A guided fun dive in Pulau Weh starts at about USD 30 per dive for certified divers, including tank, weights, dive guide and boat transport. Book a 6 or 10-dive package and the per-dive price drops to around USD 23-25. Most dives run off Gapang and Iboih, with strong-current sites like Batee Tokong, Arus Balee and The Canyon a short boat ride away. Best season runs April to October.
I am Rangga Saputra, a PADI and SSI instructor based on Gapang Beach. I have guided fun divers on Pulau Weh for twelve years, and the two questions I hear most are “how much” and “where will we go.” This page answers both, with current 2025 prices and the sites I actually take certified divers to.
What a fun dive in Pulau Weh costs
Pulau Weh is one of the better-value dive destinations in Indonesia. Prices here are far lower than Bali or Komodo, and locals pay the same rates we quote visitors. A single guided boat fun dive sits around 525,000 IDR (roughly USD 30 with rental gear). The more dives you book, the cheaper each one gets.
- 1-3 dives: about 525,000 IDR per dive (~USD 30)
- 4-8 dives: about 485,000 IDR per dive (~USD 25)
- 9 or more dives: about 440,000 IDR per dive (~USD 23)
So a 2-tank day works out near USD 55-60, a 6-dive package lands around USD 150, and a 10-dive package runs roughly USD 230. Price from: USD 30 per fun dive.
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What is included, and what is not
Every guided fun dive includes the air tank, weights, your dive guide, boat transport to the sites, and drinking water on board. On longer 2-tank trips to the southern sites we add a snack during the surface interval. Full equipment rental (BCD, regulator, wetsuit, dive computer) is usually around 150,000-250,000 IDR per dive if you do not bring your own. Nitrox is available at the better-equipped shops for a small surcharge, roughly 50,000-80,000 IDR per tank. The modest local marine fee, where it applies, is collected separately.
The dive sites I take fun divers to
Pulau Weh sits where the Andaman Sea meets the Indian Ocean, with no river run-off to cloud the water. That gives us big-fish action on the current sites and clear, easy reefs for relaxed dives. Here are the sites that matter.
Batee Tokong
An offshore pinnacle off the north of the island and my favourite big-fish site. The top sits around 6-10 metres and slopes down past 22 metres toward 40. Currents run strong here, sometimes with down-currents, so I save it for Advanced divers. Expect schooling barracuda, jacks, tuna and reef sharks patrolling the slope.
Arus Balee and Pantee Peunateung
The name Arus Balee means “crazy currents,” and the site earns it. This is a high-current drift over walls and boulders, usually dived between 18 and 30 metres, with large sea fans and schools of barracuda, jacks and fusiliers. Strong, shifting currents make it a proper Advanced dive and a great place to build current skills with a guide.
The Canyon
A channel where current funnels through giant sea fans, dived as a drift around 18-30 metres. It is a big-scene dive rather than a macro one: snapper, trevally, the occasional reef shark and those sea fans swaying in the flow. Wonderful when the current is running.
Sophie Rickmers wreck
A German freighter scuttled in Sabang Bay during the Second World War, now lying on a steep slope. This is not a shallow recreational wreck. The usable profile runs roughly 40-55 metres, so I only take divers with Advanced certification and genuine deep experience, with carefully limited bottom time. Soft corals, lionfish, groupers and schooling fish cover an atmospheric hull. It is priced separately from standard fun dives.
Seulako Drift
A classic drift around Seulako Island near Iboih, usually 10-25 metres with medium to strong current. More forgiving than Arus Balee, so it suits divers stepping up to drift diving. Turtles, schooling reef fish and the odd barracuda are regulars.
Rubiah Sea Garden, Limbo Gapang and easy reefs
For check dives, relaxed fun dives and newer Open Water divers, Rubiah Sea Garden offers shallow coral gardens around 5-15 metres with mild current and healthy hard coral. The house reefs off Gapang, including Limbo Gapang, run 5-25 metres with nudibranchs, shrimps and reef fish, and make a fine second dive or night dive. Stingray Point, the Sunken Tugboat in Sabang harbour and the white-sand reef at Pasir Putih round out the easy options.
Best season to dive Pulau Weh
We dive year-round, but conditions are best from April through October, the dry season. Visibility on the outer sites often runs 20-30 metres or more, seas are calmer, and the reefs are full of life. Water temperature stays a comfortable 28-29 degrees Celsius most of the year, with occasional cool upwellings that bring even clearer water at depth.
From November to March the monsoon brings more rain and wind. Outer sites like Batee Tokong and Arus Balee can be rougher, and visibility near shore may drop to 15-20 metres. On those days we shift to the sheltered Rubiah and Iboih side and keep diving.
How to get here and what you need
Fly into Banda Aceh, then cross to the island. The Express Bahari fast ferry from Ulee Lheue port to Balohan on Pulau Weh takes about 45 minutes and costs roughly USD 5-7 one way. The slow car ferry takes about two hours. From Balohan it is a 30-45 minute transfer by car or minibus to Gapang or Iboih. Full details are on our how to get to Pulau Weh guide.
Fun diving is for certified divers. Open Water level is fine for the easy reefs at Rubiah, Limbo Gapang and Seulako. For the current and deep sites I want to see an Advanced certification and some current experience. Not certified yet? Start with our PADI Open Water course in Pulau Weh, then join the fun dives. For more background on the region, see our Pulau Weh diving guide.
Plenty of divers pair Pulau Weh with other Indonesian trips. If you are also weighing up a Komodo liveaboard dive charter, that is a different style of trip and a useful comparison when you plan your year of diving.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a fun dive in Pulau Weh cost?
A single guided boat fun dive starts at about 525,000 IDR, roughly USD 30 with rental gear. With a 4-8 dive package each dive drops to around USD 25, and at 9 or more dives to about USD 23 per dive. Tank, weights, guide and boat are included.
Do I need to be Advanced certified to fun dive here?
No. Open Water divers can enjoy the easier reefs such as Rubiah Sea Garden, Limbo Gapang and Seulako Drift. Advanced certification and current experience are needed for the strong-current sites like Batee Tokong, Arus Balee and The Canyon, and for the deep Sophie Rickmers wreck.
What marine life will I see?
The current sites bring schooling barracuda, jacks, tuna and reef sharks. Reefs and drifts offer turtles, snapper, trevally, nudibranchs and healthy hard and soft coral. Mantas and mola mola are not regular here, so we focus on big schooling fish and reef sharks.
When is the best time to dive Pulau Weh?
April to October is the dry season and the best window, with calm seas and visibility often 20-30 metres or more. November to March is monsoon, when outer sites can be rough and we dive the sheltered side. Water sits at 28-29 degrees Celsius year-round.
How do I get to the dive shops?
Fly to Banda Aceh, take the Express Bahari fast ferry from Ulee Lheue to Balohan (about 45 minutes, USD 5-7), then transfer 30-45 minutes by car to Gapang or Iboih where the dive centres are based.