Tulamben, the area around Bicycle Slope, Kubu

Tulamben · Indonesia · Artificial reef · Muck & macro · Sand slope

Bicycle Slope, Kubu

Motorbike frames and concrete set on a sandy slope at 15 metres

Area photo: Bernd · CC BY 2.0

Bicycle Slope is an artificial-reef dive on the Kubu stretch of the Tulamben coast, between Kubu Reef and the Boga wreck. Motorbike frames and iron and concrete structures sit on a sandy slope that goes to 15 metres, and the site is listed for critters, moray and ribbon eels, barracuda, cuttlefish, triggerfish and wrasse, with shallow coral spots scattered around.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Bicycle Slope, Kubu: typical dive to 15 m (to 50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

8.2572° S, 115.5835° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

The dive is a sandy slope with artificial structures placed on it: motorbike frames, iron and concrete. Nothing here is deep. The site goes to 15 metres, so the profile flattens out as soon as you are down and the limit on the dive is gas rather than depth. Shallow coral spots are scattered around the structures, so the ground between them is not bare sand the whole way.

Work the structures rather than the open sand between them. Each piece of iron and concrete collects growth and holds whatever has moved in: critters, moray eel and ribbon eel, cuttlefish, triggerfish and wrasse, with barracuda over the slope. Because depth never becomes the constraint, this is a dive to take slowly and close to the bottom, scanning one structure and the stretch of slope before the next.

Marine life and season

  • Macro critters
  • Barracuda
  • Octopus & cuttlefish
Month-by-month season rating for Bicycle Slope, Kubu
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGood

Season follows Tulamben: Diveable year-round with modest seasonal shift; April–October dry season typically gives calmer surface conditions.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Bicycle Slope?+

The site goes to 15 metres. It is a sandy slope with artificial structures on it, so the profile is shallow and flat once you are down and most of the dive is spent working between the structures.

Sources

  1. Bicycle Slope, Kubu - Dive Site — SSI/Scubago

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