Private day charter
From Ask for price Quoted per diver
Dedicated guide, whole-boat use, 2–3 dives
Silo 1 · Expedition formats
Sole use of a licensed dive boat and a dedicated guide across the Pantar Strait — you set the dive profile, pace and sites. Arranged through vetted Alor operators.
Why private
Privacy buys control. On a shared departure you follow the group's certification level, timing and site rotation. Book private and the boat answers to you: earlier splashes to beat the crowd, longer surface intervals for photographers, or a run straight to a wide-angle site when the tide lines up.
That control matters more in Alor. The Pantar Strait carries strong surface currents that demand rapid descents, quick equalising and regrouping around 5 metres. A private guide paces briefings to your team, watches two divers instead of eight, and calls sites by conditions rather than the schedule.
The cap still applies. Alor's waters are a managed marine protected area, so every visitor attends a mandatory MPA briefing, pays a marine park fee and holds a permit. Diver numbers per site are capped by WWF-determined carrying capacity; a private charter gives you the whole boat's share of that cap.
Four ways to go private
From a single day charter to an exclusive-use week. Party size and duration set the shape.
| Private option | Party size | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private day charter | 1–4 divers | 1 day, 2–3 dives | Dedicated guide, whole-boat use |
| Land-based private stay | 2 divers | 4 days, up to 3 dives/day | Pantar bungalow base, 40+ sites nearby |
| Exclusive-use liveaboard | Up to 6 divers | 7 days | Seasonal, Kalabahi Bay boarding |
| Whole-boat private hire | Up to 8 divers | Per day | You fill the manifest |
Your mix
You tailor the balance. Typical dives run 15 to 25 metres; solo diving is not allowed.
Visibility normally sits at 25 to 30 metres and can reach around 40 in the dry June–October window.
Quoted per charter
No citable public price list exists for Alor dive packages or the marine park fee. Every private charter is quoted once we have your dates and party.
Two costs sit outside every quote and apply to everyone: the MPA marine park fee and permit, and mandatory DAN or equivalent dive-accident insurance.
Four steps
We curate and book through licensed operators, then step back so you dive with people who know these currents cold.
Start here
Alor stays remote and the boats are small, so enquire several months ahead for the September–October window.
Private or group
This page is for whole-trip exclusivity. If you only want a dedicated guide added to a shared boat, ask about private guide hire instead.
Straight answers
Most private charters run from one to four divers with a dedicated guide, while a whole-boat hire typically seats up to eight and an exclusive land-based Pantar base caters to sixteen. Guide-to-diver ratios and the WWF-set site carrying-capacity caps ultimately decide numbers, so we confirm your exact party size with the operator before booking.
Yes, with limits. Operators generally require a minimum of PADI Open Water, but recommend 50 to 100 logged dives before Alor because the Pantar Strait's strong currents demand rapid descents and quick equalising. A private guide can ease newer divers in on calmer sites and muck dives, though the strongest current sites suit experienced, fit divers only.
Largely, yes — that is the point of going private. You can prioritise Kalabahi Bay macro, wide-angle Pantar Strait sites, or a mix, and shift plans by tide and weather. Final site choice still follows MPA rules, WWF carrying-capacity caps and safe conditions on the day, which your dedicated guide calls.
Best conditions run April to November, with October–November bringing the most currents and pelagic action, and September the top month for mola mola. Because Alor stays remote and boats are small — 16 divers at a leading Pantar resort — private dates and exclusive-use weeks fill early, so enquire several months ahead.
Silo 1 · Expedition formats
Next step
Tell us your dates and dive goals and we'll build a private, licensed-operator itinerary around them — no fixed schedule, no shared manifest.