Kertasari Dive Sites

The thing with opening a dive shop at a wild frontier like Sumbawa is, that someone’s gotta figure it out: Explore the sites that are known by the local fishermen, the sites we find ourselves WHILE navigating changing seasons and reading the quirks and mysteries of the ocean herself.

It is not for the faint of heart, but it’s so much frigging fun you have no idea!

If you are an experienced diver and wanna join us for one of our exploration dives, do drop a DM.

Welcome to the wild side!

Kertasari dive sites map - Controversial?

We published our first version of the Kertasari dive site map on social media a while back, after a long and careful consideration. Why?

"We believe that the ocean belongs to everyone".

The culture in diving industry has been built on gatekeeping. New destinations are shrouded in secrecy, with dive shops acting as exclusive guardians of the sites. You’d only get access if you can pay for the dive trips, meaning only people above a certain income level can access this magical world. To us, that feels outdated. We want to actively divorce ourselves from that culture of exclusion. Particularly when the excuse is always protection of the ocean, but we've seen how some of these dive centers 'protect' that ocean they should be the guardians of.

We are firm believers in the principle of jokamiehenoikeus (it’s Finnish and stands for "Everyman’s Right.”) This is the concept of nature innately belonging to everyone, and being accessible to all, and that everyone has the right to explore and enjoy public waters responsibly.

By publishing our dive site map and sharing the names we’ve given these incredible locations, we chose transparency over secrecy. We want to empower the diving community, while welcoming others to witness the beauty we’ve found here.

Stewardship of the sea

While we believe in open maps, we also believe in radical responsibility. Because we are the ones on the ground (or the water, to be precise!), we see firsthand how fragile these ecosystems are. For this reason, you won't find every single one of our discoveries on the map. We have chosen to keep a few select sites off the grid for now.

This isn't about gatekeeping for profit, it’s about controlled conservation. By managing the flow of visitors to the most sensitive habitats and pristine coral nurseries, we can ensure that these spots remain untouched for years to come. We only visit these sites under strict supervision to ensure the ecosystem remains as healthy as the day we found it.

Want to see the map? Come visit us at our shop, or go on a quick treasure hunt on our IG profile.

The dive sites

1. Champagne Reef (house reef right in front of our shop)

2. Sarang Garden

3. Ruins

4. Ray Bay

5. Shark Avenue

6. Tempok Dalam

7. Bikini Bottom

8. Mantahari

Plus a handful of secret spots, and new sites being explored every week.

Want to explore the beauty of these sites responsibly? Come dive with us.