Last updated: September 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season
Most people who type dive Komodo private yacht into a search bar have already priced a shared 3D2N departure and are about to ask our reservations desk the question we hear most often in this cluster: can I dive on it? This page is written by the Komodo Luxury desk that answers that question on WhatsApp every day. It keeps the phrase best diving yacht Komodo in the title because that is what people search, but the useful part is underneath: which yachts in our charter portfolio document dive facilities on their own pages, how a private dive charter is priced, how many dives a day to expect, what certification the current sites ask for, and what your non-diving partner does while you are down.
Quick answer: Scheduled shared Komodo departures run a snorkelling programme. Scuba is arranged on a private charter, either a dive-equipped Komodo liveaboard or a private phinisi with a dive professional and tanks arranged for the route. Private charters are priced per boat, per package, by guest band, and diving is quoted separately in the written quotation. Checked 12 September 2026.
Everything below traces to a page you can open or to the published 2027 private charter rate card: the Komodo liveaboard page, the individual vessel pages, the Manta Point destination page and the published payment terms. Where a page does not document something, we say so, and the desk confirms it in writing for your boat and dates rather than guessing here.
Can you dive on a shared 3D2N Komodo trip?
The desk answer is the same on every shared date: scheduled shared departures are leisure cruises built around snorkelling, island walks, the dragon trek and the scenery. Scuba diving and discovery dives are not part of the standard shared programme. What the shared 3D2N does include, as published on the open trip page, is snorkelling gear, life vests, a guide, meals and drinking water, and hotel or airport transfers within the Labuan Bajo mainland. Child-sized snorkelling gear for children under ten is not provided, so families bring their own properly fitted masks and fins.
If you are a certified diver and still want to ask about a dive on a specific shared date, send us the boat name and the dates. You will get an answer in writing for that boat and those dates; we do not promise a dive on a shared departure in an article, because the answer depends on the vessel, the dive professional available and the other guests on board. The reliable route for a diver is the private charter described in the rest of this page. Non-diving companions who want to understand what a shared or private trip looks like from the surface can read our guide to a Komodo yacht charter for non-divers and the 3D2N shared trip guide.
Three ways to dive Komodo from a boat
When a guest asks for a diving yacht, the desk first works out which of three formats they actually mean. The table below is how we lay it out on WhatsApp. Every cell comes from the Komodo liveaboard page, a vessel page, the rate card or the desk’s own booking rules; nothing in it is an estimate.
| Format | Who it suits | Dives per day | Price basis | Certification asked | Non-divers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled shared 3D2N departure (snorkelling programme) | Solo travellers, couples and small groups who want a fixed date and a per-person price | Snorkel sessions at each anchorage; scuba is not part of the standard programme | Per person, per cabin, per 3D2N voyage | None for snorkelling; basic swimming skills | Everyone snorkels together with guide and life vests |
| Dive-equipped liveaboard, private whole boat (Pinta Phinisi, Magika Liveaboard) | Certified divers, dive groups, underwater photographers | 2 to 4 guided dives a day as published on the Komodo liveaboard page; Magika’s own page states up to three | Per boat, per package, by duration and guest band; the dive package and its inclusions are published on the vessel page | Open Water minimum; logged drift experience for Castle Rock and Shotgun | Snorkel the same anchorages where conditions allow |
| Private phinisi or motor-yacht charter with diving arranged separately (Malca, Ayvara, Catnazse, Naturalia, Magia II, Barakati) | Mixed groups where one or two people dive and the rest cruise | Set at quotation stage with the dive professional and tanks arranged for the route | Per boat, per package, by guest band for the leisure charter; diving quoted separately in the written quotation | Certification level asked at quote stage | The leisure itinerary continues for everyone |
The first row is the one most guests have already priced. The second row is what the phrase diving yacht usually means: a boat whose own page lists a compressor or tanks, a dive professional and a dive package. The third row is the format that surprises people: a scenic phinisi does not automatically offer scuba, but for a group where only one or two people dive, the desk can arrange a dive professional and tanks for the route and quote it separately. Which row fits you depends on how many divers are in the group and how many dives a day you want, and that is exactly what we ask before we quote.
What makes a yacht a diving yacht
A diving yacht is defined by what is documented, not by the word luxury in the listing. Before we put a boat in front of a diver, the desk checks the vessel page for five things, and if the page does not state them, we confirm them with the boat in writing before you pay a deposit.
- Compressor and tanks on board, or brought aboard. Pinta Phinisi’s page lists a compressor, air fills to 200 bar, tanks and weight belts on board. On a leisure phinisi the tanks are arranged for the route and the fills are planned around the itinerary, which is why diving on those boats is quoted separately.
- A dive deck and rinse area. The Komodo liveaboard page describes dedicated dive areas, equipment storage, rinse tanks and separate tenders for drop-offs and pick-ups on the dive-equipped boats. A tender matters in Komodo because several sites are drift dives where the boat does not anchor above you.
- A dive professional and a ratio. Pinta’s page publishes a certified divemaster at one divemaster to four divers. Magika’s dive package includes a dive guide. On other boats the desk confirms who leads the dives and how many divers they take before the quotation is issued.
- Nitrox only where a page publishes it. The liveaboard page lists Nitrox on request on selected vessels. We do not extend that to boats whose pages do not mention it; ask, and you will get a yes or a no for the specific yacht.
- Routing to the current sites. Castle Rock, Batu Bolong, Shotgun and Manta Alley are the sites the liveaboard page names for the dive programme, and they only work when the skipper and dive professional plan the day around tide windows.
The dive professional’s role on a private boat is different from a day-boat guide, and it is why the desk asks about certification and logged dives before quoting. Our guide to a private Komodo yacht charter with a dive master goes into the daily routine; the short version is that briefings are given each morning for the conditions observed that day, the site order changes with the tide, and the dive professional decides when a current site is out for the group’s level. Safety items worth confirming in writing before you pay a deposit: emergency oxygen on the dive deck (Pinta’s page lists an oxygen tank for emergency diving), a surface marker buoy per diver on drift sites, a dive computer for every diver (rental is quoted per day on the liveaboard page), and the boat’s plan for reaching a hyperbaric chamber. These are questions to ask any operator, not a feature list we attach to every boat.
For the wider picture of what a dive liveaboard is and which itinerary lengths reach the northern and southern sites, our Komodo diving liveaboard guide covers the formats and the luxury diving experience in Komodo article covers what the onboard side looks like on a longer charter.
Best diving yachts in Komodo, as documented on their vessel pages
The earlier version of this article listed five yachts. On 12 September 2026 we re-read each vessel page and kept in this section only the boats whose page documents a dive product: a dive package, a dive professional or dive equipment. Capacity, cabins and ownership wording are stated exactly as the page states them. The two yachts whose pages do not document dive facilities are moved to the next section, because they are still good boats for a mixed group where diving is arranged separately.
Pinta Phinisi
Pinta Phinisi is a VIP-class 30 m wooden phinisi with 5 cabins for 13 guests, owned and operated by Komodo Luxury and departing from Labuan Bajo. She is sold as a private whole-boat charter only. Her page publishes a diving charter product from 4D3N to 10D9N, priced per package for the whole boat by duration and diver band (1 to 8 divers, with larger bands listed on the page). The package includes a certified divemaster at a ratio of one divemaster to four divers, full equipment rental except the dive computer, a compressor with air fills to 200 bar, tanks and weight belts, snorkel gear and an oxygen tank for emergency diving; 2027 departures are quoted on request. She suits a group of certified divers who want the equipment already on board and a single boat for the whole trip.
Magika Liveaboard
Magika Liveaboard is a 26.74 m by 6.03 m ironwood and balau phinisi with 9 cabins for up to 22 guests and a crew of six, a partner yacht booked through the Komodo Luxury reservations desk. Her page publishes separate leisure and diving price tables per package for the whole boat, by guest band from 1 to 5 up to 16 to 20 guests, for both 2026 and 2027. The diving package includes up to three dives a day, a dive guide, tanks, weights and weight belt; dive equipment rental beyond cylinders and weights, park entrance and ranger fees, flights and hotel nights in Labuan Bajo are excluded. She is the boat the desk proposes to larger dive groups and to clubs that want a published dive package rather than a bespoke quotation.
Mosalaki Cruise
Mosalaki Cruise is a VIP-class ironwood phinisi of 28 m by 7 m with 5 cabins for 12 guests, owned and operated by Komodo Luxury and departing from Labuan Bajo. She is sold two ways: shared 3D2N berths priced per person per voyage by cabin, and a private whole-boat charter priced per package by duration and guest band, with a separate diving-charter price table on the page for 1 to 6 and 7 to 12 guests from 2D1N to 6D5N. Her page does not itemise the dive equipment, and its own FAQ tells guests to ask whether a certified dive master and full equipment are on board for their dates. That is what the desk does: for a Mosalaki diving charter we confirm the dive professional, the tanks and the compressor arrangement in the written quotation before you pay.
Leisure yachts for mixed groups: diving arranged and quoted separately
Magia II is a VVIP 26 m by 6 m teak motor yacht with 4 cabins for 10 guests, booked through the Komodo Luxury reservations desk, with a 2,500 litre a day watermaker, radar, satellite telephone and a master cabin with its own balcony and jacuzzi. Her page documents the boat and her itinerary, not dive facilities, and her booking form lists the trip type as leisure, diving or combined. For a couple where one person dives, the desk quotes the leisure charter from her page and adds a dive professional and tanks for the route as a separate line.
Barakati Phinisi is a 28.8 m by 4.9 m ironwood and teak phinisi with 5 cabins, described on her page for up to 9 guests, booked through the Komodo Luxury reservations desk. Her page lists accommodation, all meals, snorkelling gear, life vests and a professional crew as the charter inclusions; it does not document dive equipment or a dive professional. She stays in this article because she is a sensible boat for a small mixed group, with diving added and quoted separately if one or two guests are certified.
The same rule applies to the four scheduled phinisi on the 2027 private charter rate card: Malca, Ayvara, Catnazse and Naturalia. The rate card prices the leisure charter per package and does not mention diving, so on those boats diving is arranged separately and appears as its own line in the written quotation. The full portfolio, with each boat’s class and cabin count, is on the luxury yacht charter Komodo page and the private yacht charter Komodo page.
What a private dive charter costs
Basis first, because most confusion at the desk comes from mixing bases. A private charter is priced per boat, per package, by guest band: one figure for the whole vessel for a 3D2N or 4D3N package with, for example, 1 to 8 guests, and a higher figure for the next band. It is not a per-person price and we do not convert it to a per-night rate, because the packages are not linear. Diving is quoted separately in the written quotation: on Pinta and Magika as the published dive package on their pages, on the leisure phinisi as a dive professional and tanks arranged for the route. Komodo National Park fees are quoted separately at the rate set by the park authority at the time of travel. Flights to and from Labuan Bajo, hotel nights either side of the cruise and crew gratuities are excluded on every boat.
For reference, these are the published whole-boat leisure rates for the four scheduled phinisi from the 2027 edition of the private charter rate card (Final Edition 11 September 2026, B2C publish rates, checked 12 September 2026). They are presented for review and are not a booking offer; itinerary, taxes, payment and cancellation terms are confirmed in the individual quotation.
| Phinisi (2027 rate card) | Guest band | 3D2N, per boat, per package (USD) | 4D3N, per boat, per package (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malca Voyages | 1 to 12 | 6,000 | 9,000 |
| Malca Voyages | 13 to 18 | 6,700 | 10,050 |
| Ayvara Cruises | 1 to 8 | 6,200 | 9,300 |
| Ayvara Cruises | 9 to 15 | 7,000 | 10,500 |
| Catnazse Liveaboard | 1 to 12 | 7,800 | 11,700 |
| Catnazse Liveaboard | 13 to 18 | 8,800 | 13,100 |
| Naturalia Cruise | 1 to 8 | 8,500 | 12,800 |
| Naturalia Cruise | 9 to 16 | 9,500 | 14,200 |
| Naturalia Cruise | 17 to 24 | 10,400 | 15,600 |
None of those figures includes diving. The rate card does not price dives, and we do not publish a dive surcharge here because the cost depends on the number of divers, the number of dives and whether the boat carries its own compressor or tanks are brought aboard. Pinta Phinisi, Magika Liveaboard and Mosalaki Cruise publish their own dive-charter tables on their vessel pages, per package for the whole boat, and the desk quotes from those tables. If you want to compare the leisure bands across the wider fleet before you ask, our Komodo liveaboard prices guide sets them out with the same basis, and our guide to paying safely for a Komodo liveaboard charter explains what a proper quotation and invoice look like.
Certification, dives per day and the partner who does not dive
Scuba in Komodo requires certification, minimum Open Water, as stated on our Manta Point destination page. The Komodo liveaboard page adds that the advanced current sites, Castle Rock and Shotgun, require logged drift experience, and the Manta Point page recommends a refresher dive at a sheltered site such as Siaba Besar if you have not dived in the last twelve months. This is why the desk asks for your certification level and roughly how many logged dives before quoting: it decides which sites the dive professional will plan for your group. If you are new to diving or wondering whether Komodo is the place to learn, read can beginners dive in Komodo and how difficult diving in Komodo is before you send dates; both are honest about the currents.
Dives per day: the liveaboard page publishes 2 to 4 dives a day, including sunrise and night dives, on the dive-equipped boats, checked 12 September 2026. Magika’s own page states up to three dives a day in her dive package. The actual count on a given day is set by the dive professional from the tide tables and the group’s level, so a written itinerary will show the planned sites and the number of dives rather than a guarantee. PADI Open Water and advanced courses are arranged on request and quoted separately, per the liveaboard page; a dive computer can be rented per day and is quoted with your dive package if you do not bring your own.
The partner who does not dive is the most common shape of enquiry we get for a private dive charter, and the answer is straightforward: on a private boat the non-diver snorkels the same anchorages where conditions allow, and the liveaboard page notes that every dive site pairs with a snorkel alternative. At Manta Point no certification is needed to snorkel, and the mantas often feed within a few metres of the surface on a rising tide, so the snorkeller frequently has the better view. On days when the dive plan goes to a current site the non-diver stays with the tender or the boat and joins the next stop; the dive professional sets that call, not the guest. Our guide for non-divers on a Komodo yacht charter covers the rest of their day.
The dive sites your skipper plans around
These are the sites the Komodo liveaboard page names for the dive programme, with the depth and difficulty it publishes for each, checked 12 September 2026. On a 3D2N private charter the dive professional usually plans around one or two of them plus the sheltered reefs; the page notes that Batu Bolong, Castle Rock, Crystal Rock and Manta Alley anchor the dive programme from 7D6N upward, when the boat has time to wait for the right tide at each.
- Castle Rock: 12 to 35 m, advanced. A seamount known for current diving, sharks, trevallies and pelagic fish. Logged drift experience is asked for.
- Batu Bolong: 8 to 30 m, intermediate to advanced. A single pinnacle with dense reef fish and coral walls; the tide decides which side of the rock is diveable.
- Shotgun: 10 to 30 m, advanced. A drift through a narrow channel; the site the desk is most careful about when a group has mixed experience.
- Manta Alley (Makassar Reef): 5 to 25 m, beginner to advanced. Manta cleaning stations that snorkellers also visit from the surface. Sightings are seasonal and not guaranteed.
For a site-by-site description written for divers rather than for booking, see our Komodo Island diving guide and the Komodo Island diving activity page. What this page adds is the booking-side rule: gear, the divemaster and the site windows are arranged at booking, so the more precisely you tell us your level and your wish list, the more precisely the itinerary can be written.
When to book and how the desk confirms
Season shapes the dive plan more than the boat does. Our Komodo diving season guide sets out the calmer months and the transition periods, and manta ray season in Komodo covers when the cleaning stations are busiest; we do not repeat either here. Choose the month first, then send dates.
Availability is checked per date and per vessel, and confirmed in writing. Once you decide, the desk places a 2 x 24-hour hold under the reservation policy and sends the reservation form with the deposit link; please do not pay before the hold is confirmed by the team, and if the deposit is not received within the hold the booking is released. Payment follows the published terms: a 50 percent deposit secures the booking and the balance is due 30 days before departure. For bookings made one year in advance, a 30 percent deposit confirms the charter, a further 20 percent is due 120 days before the trip and the balance 30 days before departure. Children aged three and above are charged the full rate, and the terms and conditions of the individual vessel apply where they differ. Guests are responsible for loss or damage to trip equipment such as life jackets, snorkels and masks.
Two more things the desk says every time. First, sailing in Komodo operates under the local harbour master, who issues safety guidance from the day’s weather and sea conditions; if a departure is delayed or an itinerary is changed for that reason, we tell you with the official update, and the published force majeure terms apply. Second, dive charters benefit from early booking because the dive professional and equipment have to be matched to the boat and the dates; our guide on how far ahead to book a Komodo charter gives the practical lead times, and travel insurance for a Komodo liveaboard explains why we encourage every diver to carry dive insurance before departure.
Plan your Komodo dive charter
To get a written quotation rather than a range, send the reservations desk three things on WhatsApp: your dates, the number of guests and how many of them dive, and each diver’s certification level with an idea of logged dives. We come back with the boats that fit, the leisure charter priced per package, the diving as its own line, and the sites the dive professional would plan for your level. Start from the Komodo liveaboard page for the dive-equipped boats or the private yacht charter Komodo page if your group is mostly non-divers with one or two who dive.
Questions our reservations desk hears
Can certified divers scuba dive during a shared 3D2N Komodo trip, or is it snorkelling only?
Shared departures run a snorkelling programme; scuba and discovery dives are not part of the standard shared package. If you are certified and want to ask about one shared date, send the boat name and dates and the desk answers in writing for that vessel. Divers who want a dive programme book a private charter, where the dive professional and tanks are arranged for the route.
What is the difference between a private phinisi charter with a dive professional and a dedicated Komodo dive liveaboard?
A dive-equipped liveaboard such as Pinta Phinisi or Magika Liveaboard publishes a dive package on its page: compressor or tanks, a dive professional and a stated number of dives a day. A leisure phinisi is chartered on its leisure rate and the desk adds a dive professional and tanks for the route as a separate quoted line. The first suits a dive group; the second suits a mixed group with one or two divers.
How is a private Komodo dive charter priced: per person, per night or per package?
Per boat, per package, by guest band. One figure covers the whole vessel for a 3D2N or 4D3N package within a guest band, and diving is quoted separately in writing: on Pinta and Magika as their published dive package, on leisure phinisi as an arranged dive professional and tanks. Park fees are quoted separately at the park authority’s rate; flights and hotel nights are excluded.
What certification level do I need for Komodo’s current sites such as Castle Rock or Shotgun?
Open Water is the minimum for any scuba in Komodo. Castle Rock and Shotgun are published as advanced sites and ask for logged drift experience, so the dive professional plans them only for divers with that background. If you have not dived in the last twelve months, a refresher at a sheltered site such as Siaba Besar comes first. Tell the desk your level when you send dates.
How many dives a day are possible on a Komodo liveaboard, and are night dives offered?
The Komodo liveaboard page publishes 2 to 4 dives a day on the dive-equipped boats, including sunrise and night dives; Magika’s own page states up to three a day in her dive package. The count on a given day is set by the dive professional from the tide and the group’s level, so your written itinerary shows planned sites and dives rather than a guaranteed number.
My partner does not dive. Can they snorkel at the same sites while I dive?
Yes, where conditions allow. On a private boat the non-diver snorkels the same anchorages, every dive site pairs with a snorkel alternative, and Manta Point needs no certification from the surface. When the plan goes to a strong-current site, the non-diver stays with the tender or the boat and joins the next stop. Snorkelling gear and life vests are on board for them.
Are tanks, weights and a dive professional included in the charter price, or quoted separately?
It depends on the boat. Pinta Phinisi’s dive package lists a certified divemaster, compressor, tanks, weight belts and equipment rental except the dive computer; Magika’s lists a dive guide, tanks, weights and weight belt. On Mosalaki and the leisure phinisi the desk confirms the dive professional and equipment in the written quotation. Dive computers are rented per day; PADI courses are quoted separately.
The honest summary from the desk: the best diving yacht in Komodo is the one whose own page documents the dive product you need, matched to the number of divers in your group and confirmed in writing for your dates. For a dive group that means a dive-equipped boat such as Pinta Phinisi or Magika Liveaboard; for a mixed group it usually means a leisure phinisi with diving added as a separate line. Send Komodo Luxury your dates, group size and certification level, and start from the Komodo liveaboard page; we check availability for your exact dates and confirm everything, including the diving, in writing.
