see our Nusa Penida diving guide and the best dive sites around Nusa Penida. To plan the rest of your stay, explore our complete travel guide to Nusa Penida.

About this guide

This guide was created by Blaise Jaeger together with Roy, dive instructor at Dune Penida. Blaise discovered Nusa Penida in 2015 and opened the island’s first PADI dive centre in 2017 (created as Warnakali, now Dune Penida); he is a PADI Master Scuba Diver with more than 700 logged dives. Roy is a PADI dive instructor at Dune Penida who guides fun dives around Nusa Penida almost every day. Together, our goal is to give you accurate, first-hand information for a safe and memorable diving day.