South Lombok Dive Center

South Lombok Dive Center is the pioneering dive operation in the Kuta Lombok area, offering access to South Lombok's extraordinary dive sites that remain largely unknown to the diving mainstream. While the Gili Islands get all the attention, South Lombok's underwater world is arguably more exciting for experienced divers — these waters are where the Lombok Strait channels deep ocean currents from the Indian Ocean, bringing large pelagic species rarely seen in the Gilis. The star attraction is Belongas Bay, where hammerhead shark encounters are regular during the June-October season. The dive center runs full-day trips to Belongas (IDR 2,500,000 for 2 dives, including transport, equipment, lunch, and guide) departing from Kuta at 6am. Closer to Kuta, they dive the offshore pinnacles and reefs between Selong Belanak and Gerupuk, where healthy coral walls, schooling fish, and the occasional mola mola (ocean sunfish) create diverse and exciting dives. The center also offers PADI courses from Discover Scuba (IDR 1,200,000) to Divemaster. The owner, a French-Indonesian divemaster with 15 years of experience in Lombok waters, brings deep local knowledge of sites, currents, and seasonal patterns. Equipment is Mares and well-maintained. Due to the challenging nature of many South Lombok sites (currents, depth, blue-water descents), a minimum of PADI Advanced Open Water certification is required for most dives. The dive center is located on the main strip in Kuta and offers hotel pickup for all trips.