Walk in, gear up, drop down
The outrigger boats sit on the dark sand at Amed village, hulls painted, engines cold. You wade in from the same beach with a tank on your back. Jemeluk Bay opens up in front of you: 8 metres deep on average, 18 at its deepest, a sloping reef with resident spadefish, small concrete pyramids and mermaid sculptures along one side. No boat. No crossing. 1
That is what this coast sells. Bali's east keeps its wrecks and artificial reefs within a few hundred metres of shore, and Amed sits in reach of four of them: Jemeluk Bay, the Japanese Shipwreck, the Pyramids, and 12 kilometres up the coast road at Tulamben, the USAT Liberty. 3
For the wider trip, MMT's Amed diving month budget handles rent, food and a month of tanks, and the Indonesia country guide covers arrival.
Which Amed dive sites should you book?
Four sites, the depths their own operators publish, and how you reach each one.
Depth is the sorting rule on this coast, and it decides your certification card before it decides your nerve. Jemeluk Bay and the Japanese Shipwreck stay inside Open Water limits at their shallowest. The Pyramids usually ask for a certified diver. The Liberty rewards the diver who can go deeper. 1, 2, 11, 8
| Site | Depth published | How you reach it | Level | What you are looking at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jemeluk Bay | Max 18 m, average 8 m | Shore dive from the bay | All levels | Sloping coral reef, artificial structures, mermaid sculptures, spadefish, then the Jemeluk Wall |
| Japanese Shipwreck | Max 30 m, average 12 m; the wreck at 2 to 10 m | Shore dive | All levels | A small coral-covered hull, long bottom times, good light for photographs |
| The Pyramids | 10 to 25 m, shallow to 22 m, or 6 to 20 m, depending which shop you ask | Under 1 km from Jemeluk Bay | Certified divers; sometimes Advanced training dives | Hollow pyramid structures grouped in threes, turtles, stingrays, clouds of fusiliers |
| USAT Liberty, Tulamben | About 5 m at the stern to about 30 m | 12 km north-west of Amed, then 40 m off the beach | Open Water and up | A 120 m hull, torpedoed in 1942, moved into the sea by the 1963 Mount Agung eruption |
Each figure is the operator's own reading of the same water. Bali Fab Dive also records visibility of 15 to 30 metres and water temperature of 26 to 30 degrees Celsius at the Pyramids, with current from none to moderate.
The Pyramids come with a disagreement worth knowing before you book. Amed Jepun Divers publishes 10 to 25 metres. Bali Dive Cove says shallow to about 22. Bali Fab Dive prints a dive range of 6 to 20. Treat the site as roughly 6 to 25 metres and ask your shop for its own profile on the day. 12, 11, 13
Two operators describe the same structures differently. Bali Dive Cove calls them hollow concrete pyramids, placed on the sand by local fishermen in the early 1990s as reef-enhancement work. 11 Bali Fab Dive calls the same structures interconnected metal and rubber tyres, grouped in threes at 20 metres. 13 Either way, thirty years of coral has grown over them.
How do you dive the USAT Liberty from Amed?
The wreck lies at Tulamben, a 12 km run up the coast road. Go early.
The Liberty is why many divers come to this coast at all. A US Army cargo ship, torpedoed by a Japanese submarine near the Lombok Strait on 11 January 1942 and beached at Tulamben. She sat on the sand for 21 years. Then the tremors of the 1963 Mount Agung eruption slipped her off the beach and into the water. 8
Today the hull rests on a sand slope 40 metres from shore. The stern, its highest point, sits at about 5 metres; the lowest point at about 30. PADI's dive-site page, contributed by the operator AquaMarine Diving - Bali, gives the wreck as 120 metres long and calls it probably the most famous dive site in Bali. You swim out to it. 8, 7
Plan two dives
The stern at 5 metres and the deep end at 30 metres are two different dives, which is why shops sell the Liberty as a pair. A single guided shore dive elsewhere in Amed is IDR 850,000, so the Liberty pair at IDR 750,000 a dive undercuts it, though stacking three dives in Amed is cheaper still, at IDR 500,000. 8, 5, 4
Keep the card in the dry bag
A certified fun dive on the wreck wants a certification card, and so does your insurer. SafetyWing's policy names PADI, NAUI, SSI and BSAC. 10
How much does diving in Amed cost?
Two named shops' own rate cards, read on 26 September 2026, in rupiah and dollars.
Guided shore dives run IDR 500,000 to 850,000 each, about USD 28 to 47, with the guide and all scuba equipment inside the price; Amed Jepun Divers also includes park fees. The cheap end comes from stacking dives into one day. Amed Jepun Divers charges IDR 1,100,000 for two dives and IDR 1,500,000 for three; Scuba Odessey asks IDR 850,000 for a single dive. 4, 5, 6
| What you book | Amed Jepun Divers (IDR) | Scuba Odessey (IDR) | USD, low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| One guided shore dive | not listed | 850,000 | 47 |
| Two guided dives, same day | 1,100,000 | 1,150,000 | 61 to 64 |
| Three guided dives, same day | 1,500,000 | 1,650,000 | 84 to 92 |
| Two dives on the Liberty, early morning | not listed | 1,500,000 | 84 |
| Try dive, one dive, no certification | 1,000,000 | 1,050,000 | 56 to 59 |
| Try dive, two dives | 1,500,000 | 1,450,000 | 81 to 84 |
| One night dive | 700,000 | 900,000 | 39 to 50 |
| Refresher, two dives | 1,200,000 | not listed | 67 |
Amed Jepun Divers' prices cover the dive guide, all scuba equipment, park fees and a meal between dives, with free pickup in the Amed area; its fluorescent night dive is IDR 850,000. Scuba Odessey's cover full equipment rental, transport to the sites, drinking water and towels, and the shop caps each guide at two divers. Dollar figures use Bank Indonesia's JISDOR reference rate of Rp17,917.00 per US dollar for 25 September 2026.
Table view: What one dive costs, by how many you book that day
| Item | Value (IDR) |
|---|---|
| Scuba Odessey, 1 dive | 850,000 IDR |
| Scuba Odessey, 2 dives | 575,000 IDR |
| Scuba Odessey, 3 dives | 550,000 IDR |
| Amed Jepun, 2 dives | 550,000 IDR |
| Amed Jepun, 3 dives | 500,000 IDR |
The third dive of the day is the cheapest thing on either rate card. Three dives at Amed Jepun works out at IDR 500,000 a dive against IDR 850,000 for a single dive at Scuba Odessey, a fall of IDR 350,000 or 41.2 percent. Guide and equipment sit inside every figure; Amed Jepun Divers' figures also include park fees. Source: 5, 4, 6
Stacking dives is the whole reason a shore-diving base costs less than a boat week. Two dives a day at Amed Jepun is IDR 550,000 each; three drops it to IDR 500,000. MMT sets the two patterns side by side in liveaboard versus shore diving. 4
What does a PADI course cost in Amed?
Two named shops price a PADI Open Water course between IDR 5,100,000 and IDR 6,000,000, about USD 285 to 335. That buys three to four days and four or five open-water dives, certifying you to 18 metres. Amed White Sand Divers ran 350 Open Water courses in 2025 and puts the Liberty among its training dives. 9, 5, 6
| Course | Amed White Sand Divers (IDR) | Scuba Odessey (IDR) | USD, low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Water Diver | 5,100,000 (3 days) | 6,000,000 (3 to 4 days, 5 dives) | 285 to 335 |
| Advanced Open Water | not listed on its own | 5,300,000 (3 to 4 days, 5 dives) | 296 |
| Open Water plus Advanced, combined | 9,000,000 | 10,550,000 | 502 to 589 |
Amed White Sand Divers' price covers hotel pickup in the Amed area, equipment, the PADI instructor, snacks, drinks and all taxes, and the course asks you to swim 200 metres. Scuba Odessey's price covers all materials, the certification fee and DAN insurance. Same rate as the table above: Rp17,917.00 per US dollar, 25 September 2026.
The combined course is where the arithmetic bites. Booked separately at Scuba Odessey, Open Water and Advanced come to IDR 11,300,000; the combination is IDR 10,550,000, a saving of IDR 750,000, about USD 42. Amed White Sand Divers sells the same pair for IDR 9,000,000. An IDR 900,000 spread on the Open Water course alone, about USD 50, earns an email to both shops. 5, 9, 6
Course prices bundle different things, which is what makes a straight comparison hard. One includes DAN insurance and materials, the other includes taxes and hotel pickup. MMT's scuba certification cost page pulls tuition, pool time and open-water fees apart so you can see which shop folded what into the sticker. 5, 9
What does your insurance want to see?
Your certification card is the paperwork that turns an accident into a claim. A try dive and a fun dive sit on opposite sides of that line, and they are priced close together: at Scuba Odessey a Discovery dive is IDR 1,050,000 and a certified shore dive IDR 850,000, a gap of IDR 200,000. 5
- Carry the card, or a photo your shop will accept. SafetyWing names PADI, NAUI, SSI and BSAC. 10
- Book a refresher if you have been dry a while: IDR 1,200,000 for two dives at Amed Jepun Divers, about USD 67. 4, 6
- Check what the course price already carries. Scuba Odessey includes DAN insurance with its PADI courses, and lists fun dives outside that. 5
- Price the policy alongside the dives; MMT's scuba insurance costs page covers the wording to look for.
When is the best time to dive in Amed?
PADI's regional guide puts conditions as good year-round, with the best visibility from April to November. July to October brings the clearest water and better pelagic sightings offshore. Water sits at 26 to 29 degrees Celsius and seas are generally calm. Bali Fab Dive's own reading at the Pyramids lands in the same band: 26 to 30 degrees, visibility 15 to 30 metres. 15, 13
So there is no month to avoid here, only a better one. Equipment rental sits inside every price in the tables above regardless of season. If you dive on your own gear, MMT's buy versus rent worksheet weighs the baggage cost against the rental. 4, 5
Diving inside the Karangasem marine protected area
The water you dive here sits inside a protected area declared in July 2023. A Tulamben dive resort's account of Indonesia's Ministerial Decree No. 123/2023 describes a Karangasem Marine Protected Area of 5,478 hectares, running from Tulamben to Padangbai in five zones. 16
| Zone | Hectares | What it holds | What you may do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole protected area | 5,478 | Five zones, Tulamben to Padangbai | Varies by zone; ask your shop |
| Tulamben zone | 1,308 | The USAT Liberty wreck and nearby reefs | Diving permitted |
| Amed and Seraya zone | Over 2,200 | The largest zone; Amed's shore dive sites sit inside it | Diving permitted outside the core |
| Core conservation zone | 179 | A no-take area inside the Amed and Seraya zone, about 3.3 percent of the whole | No diving, no fishing |
Your dive shop knows where that no-dive line runs inside the Amed and Seraya zone. Ask before you plan a shore entry of your own. 16
These figures come from a Tulamben dive resort's account of the decree rather than the decree itself. Karangasem's marine protection has at least two dated milestones: a stretch of this coast protected in 2017, and the five-zone area of 2023, and the hectares above belong to the later one. 16, 3
A four-day diving plan from Amed
Eight dives, four days, every line priced from a named operator's own page.
Eight dives across four days comes to IDR 4,800,000, about USD 268, at the rate-card prices above. Add IDR 550,000 for the car from Ubud, which carries up to four people, and the block is IDR 5,350,000. Per dive that is IDR 600,000, about USD 33. Two shops appear because each publishes what the other doesn't: Scuba Odessey prices the early Liberty trip, Amed Jepun Divers the three-dive day. Book both, or ask either to quote it all. 4, 5, 17, 6
- 01Day 1, Jemeluk Bay and the Japanese Shipwreck1 night
Two shore dives in the bay you can see from breakfast: 18 metres at the deepest point of Jemeluk, 8 on average, and the small hull of the Japanese Shipwreck at 2 to 10 metres. IDR 1,100,000 for the pair at Amed Jepun Divers. 1, 2, 4
→ Walk in from the beach. - 02
- 03Day 3, the Pyramids and two more1 night
Three dives in one day is the cheapest per-dive rate on either card: IDR 1,500,000 at Amed Jepun Divers. The Pyramids sit somewhere between 6 and 25 metres depending whose profile you read, among structures local fishermen placed in the early 1990s. 4, 12, 13, 11
→ Under a kilometre from Jemeluk Bay. 3 - 04Day 4, one night dive1 night
A single night dive at IDR 700,000 with Amed Jepun Divers, or IDR 850,000 for the fluorescent version. That closes the block at eight dives. 4
→ Shore entry after dark with the shop's guide.
With less time: With two days instead of four, take the Liberty on one and three Amed dives on the other: IDR 3,000,000, about USD 167, and you still see the wreck and the Pyramids. 5, 4, 6
| Line | Operator | Dives | IDR | USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two shore dives, same day | Amed Jepun Divers | 2 | 1,100,000 | 61 |
| Two dives on the Liberty, early morning | Scuba Odessey | 2 | 1,500,000 | 84 |
| Three shore dives, same day | Amed Jepun Divers | 3 | 1,500,000 | 84 |
| One night dive | Amed Jepun Divers | 1 | 700,000 | 39 |
| Car from Ubud, one way, up to 4 people | Amed Bali Adventure | 0 | 550,000 | 31 |
| Four days, arriving from Ubud | 8 | 5,350,000 | 299 |
Diving alone is IDR 4,800,000, about USD 268, which is IDR 600,000 (about USD 33) a dive. The car works out at IDR 137,500 a head, about USD 8, with four sharing. Ubud to Amed is 87 kilometres and about 2 hours 30 to 45 minutes; a hotel beyond Amed village, or up at Tulamben, adds 15 to 30 minutes. Rate: Rp17,917.00 per US dollar, 25 September 2026. Rooms, food and any gear you buy sit outside this table.
Four days is a comfortable first block for a new diver, and a short one for anyone who came for the wreck. Stretch it and the per-dive price keeps falling, because the fixed cost of getting to Amed is already spent. That is the case for basing a whole month here, which MMT prices in the Amed diving month budget. 17
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be certified to dive in Amed?
For a guided fun dive, yes; for an introductory try dive, no. Try dives run IDR 1,000,000 at Amed Jepun Divers and IDR 1,050,000 at Scuba Odessey, about USD 56 to 59. Insurance is the real gate: see 'What does your insurance want to see?' below before booking a dive without a card. 4, 5, 10, 6
What is the Amed diving price per dive?
IDR 500,000 to 850,000 a dive, about USD 28 to 47, depending how many you stack into one day. The tables above break both shops' cards down line by line; the guide and equipment are included at both, and Amed Jepun Divers also includes park fees. 4, 5, 6
Can a beginner dive the USAT Liberty?
The shallow part of the wreck is within reach of an Open Water diver. The stern, its highest point, sits at about 5 metres, and a PADI Open Water card certifies you to 18. Amed White Sand Divers puts the Liberty among the open-water dives on its own Open Water course. The hull runs down to about 30 metres, which is where the Advanced certification earns its price. 8, 9
Where exactly is the Japanese Shipwreck in Amed?
Sources disagree, so book by name and ask the shop. Amed Jepun Divers gives the location only as Amed, with a maximum depth of 30 metres, an average of 12 and the wreck itself at 2 to 10. Wikipedia, citing a different Amed dive centre, places it specifically in Lipah bay, Banyuning, and notes that the wreck's nickname comes from a nearly intact toilet identified as Japanese in style. 2, 3
How deep are the Amed Pyramids?
Plan for roughly 6 to 25 metres; the structures themselves rest on sand at about 20. Three named operators publish three different ranges for the water above them, 10 to 25 metres at Amed Jepun Divers, shallow to about 22 at Bali Dive Cove, 6 to 20 at Bali Fab Dive, so take whatever profile your own shop gives you on the day. 12, 11, 13
How do I get to Amed, and what does the transfer cost?
Amed Bali Adventure, an Amed-based operator, prices a one-way car from Ubud at IDR 550,000, about USD 31, for up to four people. The drive is about 87 kilometres and takes about 2 hours 30 to 45 minutes. A hotel in Lipah, Lean or Banyuning village, or up at Tulamben, adds 15 to 30 minutes. Split four ways that is IDR 137,500 a head, about USD 8. 17, 6
Is diving in Amed Bali good all year?
Yes, no month to avoid, only a better one. April to November brings the best visibility and July to October the clearest water, per PADI's regional guide; Bali Fab Dive reads a touch warmer at the Pyramids specifically, 26 to 30 degrees. None of the rate cards quoted on this page list a seasonal surcharge, so the prices above apply whichever month you dive. 15, 13, 4, 5
Do I pay a separate marine park fee for Amed or Tulamben?
Not the same at both shops: Amed Jepun Divers states park fees are included in its dive prices; Scuba Odessey's own price list doesn't mention park fees either way. Indonesia's national marine-park ticketing site lists Gili Matra, Raja Ampat and Kepulauan Kapoposang, with no Karangasem entry on its homepage, so ask your shop directly whether a local levy applies. 4, 5, 14
Sources & review date
Researched 2026-09-26. Prepared from primary sources, with a separate independent source review. Numbered notes in the text point to the sources below. Prices, entry rules and schedules change; use the linked authority for your dates.
- 1Dive sites, Amed: Jemeluk Bay Amed Jepun Divers · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 2Dive sites, Amed: Japanese Shipwreck Amed Jepun Divers · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 3Amed (Bali) Wikipedia · Accessed 2026-09-26
- 4Scuba diving prices Amed Jepun Divers · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 5Prices: fun dives, Liberty trips and PADI courses Scuba Odessey, Amed · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 6JISDOR, the USD/IDR reference rate, 25 September 2026 Bank Indonesia · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 7Dive site: USAT Liberty Shipwreck PADI, page contributed by AquaMarine Diving - Bali · Accessed 2026-09-26
- 8USAT Liberty Wikipedia · Accessed 2026-09-26
- 9PADI Open Water course Amed White Sand Divers · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 10Nomad Insurance, Description of Coverage SafetyWing Insurance I.I. · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 11Dive site: Amed Pyramids Bali Dive Cove · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 12Dive sites, Amed (overview, including Pyramids Point) Amed Jepun Divers · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 13Dive site: Jemeluk Pyramids Bali Fab Dive · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 14Marine park e-ticketing, home page Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia (seapark.kkp.go.id) · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source
- 15Diving in Amed, Indonesia PADI · Accessed 2026-09-26
- 16Karangasem Marine Protected Area Bali Dive Resort and Spa, quoting Ministerial Decree No. 123/2023 · Accessed 2026-09-26
- 17Ubud to Amed transport Amed Bali Adventure · Accessed 2026-09-26 · Primary source