Bali Tec Diving Day Trip ? What to Expect
Bali Tec Diving Day Trip ? What to Expect from Bali Diving Academy offers guided technical diving day trips from Sanur to two primary destinations: Candidasa (Gili Tepekong, Mimpang & Biaha — max 55m+ on air, 75m on trimix, IDR 3,300,000 per diver) and Padangbai (Blue Lagoon Wall & Shark Point — max 45m+, IDR 2,800,000 per diver). Trips include return transport from Sanur, 2 decompression dives, back gas, two EANx 50% stage cylinders, a BDA TEC guide, boat fees, and lunch. All certified technical divers are welcome regardless of agency — PADI, SSI, TDI, IANTD, or equivalent. Maximum 4 tec divers per guide.
Bali Is a Technical Diver’s Destination — If You Know Where to Go
Most divers come to Bali for the USS Liberty wreck, the manta rays at Nusa Penida, or the colourful macro life at Tulamben. What fewer know is that Bali has some of the most compelling technical diving in Southeast Asia — walls that drop beyond 50 metres, current-swept pinnacles, shark caves, and the opportunity to encounter Mola mola (Mola mola) at depths that recreational divers never reach.
The challenge, historically, has been finding a properly equipped tec operation to take you there. At Bali Tauchakademie, we launched BDA TEC — our dedicated technical diving programme — to fill exactly that gap. Our day trips are designed specifically for certified tec divers visiting Bali who want to put their training to use at world-class sites, without having to organise gases, stages, and logistics on their own.
This article explains exactly what our tec diving day trips involve: where you go, what you dive, what’s included, what the day looks like, and how to book.
Book a tec day trip: scubali.com/en/technical-diving-day-trips-bali/
Two Destinations: Candidasa and Padangbai
BDA TEC currently operates guided technical day trips to two destinations on Bali’s east coast. Both are reached by private car from Sanur. Site selection within each destination is always made on the day based on tidal conditions and current — Bali’s east coast sites are current-driven, and we never force a profile when conditions don’t support it.
Candidasa — Gili Tepekong, Gili Mimpang & Gili Biaha
The headline destination. IDR 3,300,000 per diver.
Candidasa is located in Karangasem Regency, approximately 90 minutes east of Sanur. Just offshore sit three small rocky outcrops — Gili Tepekong, Gili Mimpang, and Gili Biaha — positioned directly in the path of strong Indian Ocean currents. The result is exceptional visibility, thriving hard coral coverage, and an aggregation of large pelagic species that simply aren’t found at calmer sites.
Gili Tepekong offers two distinct dive profiles. The Wall is a near-vertical drop beginning at 35–40 metres, clean and dramatic, descending to depths well beyond 55 metres. The Canyon is trickier — unpredictable current over an underwater pinnacle densely packed with corals, grouper, and schools of fish. This site demands solid current management.
Gili Mimpang starts as a reef slope that transitions into a wall at 40–50 metres. The reef follows a coral mushroom formation past resting white-tip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus) on sandy patches, eventually reaching a deep plateau where Mola mola are cleaned by smaller fish during the season (June–October). Big-eye trevally, schools of sweetlips, and rich macro life — nudibranchs, frogfish, ribbon eels — run throughout the dive.
Gili Biaha is the site that stays with divers longest. Crescent-shaped underwater, the dive begins in open water before reaching the wall at 10 metres. The first major feature is the shark cave — a large cavern inhabited by white-tip reef sharks resting on the bottom, alongside glassfish, lobsters, and fluorescent encrusting life. After the cave, the dive descends the outer wall to 40–50 metres where Mola mola appear in season. The ascent back up the wall rewards patient divers with frogfish (Antennarius spp.), octopus (Octopus cyanea), and dense fields of anemones.
Max depth Candidasa: 55m+ on air / 75m on trimix Distance from Sanur: approximately 75 km / 90 minutes
Padangbai — Blue Lagoon Wall & Shark Point
A slightly shorter drive, equally serious diving. IDR 2,800,000 per diver.
Padangbai sits 60 km east of Sanur — roughly 75 minutes by car. It is a quieter alternative to Candidasa, with its own distinct character. The two primary tec sites here are the Blue Lagoon Wall (also known as Turtle Neck) and Shark Point.
Der Blue Lagoon Wall (Turtle Neck) is a slope that transitions into a genuine wall dive at technical depths. The macro life on this site is exceptional — nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti) on the sea fans at depth, and a rich variety of crustaceans on the reef structure.
Shark Point lives up to its name. Reef sharks patrol the deeper sections of the site, and the coral garden at decompression depth — where divers ascend through bright hard corals at 6–9 metres — is one of the most visually rewarding safety stop environments on the island.
Max depth Padangbai: 45m+ Distance from Sanur: approximately 60 km / 75 minutes
What the Day Actually Looks Like
Here is the full timeline for a Candidasa tec day trip from Sanur.
| Time | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 06:00–06:30 | Hotel pickup in Sanur / South Bali |
| 07:00 | Meet at BDA Sanur: gear check, equipment setup, dive briefing. Tanks and stage cylinders already loaded. |
| 08:30 | Arrive Candidasa. Tidal analysis and final site selection based on conditions. |
| 09:00 | Dive 1 — first decompression dive. Profile and site selected by conditions and your cert level. |
| 11:30 | Dive 2 — second decompression dive after surface interval. Different site or depth profile. |
| 13:00 | Lunch and debrief at a local warung in Candidasa. |
| 15:00–16:00 | Return to Sanur, hotel drop-off. |
The Padangbai trip follows the same structure, with approximately 15 minutes less drive time each way.
One detail we stress in every briefing: site selection is made on the day, not in advance. Bali’s east coast is tidal. A site that dives beautifully on a slack tide is dangerous in a full flood current. Our BDA TEC guides plan every dive around the sea, not a fixed schedule — and that is exactly the approach that keeps technical diving in Bali safe.
What’s Included — and What You Need to Bring
Included in the Price
Every BDA TEC day trip includes the following:
- Return transport from Sanur (private, air-conditioned vehicle)
- 2 decompression dives with a BDA TEC guide
- Back gas (air or EANx as appropriate to your cert and profile)
- 2 × EANx 50% deco stage cylinders — one fresh cylinder per dive
- Stage cylinders delivered to the dive site
- Boat fees and marine park entry fees
- Lunch at Candidasa or Padangbai
Not Included (Plan Ahead)
- Dive equipment — sidemount is recommended for Candidasa; twinset is possible. Rental available on request when booking.
- 100% O₂ deco stage — available as an add-on at extra cost
- Stage cylinder regulators — cylinders are delivered, but regs are not included with equipment rental
- DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) — rental available on request; useful for covering more ground at depth
- Tauchcomputer — you must bring your own. This is non-negotiable for tec diving.
- Personal dive insurance — DAN or equivalent strongly recommended
- Thermal protection — water temperature in the thermoclines at Candidasa can drop to 22°C
A Note on Sidemount
We recommend sidemount over twinset for Candidasa specifically. The boat entry, the terrain, and the flexibility of sidemount configuration make it the better choice at these sites. If you dive twinset at home and prefer it, bring it — just let us know when booking so we can plan the tank logistics accordingly.
Who Can Join: Certification Requirements
Our tec day trips are open to all certified technical divers regardless of agency. What matters is your current cert level and your recent dive history. The site and depth profile assigned on the day will match your certification.
| Certification Level | Maximum Depth |
|---|---|
| PADI TEC 40 (or equivalent SSI/TDI/IANTD) | 40 metres / 130 ft |
| PADI TEC 45 (or equivalent) | 45 metres / 145 ft |
| PADI TEC 50 (or equivalent) | 55m+ on air with two deco gases |
| Trimix certified (CCR TEC 50 / TDI Advanced Trimix) | Up to 75m at Candidasa |
If you are newly TEC 40 certified: Candidasa is a challenging environment. We assess each diver individually and will always plan dives conservatively. If you are unsure whether your experience level is appropriate, contact us before booking and we will advise you honestly. We have no interest in putting a diver in a situation beyond their real-world capability.
Why Book with Bali Diving Academy?
We have operated in Bali since 1991. That history matters for technical diving in particular, because it means our guides have accumulated years of site-specific knowledge — current patterns at the Gilis across different seasons, tidal windows, depth profiles, the micro-variations that change how Tepekong or Biaha dives on any given day.
A few things that distinguish BDA TEC from other operators offering tec trips in Bali:
Maximum 4 tec divers per guide. Technical diving demands attention. We don’t run large groups and we don’t compromise on the guide-to-diver ratio.
Gases planned and staged before departure. Your back gas and both EANx 50% stage cylinders are checked, analysed, and delivered to the site before you arrive. The logistics are handled — you focus on the dive.
Honest site assessment. If conditions are not suitable for safe technical diving, we move or reschedule. We have a 100% safety record since 1991 and we intend to keep it.
Multi-agency welcome. PADI, SSI, TDI, IANTD, GUE — bring your card and your logbook. We care about competence, not agency loyalty.
PADI 5-Star IDC Centre. For those who want to progress — or those who want to complete their PADI TEC 40, 45, or 50 course while in Bali — we have the full course infrastructure. Many divers combine a week of courses with a day trip at the end as their first real-world application.
Pricing Summary
| Destination | Price per Diver | Maximale Tiefe | Drive from Sanur |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidasa (Gili Tepekong, Mimpang, Biaha) | IDR 3,300,000 | 55m+ / 75m trimix | ~90 min |
| Padangbai (Blue Lagoon Wall, Shark Point) | IDR 2,800,000 | 45m+ | ~75 min |
Both prices include transport, 2 deco dives, back gas, 2× EANx 50% stages, guide, boat fees, and lunch. Dive equipment is not included but rental is available on request.
Ready to Dive Beyond the Limits?
Technical diving in Bali is not a niche novelty — it is access to a part of the ocean most divers never see. The deep walls at Candidasa, the shark cave at Gili Biaha, the Mola mola at cleaning stations below 40 metres: these are experiences that sit beyond what any recreational certification reaches, and they are exactly what BDA TEC was built to deliver.
- All Tec Day Trips: scubali.com/en/technical-diving-day-trips-bali/
- Technical Diving Candidasa: scubali.com/en/technical-diving-day-trips-bali/technical-diving-candidasa/
- Technical Diving Padangbai: scubali.com/en/technical-diving-day-trips-bali/technical-diving-padangbai/
FAQ Bali TEC Diving
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