Emergency numbers
- Indonesia general emergency: 112 (ambulance: 118/119)
- DAN emergency hotline (international, 24/7, collect calls accepted): +1-919-684-9111
- DAN Indonesia hotline: 021-5085-8719
- Your dive operator and your dive insurance's own emergency line — save both before your first dive.
Recompression chambers in Bali
Kasih Ibu Hospital Saba — Hyperbaric & Diving Medicine Centre (Gianyar): Jl. Pantai Saba No. 9, Saba, Blahbatuh — +62 361 3003333. Opened in 2019 and DAN-accredited, it sits usefully between Sanur and the east-coast dive areas (roughly on the way back from Padang Bai, Tulamben and the Penida boats), and is set up specifically for divers.
Prof. Ngoerah Hospital (formerly Sanglah General Hospital), Denpasar: Jl. Diponegoro, Denpasar — +62 361 227911-15. Bali's largest hospital, with a hyperbaric chamber and full emergency facilities.
In a suspected decompression illness case: 100% oxygen immediately, call DAN and your operator, and let them coordinate the chamber — don't self-drive to a facility that may not be ready for you.
Insurance: don't dive here without it
Chamber treatment costs thousands of dollars, and standard travel policies often exclude scuba or cap the depth. Dive-specific cover (DAN, DiveAssure, or a travel policy with a proper diving rider) is cheap against that number. Check the depth limit matches your certification.
Bali-specific realities
- Currents around Nusa Penida are serious. The channel sites can run strong, switch direction, and produce downcurrents near corners and points. Dive them with operators who brief conservatively, carry surface marker buoys, and aren't shy about cancelling. A reef hook and your own SMB are good investments.
- Cold thermoclines in the July–October upwelling season (18–24°C around Penida) shorten comfortable dive times. Cold, tired divers make worse decisions — suit up properly.
- South-coast swell can turn easy sites (like Manta Point) into cancelled ones. That's the system working, not a ripped-off day.
- Shore-entry sites (Tulamben, Amed) are benign but pebbly — watch your footing with a tank on, use the porters, wear booties.
- Boat traffic: the Sanur–Nusa channel and harbour mouths are busy with fast boats. Ascend on the line or your guide's SMB, never blind into open water.
Flying after diving
The standard conservative guidance: at least 12 hours after a single no-deco dive, 18+ hours after repetitive dives or multiple days — and most divers simply take a full 24. Plan your last dive day accordingly, especially with early international departures. The same caution applies to high land crossings — note that the road over Bali's mountains (e.g. Kintamani, ~1,500 m) counts as altitude if you drive it straight after diving Tulamben. Route around the coast instead.
The buddy factor
A large share of diving incidents involve separated or mismatched buddies. Dive with someone, brief together, agree limits before you're underwater — and if you're travelling solo, don't freelance it with a stranger on the beach: find a real buddy or dive guided.