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I got a lot of good current, reef hook, and negative entry experience in the Maldives! Definitely practice with the SMB, keep it in the same spot on your BCD (I usually clip it towards the back on the left) and play around with inflating it. If you really want, borrow a few of them and make a...

One of my colleagues just got killed in Sudan. He was stabbed in front of his own house. I can't imagine how bad things are there right now.

I can't imagine needing more than 2x 23kg checked bags plus carry on and personal item... my huge camera + enclosure + heavy BCD + everything else makes it with a few kg to spare (although my carry on is a camera bag with A Lot of heavy lights and strobes and batteries... definitely more than...

Garuda isn't One World, it's Sky Team. I've checked in with Garuda and gotten my baggage allll the way home via Delta and Korean Air. If you're checking baggage in to Garuda and they're going to check it to other airlines, you probably are going to be able to take advantage of the extra dive...

Aaaaa I'm missing you again! This time I'm going to be there Nov 30-Dec 12, and I, too, will be looking for a buddy!

Periods while diving. Solo travel to remote parts of the world where womens' rights are not as advanced as we are used to.

1. I got certified to dive at a BMI around 45 and I was fine if an air hog and needing a lot of weights. 2. Losing weight is very possible, I lost 120 pounds and it has been a wonderful thing. There's even a group on Facebook entitled Scuba Women Who Are Getting Healthier to share inspiration...

If you fly Bali/Jakarta/Sorong on one ticket, I think your bag will go with you. It's always good to check the bag tag and see what it says. Also, asking at ticket pickup to clarify, if they can understand you. The other thing that nobody has mentioned with Garuda vs all the other airlines...

BTW, PREPAY YOUR BAGGAGE on Lion/Wings air. I got a IDR 3,000,000+ fee for 21kg over (2 bags total 41 kg). I was able to pay it on my visa card, but frustrated because the baggage cost about the same as the plane ticket. I think the prepay rate is less. Also, my PM flight was cancelled and I...

I'm flying the direct Jakarta to on Weds 12:05 AM. They changed the time from 12:30 to 12:05. Garuda is definitely the best, I've flown them several times and they honored the "scuba gear" baggage waiver. Getting a little nervous re: baggage fees on not-Garuda airlines on the way back, will...

DiVentures (my local dive shop) has a trip to Indonesia coming up 4/23-5/3 2023. Raja Ampat is spectacular, I've traveled there solo twice and am heading out next week for my third trip!!!!!!!!! (happydance!!!)

I brought my own reef hook, because I like knowing what I'm working with. I now have a reef hook that should hopefully withstand really really strong currents (paracord + very durable hook). The other thing to think about if your diving Raja as some of your first diving... it's some of the best...

Just chiming in, I dove Raja Ampat and across the Banda Sea for my dives ~40-88 and I learned a lot. Never had done a negative entry, never used a reef hook, never learned how to swim against a current (stay close to the reef.) Make sure your fins are powerful (I was using split fins back then...

I'll be out there in October too... done it twice before in April-May, no experience in the fall. In the spring the waters in Raja were balmy 28-29 degrees, but down in Alor there is the Really Chilly Thermocline that can potentially get down to 18-23ish. I rented a 5mm wetsuit for those dives...

I just did it today and it came through WhatsApp. They say you need to have What'sApp installed to get the OTP.

Oof, got mail from Garuda about flight time change to leaving about 11AM, then changed back to the previous 12:30AM flight...

I dove Raja for dives 50-100 of my diving career. First trip with my own gear. First trip to Asia. I learned a lot. I did every dive. I'm sure I must have frustrated the dive guides, but we got through. There are currents, there are washing machines, there are negative entries (that I botched...

I would recommend flying Garurda whenever possible, they're safer and they offer a free checked bag of "dive gear". (Also, they code share with Delta where I have status.) I made a potentially poor decision to do the Garuda flight 6 hours before boat departure because there was no departure...

Does anyone have updates about whether water activities are resumed? Trying to figure out whether to change reservation to somewhere else, as I would enjoy snorkeling when I'm not diving.

Can you elaborate? I ended up having to book through Cairo because my direct flight was cancelled.