Silo 4 · Skills & services
The short answers: at least PADI Open Water with 50 to 100 logged dives recommended, a marine-park permit and mandatory dive insurance, and a prime window from April to November.
The short version
Alor is honest, current-swept diving. It is for people who are comfortable in water, not a checkout-dive destination. Minimum PADI Open Water for fun diving, with 50 to 100 logged dives recommended for comfort in Alor–Pantar conditions.
The house rules do not move. All dives are no-decompression, with a typical 60-minute bottom time or a turn at 50 bar. Solo diving is not allowed. Guides need special MPA certification to lead inside the marine protected area, on top of standard agency certs.
We are a concierge, not a boat owner. You never pay us to run a boat. We match you to a licensed established Alor operator such as Dive Alor Dive, Nautika Dive Alor or Alami Alor, then coordinate the details.
The Pantar Strait's strong surface currents demand a rapid descent, quick equalising and regrouping around 5 metres. Most dives run 15 to 25 metres; one documented scalloped-hammerhead site reaches about 32 metres in very strong current and needs real fitness.
The calendar
Conditions are best April to November, with October–November bringing the most prevalent currents. The November–March rainy season brings unsettled surface, rain and lower visibility.
| Window | Water temp | Visibility | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr–May | ~25°C | 25–30 m | Walls, macro, warming water |
| Jun–Oct (dry) | 28–32°C | Up to ~40 m | Wide-angle, best clarity |
| September | Warm | Up to ~40 m | Best month for mola mola |
| Nov–Mar (wet) | Warm | 15 m or less | Muck stays reliable, fewer crowds |
Kalabahi Bay is a volcanic black-sand muck hotspot and stays good year-round because those critters don't roam. Pantar Strait sites favour wide-angle. Blue-whale and hammerhead encounters are possible, never predictable — plan the trip you would love even if the giants stay offshore.
Not optional
Alor's waters are a managed marine protected area, and the rules are not optional.
Carry proper dive cover or we cannot confirm your trip.
Quoted per trip
There is no public, citable price sheet for Alor dive packages, liveaboards or the marine park fee — only the certainty that a fee and permit are required.
Quotes exclude flights and the marine park fee. We confirm live pricing before you commit.
Five steps
No call centre, no pressure.
Start here
Talk to a human. The concierge coordinates your dates, licensed operator and permits directly.
Getting there
Three things worth settling before you book flights.
Most asked
The questions divers ask us most, answered plainly.
Most divers fly into Alor via Kupang in West Timor, connecting to Mali Airport near Kalabahi, then transfer to their resort or liveaboard. Routes and schedules change seasonally, so confirm current connections with our concierge before booking flights — we align them with your operator's arrival window.
No, and anyone who promises otherwise is selling a fantasy. Blue whales and scalloped hammerheads are possible in Alor–Pantar but never predictable. We build every expedition around reliable wall, macro and current diving, treating a big-pelagic encounter as a bonus rather than a booked-in certainty.
No. Solo diving is not permitted under representative Alor operator rules, and the region's strong currents make a buddy essential. Every dive runs no-decompression with a guide holding special MPA certification, a typical 60-minute bottom-time limit, and a turn when any diver reaches 50 bar.
September is the standout month for mola mola in Alor, falling inside the dry June–October window when visibility can reach around 40 metres. Cooler thermoclines in that period draw the sunfish shallower at Pantar Strait sites, though sightings remain a matter of luck, not schedule.
There is no public, citable price sheet for Alor dive packages, liveaboards or the marine park fee — only the certainty that a fee and permit are required. Any number we printed would be our own estimate, shifting with season, boat and group size. We quote per trip and confirm live pricing before you commit.
Yes. DAN or equivalent dive-accident insurance is mandatory because the nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Bali, and evacuation and chamber costs are not covered by standard travel medical insurance. Carry proper dive cover or we cannot confirm your trip.
Silo 4 · Skills & services
Next step
If your question isn't answered above, talk to a human. We reply with an honest, dated quote and match you to a vetted, licensed Alor partner.
