Best dive shops in Bali
8 shops scored on six published criteria. No shop can pay to move up. Top of the list right now: Octopus Dive Center with 65 of 100.
-
Boutique Amed operator with a four-divers-per-group cap. Focused on Amed slopes, Japanese Wreck, and day trips to Tulamben.
- Verified reviews 23/30 Google 4.8 from 380 reviews (adjusted 4.77)
- Safety & quality signals 20/25 max 4 per instructor · 14 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water 7% below destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 4 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
-
Tulamben specialist focused on the USAT Liberty wreck. Shore-dive logistics, walk-to-site briefings, on-site accommodation a few minutes from the wreck.
- Verified reviews 21/30 Google 4.7 from 420 reviews (adjusted 4.69)
- Safety & quality signals 22/25 max 4 per instructor · 17 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water 5% below destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 3 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
-
Manta and mola mola specialist running from Sanur with a second base on Nusa Lembongan. Fast boats to Nusa Penida every morning.
- Verified reviews 21/30 Google 4.7 from 1,450 reviews (adjusted 4.70)
- Safety & quality signals 22/25 max 4 per instructor · 23 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 8/15 Open Water 6% above destination median
- Offering breadth 8/10 PADI/SSI · 5 languages · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 5/10 Conservation activity mentioned, not verified
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
-
Padang Bai-based, well-placed for Nusa Penida fast boats and Padang Bai's local reefs. PADI Course Director on staff for IDC.
- Verified reviews 16/30 Google 4.5 from 680 reviews (adjusted 4.52)
- Safety & quality signals 25/25 max 4 per instructor · 18 yrs operating · multi-agency · instructor-level centre · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water 3% below destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI/TDI · 4 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
-
Lembongan-based operator running daily boats to Nusa Penida. Walk-on access to mola, manta, and Crystal Bay without the Sanur fast-boat commute.
- Verified reviews 21/30 Google 4.7 from 970 reviews (adjusted 4.69)
- Safety & quality signals 22/25 max 4 per instructor · 27 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 8/15 Open Water 3% above destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 5 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
-
Mid-sized Tulamben operator with family-friendly programmes and a full course menu from DSD through Divemaster.
- Verified reviews 15/30 Google 4.5 from 820 reviews (adjusted 4.51)
- Safety & quality signals 22/25 max 4 per instructor · 24 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water 5% below destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 4 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
-
Long-running multi-region operator based in Sanur. Day trips to Tulamben, Amed, Menjangan, Nusa Penida, plus full IDC career path.
- Verified reviews 18/30 Google 4.6 from 1,100 reviews (adjusted 4.60)
- Safety & quality signals 25/25 max 4 per instructor · 30 yrs operating · multi-agency · instructor-level centre · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 8/15 Open Water 5% above destination median
- Offering breadth 8/10 PADI/SSI · 5 languages · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
-
The only major dive operator with on-site access to Menjangan Island. Resort-style all-inclusive packages and the calmest diving in Bali.
- Verified reviews 18/30 Google 4.6 from 540 reviews (adjusted 4.61)
- Safety & quality signals 22/25 max 4 per instructor · 28 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 8/15 Open Water 5% above destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 5 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
How we rank
Every shop gets a score out of 100 from six criteria. The weights and the data behind each score are shown on every entry, and the full table can be downloaded as CSV. Scores are recalculated whenever the data changes; this page was last updated on 14 May 2026.
| Criterion | Weight | What we measure |
|---|---|---|
| Verified reviews | 30 | Google rating and review count, shrunk toward the destination average so a 4.9 with 30 reviews does not beat a 4.8 with 1,500. |
| Safety & quality signals | 25 | Maximum students per instructor (the single biggest safety lever on a course), years in operation, multi-agency status, instructor-level training centre, nitrox on site. |
| Price transparency & value | 15 | Published Open Water price (or fun-dive price where courses are not the main product) against the destination median. Cheapest is not always best; transparency is rewarded, hidden fees are not. |
| Offering breadth | 10 | Agencies offered, languages spoken, range of products, and whether technical, liveaboard or nitrox diving is available. |
| Sustainability | 10 | Green Fins membership or a documented conservation programme scores full; a mention without evidence scores half. |
| Editorial visit | 10 | Full marks when our team has visited the shop and verified boats, gear room and classroom in person. Half when the shop has confirmed its data with us. |
Rules
- Paid listings and partnerships never affect the score, and are labelled where they appear.
- Missing data scores zero. It is the shop's data to provide; we do not guess.
- A shop can dispute any data point. Corrections are applied and dated.
- Review data is pulled from Google and dated; we do not collect our own reviews yet.
Cite as: "Best dive shops in Bali 2026", topdiveshops.com, updated 2026-05-14. Scores CSV: best-dive-shops.csv.