Belongas Bay, south-west Lombok
★ 4.7(198 reviews)
Odyssey Divers is the dedicated specialist for Belongas Bay's advanced dive sites in south-west Lombok — particularly The Magnet, where schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks appear July–October. Strictly for AOW-certified divers with 30+ logged dives. Conditions are demanding, the boat is basic, and the sharks aren't guaranteed; experienced divers love it, beginners should not even consider booking.
# Odyssey Divers Belongas Bay: The Honest Review
Belongas Bay sits on Lombok's wild south-west coast, far from the Gili party scene and the Kuta surf crowd. It's a fishing village with one dirt road in, basic warungs, and a bay that funnels current and life around three pinnacle sites that rank among the best advanced diving in Indonesia. Odyssey Divers is the only dedicated dive operator based here, and if you want to dive The Magnet or Cathedral, this is who you book.
Odyssey Divers was founded by a German-Indonesian dive professional who fell into Belongas in the early 2010s and never left. The operation has stayed deliberately small — one boat, one shop, owner present most days — because the sites it specialises in punish overcrowding. Drop too many divers on The Magnet and the schooling hammerheads scatter; drop too many on Cathedral and the dive becomes unsafe.
The shop is PADI-affiliated but Belongas isn't a course destination. Most clients arrive already certified, often with 50–500+ logged dives, looking specifically for the pinnacle experience.
Odyssey runs one custom dive boat with downline equipment for current-entry descents. Trips depart at 7am most days; the early start is non-negotiable because The Magnet works best on the morning slack.
The standard trip is two-tank: usually The Cathedral on dive one (intermediate difficulty, smaller pinnacle structure with reef sharks and barracuda) and either The Magnet or Belongas Inner Reef on dive two depending on conditions and group experience.
The Magnet sits offshore in 25–35m water with a pinnacle rising from deep. Currents can be brutal. The reward when conditions cooperate is the chance — and it remains a chance — of encountering schooling scalloped hammerheads, sometimes in groups of 20+. Eagle rays, big dogtooth tuna, mackerel, and reef shark schools are the more reliable headline sightings.
Odyssey enforces real prerequisites: minimum PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent), 30+ logged dives, and demonstrated comfort in current. Logbook checks happen on day one. If you're underqualified, they'll send you to the Inner Reef sites instead — fair, but you came for The Magnet, so don't be that diver.
For first-time Belongas divers, the standard format is a check-out reef dive on arrival day to confirm your skills before attempting the pinnacles.
Limited course menu: PADI Advanced Open Water (if you want to certify in challenging conditions), nitrox specialty, deep specialty, and drift specialty are available. No open water courses — Belongas is the wrong place to learn to dive.
Two-tank Belongas trip (Cathedral + Inner Reef): 1,600,000 IDR
Two-tank Magnet/Cathedral combo: 1,800,000 IDR
Five-day hammerhead-season package: 7,500,000 IDR (10 dives, accommodation not included)
Nitrox surcharge: 100,000 IDR per fill
Equipment rental: 250,000 IDR per day
Prices include guide, boat, tanks, weights, and lunch. Accommodation in Belongas village is separate (basic homestays from 200,000 IDR per night) or stay in Kuta and drive in (1.5 hours one way).
July–October is peak hammerhead season at The Magnet, with August–September the strongest months. Even in peak season, encounter rates run roughly 50–60% per dive — meaning some days you see schools, some days you see nothing. Build a multi-day visit if hammerheads are your target; a one-day trip is a coin flip.
Book them if you're an experienced diver chasing big-animal pinnacle diving. Book them if you've already done Komodo and Raja Ampat and want a less-known Indonesian site to add to your logbook. Book them if you can build flexibility into your schedule for weather cancellations.
Skip Odyssey if you're newly certified, even with paperwork that says AOW. Skip them if you have any anxiety about strong currents or deep dives. Skip them if you can't budget multiple days — single-day visits are too dependent on weather and animal luck. Skip them if you want a comfortable resort-style dive experience.
WhatsApp (+62 813 5341 2890) is the only reliable contact. Book 2+ weeks ahead for hammerhead season; off-peak you can often secure a spot with 3–5 days notice. Confirm conditions the night before — the operator will not run boats in unsafe swell. Most divers stay in Kuta and arrange transfer, or stay overnight in basic Belongas village homestays.