The Open Water plus Batu Bolong upgrade is an add-on dive booked for guests who have just finished their entry-level open water certification in Komodo and want one guided dive at Batu Bolong before flying home. It is sold as a separate, conditional dive rather than as part of the course, because a brand-new certification and a channel pinnacle are not automatically compatible. The upgrade goes ahead only when the guide has watched you dive and is satisfied with your buoyancy, air consumption, and response to a briefing.
Why is this sold as an upgrade and not bundled into the course?
Bundling would commit us to a site before we know whether a diver can hold a stop in moving water, and Batu Bolong sits in a strait where tidal flow accelerates past the rock. A course teaches the skills; the upgrade is the checkpoint that asks whether those skills have settled. Selling it separately means the guide can say no on the day without you losing a course you already paid for.
It also means the price is transparent. You pay for the upgrade dive only if it runs. If conditions or your own readiness rule it out, the fee is either refunded or moved to a calmer site of your choosing, and that term is written into the quote before you start.
What does the upgrade include?
- One guided dive scheduled at Batu Bolong inside the calmest window available on your date
- A pre-dive assessment in the water with the guide who will lead the dive
- Tanks, weights, and rental of BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask, and fins
- A dedicated current briefing covering entry, the sheltered face, and the abort plan
- A reduced buddy ratio, normally tighter than a standard certified-diver group
- Boat transfer from Labuan Bajo harbour, on a departure time set by the tide table
Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees are set by the park authority, apply per person, and are quoted as a separate line at the published rate for your travel dates. Course fees, agency materials, and certification processing are handled by the dive centre delivering your training and are quoted by them, not folded into this upgrade.
What has to be true before the guide approves the dive?
The gate is buoyancy control, because on the sheltered face of Batu Bolong you hold position against a moving wall of water rather than swimming freely. A diver who cannot maintain depth within a comfortable band during a safety stop is not ready, and telling you that on land is kinder than discovering it at depth.
| Check | What the guide is looking for |
|---|---|
| Buoyancy | Depth held steadily during a stop without finning up or sinking |
| Air consumption | A rate that leaves comfortable reserve for a shorter, controlled dive |
| Trim and finning | Ability to hold position and back away from coral without contact |
| Briefing response | Signals understood and repeated back without prompting |
| Comfort in flow | Calm reaction when water pushes, not a scramble for the reef |
If any of these are shaky, the answer is not “no diving today”, it is a different site. Divers who want to build toward Batu Bolong properly rather than gamble on one dive should look at the Advanced Open Water and Batu Bolong bundle, which puts structured deep and drift work ahead of the pinnacle.
How does the upgrade day actually run?
The upgrade is normally scheduled the day after your final certification dive, not the same afternoon, so that you are diving rested rather than on the back of a full training day. That single day of separation is the most common change we make to guests’ plans, and it is worth building into your flight schedule.
On the day, the boat leaves on a time set by the tide, the guide runs the assessment on the first dive at a calmer site, and the Batu Bolong dive follows if the assessment is clear and the flow reads right. You are briefed twice: once on the general plan, once on deck immediately before entry with the actual conditions in front of you. Guests who want that reasoning explained beforehand can add the current safety briefing add-on.
What if you are not ready or the conditions say no?
The two reasons an upgrade does not run are the diver and the water, and both are called before anyone gears up. If the guide reads flow at the pinnacle as outside the range for a freshly certified diver, the dive is moved to another site on the same boat, at the same fee.
If the call is about readiness, the route forward is more dives in easier water first. The beginner-friendly Komodo intro covers the sheltered sites we use for exactly that, and divers who log a few of those often come back to the pinnacle later in the week and get cleared. Being turned around on day one does not close the door for day four.
How do you book the upgrade?
Tell us where and when you are completing your certification, your travel dates, and how many dives you will have logged by the time you want the upgrade, and we send a written quote with the tide window for that day. Booking is confirmed by a person over WhatsApp or email; there is no instant checkout, because the upgrade is conditional by design and we will not take money for a dive we may need to move.
We are an independent Komodo dive travel operator. Course names and certification levels are referred to only to describe the training you already hold or are taking; we are not presenting ourselves as an agent, dealer, or officially appointed representative of any training agency, dive centre, or vessel named in your itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
How many dives should I have before attempting Batu Bolong?
There is no universal number, because comfort matters more than a count. In practice, newly certified divers who are cleared for the pinnacle have usually logged several post-course dives in calmer Komodo water first and are holding a safety stop without drifting. If you arrive with only your four training dives, plan on an assessment dive first and treat the upgrade as conditional rather than confirmed.
Can I book the upgrade for the same day I certify?
We normally schedule it for the following day instead. A final training day is tiring, and fatigue shows up first in air consumption and buoyancy, which are the two things the guide is assessing. Leaving a day between certification and the pinnacle raises the chance the dive actually runs, so build one spare day into your Labuan Bajo schedule before your flight out.
What happens to my money if the guide says no?
The upgrade fee is either refunded or applied to a guided dive at a calmer site on the same boat, and you choose which. That term is written into your quote before you pay, precisely so the guide is never under commercial pressure to approve a dive they are not comfortable with. Park fees already paid to the authority are not refundable by us.
Do I need my own equipment for the upgrade dive?
No. Rental of BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask, and fins is included, and tanks and weights are provided on the boat. If you own a mask and computer, bring them, because familiar kit removes one variable from an already conditional dive. Tell us your height, weight, and shoe size when booking so the rental set is ready before you board.
Add a Batu Bolong dive to your certification trip
Send your certification dates, dive count, and travel window and we will check the tide and quote the upgrade in writing. Message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/628113823875 or email sales@komodoluxury.com.