The Best Dive Site in Bali for Beginners: The USAT Liberty Shipwreck

Scuba diving in Tulamben at the USAT Liberty wreck is often considered the best dive site in Bali, and it should be at the top of your list if you’re into adventure travel and looking for something truly unique to do on the island.

Being able to explore a country on both land and below sea level is truly an experience like no other; it was certainly the highlight of my time in Bali on my most recent trip there last month.

It is no secret that Bali is massively suffering from over tourism and the number of visitors is clearly having a negative impact on the natural environment and life for many local people. I recommend venturing out of the touristy areas in my what not to do in Bali guide. The saturated tourist spots such as Ubud, Uluwatu, Kuta, Seminyak and now even Sanur are busy, crowded and take away from a more authentic travel experience.

East Bali is still relatively untouched and Tulamben; a little fishing village on the north east coast, is renowned for its underwater attractions – most notably for the USAT Liberty shipwreck that lies off the coast there. This makes it one of the best dive sites in Bali for beginners and pros alike.

It is so popular with divers that you are highly likely to meet internationally recognised underwater photographers and writers there.

We came across what looked like an entire film crew underwater, with cameras, big lighting and what looked like iPads with waterproof casing. It was quite a sight to behold – together with the incredible marine life, of course.

But first..

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What is the USAT Liberty Shipwreck?

The USAT Liberty wreck (United States Army Transport) has a fascinating history and is now possibly the most famous and best dive site in Bali. It was a US Army cargo ship that was on its way from Australia to the Philippines transporting railway parts in 1942 when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and ended up on the beach at Tulamben. 

The plan was to mend the ship, but the damage was so extensive, it took a number of years. In 1963, the tremors from the Mount Agung volcanic eruption caused the Liberty to slip down off the beach and into the water, where it has been ever since.

The wreck is encrusted with stunning coral and is home to an array of marine life – there is so much more to see here than I saw on my last dive in Cebu, Philippines.

Who can dive in Tulamben?

Lying just 40 metres away from the beach, the USAT Liberty is the most accessible WW II shipwreck as the wreck sits from 5 metres to around 30 meters deep; making it one of the best dive sites in Bali – something that needs to be on everybody’s Bali bucket list!

Scuba diving in Tulamben is for everyone, from those with zero experience to the more experienced divers. 

Non divers can enjoy beautiful snorkelling as the Liberty wreck is so close to the shore, making for an easy entrance and a short swim.

Tulamben is ideal for try diving (which is what we did) as well as new divers. Visibility is mostly excellent and though there can be mild currents, as long as you have good control of your buoyancy and you’re accompanied by a divemaster, they will know where to shelter while still enjoying the dive and abundance of marine life this hidden gem has to offer.

What is a try dive?

A try dive is for people who want to try scuba diving without investing in a full scuba certification course. There is no experience needed and you are accompanied by a dive master at all times who will quite literally hold your hand throughout if you want them to. 

This was exactly what I needed, being the nervous diver that I am. Ludo from Southern Dreams Diving Club was brilliant at helping me keep calm as I entered the water and throughout.

My experience diving in Tulamben

Let me preface this by saying I am a complete amateur diver, with these dives being just my third and fourth dives. Though I started my PADI Open Water certification in the Philippines and passed the theory test, I didn’t complete it – meaning I am not a certified diver (yet).

Diving the USAT Liberty shipwreck is rated as one of the best shore dives in the world. We had a brilliant try dive experience with Southern Dreams Diving Club, courtesy of Original Diving who create amazing tailor-made diving holidays around the world. 

We were picked up from our hotel and taken to the dive shop in Candidasa before being transported in a van to Tulamben. The long, 2 hours journey each way was well worth it for the spectacular dives.. discovering amazing little critters, big fish and even an octopus as the grand finale.

On arrival at the dive shop, you complete some forms including a medical questionnaire before being kitted out in wetsuits and all the other equipment you need. 

We were then driven an hour further north in a van with a family of 4 who were all newly qualified divers. They got dropped off at a different spot with a divemaster, while we continued on to Tulamben with Ludo.

The beach is a short walk from the car park, and here there are women carrying diving cylinders on their heads in preparation for the crowds of people ready to dive. I honestly don’t know how they do it.. in that intense heat too.

You leave your belongings on the beach, get changed into your wetsuit before being helped into your BCD (buoyancy control device, aka the gear you wear). The best part about a try dive is that you don’t need to understand how to control your own buoyancy and what each of the gadgets on this ‘vest’ do and how to operate them. It takes a lot of the stress away, as the divemaster does it all for you! 

All you need to do is memorise a few hand signals to use underwater (how to say you are okay and how to ask for help) which are incredibly simple. You also need to learn how to equalise, which isn’t as daunting as it may seem.

Equalisation in diving is to ensure that your ears and sinuses are equal to the water or surrounding pressure at your depth.

The air in your sinuses, ears (and even your diving mask) gets squeezed, causing pain in your ears. To balance this pressure out, you essentially need to put air back into your airspaces; which is called equalising. You’ve probably done this for your ears plenty of times underwater or on a plane, and often without even realising it.

If you don’t equalise correctly, this can cause ear pain, so this is an important one to note.

You head straight in for your first dive – which can be scary, I’m not going to lie.

Personally, I struggle with remembering to breathe as normal under the water, which is extremely important. You mustn’t hold your breath under water as the air in your lungs will expand, causing serious injuries.

Within minutes you encounter some stunning marine life before you even reach the wreck – from barracudas, triggerfish, lion fish and colourful corals – to name just a few.

After a short coffee and snack break on the beach, you go in for your second dive. I found this one a lot more enjoyable purely because I was more confident with diving straight in (pun not intended). The more comfortable you feel in the water truly makes all the difference to your experience overall.

The second time around, we saw a huge, majestic octopus. I had no idea that they change colour to hibernate from predators. It was spectacular to witness it going from white to red just like that.

With try diving, the divemaster is not allowed to take photos of you or be your videographer as your safety is paramount. Though you can take your own camera in, they prefer that you don’t, as again – you aren’t experienced – so safety comes first. You have their sole attention.

There was a man on the beach who had a waterproof camera to hire out to tourists, and we were fortunate to have a second dive master with us who was happy to take some shots. Sure, the quality of the camera was somewhat questionable and of course the memories will last a lifetime, but it’s always nice to have some photographs to look back on too, isn’t it?

After the second dive, we had a quick shower in the car park before getting changed and having lunch at a warung. Lunch was provided as part of the package and we’d placed our orders before the second dive, so it was ready and waiting, where we all had lunch together as a group. It was lovely and I was very happy with my vegan mie goreng. 

If you’re an underwater enthusiast, diving the USAT Liberty shipwreck offers a blend of history, abundant marine life and excellent diving conditions for beginners and pros alike. The shipwreck is broken up; providing lots of interesting nooks to swim through and explore while swimming alongside the most stunning marine life I have seen, 12 metres below sea level.

With an easy shore entry, calm conditions and good visibility, the Tulamben Shipwreck is a the perfect dive site for those trying scuba diving for the first time as well as for more experienced divers.

What do I need to bring for a try dive?

All the equipment is provided for you with a try dive experience, including unlimited water bottles and some snacks between dives.

All you need to bring is a towel, sunscreen and dry clothes to change into at the end. We also took our own aqua shoes – something you need, but these are provided too. I just prefer to wear my own shoes, if I can.