Nusa Penida · Indonesia · Reef
Pura Ped
North-coast slope from 5 metres to past 40
Area photo: Shrigusti · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pura Ped, usually shortened to Ped, is a sloping reef on the north side of Nusa Penida. It starts at about 5 metres and descends all the way to 40 metres and beyond, so the same site serves as a shallow coral swim or a deep run down the slope. Currents range from mild to strong, and that is what decides how the dive gets run.
Also known as Ped.
Where it is and how deep
8.6758° S, 115.5142° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef begins at about 5 metres, shallow enough that the top of the dive can be spent close in, and slopes steadily away from the shore. How deep you take it is a decision rather than a feature of the site, because the slope keeps descending to 40 metres and beyond with nothing to stop you. There is good coral and there are many bommies along the way, and turtles, sharks and rays are all on the list of what you may meet, along with the rest of the fish that live on this coast.
Currents here range from mild to strong, so Ped is dived either as an unhurried reef swim or as a one-way drift with the tide, and the boat briefing is what tells you which one you are getting. Visibility is generally 15 to 20 metres and the water sits at 27 to 28°C, with no month in the logged record colder than that, so exposure protection is not the thing you have to think hardest about here.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Nusa Penida: August–September is peak mola mola season on the cold upwelling; mantas at Manta Point are reliable year-round.
Know before you go
- Currents range from mild to strong. On a strong day this becomes a one-way drift with a live pickup, so stay with the guide and carry an SMB for the ascent.
- The slope runs to 40 metres and beyond with no natural bottom to stop a descent. Agree a maximum depth before you get in and watch your gas on the deep half.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Pura Ped?+
The reef starts at about 5 metres and the slope descends to 40 metres and beyond, so the depth is whatever you plan it to be. Most of the coral interest is on the shallower part of the slope.
Is there current at Ped?+
Yes, and it varies: currents here range from mild to strong. That decides whether the site is dived as a slow reef swim or as a drift with the tide, so take the briefing seriously even on a flat-looking day.
Sources
- Pura Ped - Dive Site — SSI/Scubago
More dive sites in Nusa Penida
Cave & cavern
A 200-metre cave ending in an air space full of bats
Wall
Shallow reef structure, infrequent hammerheads
Drift
Bali's other mola mola plateau, deeper and rougher than Crystal Bay
The mola mola site, in cold and sometimes downward current
Reef
West-coast slope where mola mola come up in season
Reef
Bommie-topped plateau above a fan-covered wall
A manta cleaning station in 15 metres under limestone cliffs
Artificial reef
Planted restoration structures at 6 metres, shore entry
Similar dives elsewhere
Walls from 7 m to beyond 40 m under a seabird island
A drop-off 80 m off the beach, from under 2 m to past 40 m
Small beach-entry reef with the best coral to the left of the entry
Romblon's turtle reef, with whale sharks on the record