Alor · Indonesia · Wall · Drift · Pelagic & blue water
The Boardroom
A 15 to 40 metre wall with the strait's most consistent pelagics
Area photo: Sims8899 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Boardroom is a steep wall in the Pantar Strait dropping from 15 to 40 metres, and it delivers some of the strait's most consistent pelagic action. Dogtooth tuna and Napoleon wrasse are regulars in the current, and the wall structure holds schooling fish in large numbers.
Where it is and how deep
8.2850° S, 124.3400° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wall runs from 15 metres down to 40 and the current runs with it, so the dive is a drift along a steep face rather than an exploration of one. The entry is committed and the profile is set early: pick a depth on the face, stay off it, and let the water do the work. It is a site for divers comfortable with moderate to strong flow and with surfacing somewhere other than where they went in.
The wall is what makes the fish predictable. Schooling fish hold against the structure in large numbers where the flow breaks, and dogtooth tuna and Napoleon wrasse are regulars in the current itself, working the same water. That combination is why the site is among the strait's most consistent for pelagic action, and why most of the dive is spent facing out into the blue rather than in at the wall. Ascend along the face and make the stop drifting.
Marine life and season
- Tuna
- Napoleon wrasse
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Alor: April–November dry season gives the most reliable liveaboard access and calmer crossings.
Know before you go
- Moderate to strong current through the whole dive. Enter up-current, stay close to the wall where the flow breaks, and carry a surface marker for the pickup.
- The face runs to 40 metres with the current setting your position for you. Agree a depth limit before entry, because depth is easy to lose track of on a fast drift.
Questions divers ask
What certification do I need for The Boardroom?+
It is a site for confident divers comfortable with drift profiles and moderate to strong currents on a wall running from 15 to 40 metres, not a place to make your first drift dive.
Sources
- Alor Dive Sites — Dive The World
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Wall
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Muck & macro
Black sand to 27 metres, at its best after dark
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Sea apples scattered across the reef between 15 and 25 metres
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