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[JohnnyQuest]

Here's a report that you may find helpful:

Spirit of Freedom, Cairns, Australia: Undercurrent 08/2019

 

[TravisD]

I’m going as a single. I don’t think I could deal with seven nights of a stranger snoring. I guess they would let me sleep in the lounge if I had to.

Since this one popped back up...

Have you done a Liveaboard before? I realize that everyone has different sensitivities, but my experience has been that there are so many noises happening at all hours on a boat that snoring is likely the least of your worries. Between generators running, and (hopefully) in-room air-conditioning there's a lot of 'white noise' to cover up random roommate noises.

I've specifically done the smaller, cheaper, shared room on Spoilsport, with a roomie - it's bunk beds so there's already some isolation. The air conditioner was close enough that it's sound was a constant, but not (to me) intrusive presence. Between than and just being freakin' exhausted after 4-5 dives/day sleep was no problem

 

[LI-er]

Hi, bumping this thread rather than starting a new one as it's closely related.

A question for anyone who has dived Spirit of Freedom and may have the answer.

We are limited to 45 lbs of gear on the flight to Lizard Island, and I see that was mentioned here. I can get my gear bag to 45 lbs but I'm at about 20 lbs in my carry on which includes my laptop, camera gear and personal items including a handful of clothing for the 3 day liveaboard. We are supposedly limited to 8 lbs. How strict are they about this 4kg/8lb carry on rule and/or is there a workaround besides not bringing some gear that I consider essential?

 

[clownfishsydney]

Hi, bumping this thread rather than starting a new one as it's closely related.

A question for anyone who has dived Spirit of Freedom and may have the answer.

We are limited to 45 lbs of gear on the flight to Lizard Island, and I see that was mentioned here. I can get my gear bag to 45 lbs but I'm at about 20 lbs in my carry on which includes my laptop, camera gear and personal items including a handful of clothing for the 3 day liveaboard. We are supposedly limited to 8 lbs. How strict are they about this 4kg/8lb carry on rule and/or is there a workaround besides not bringing some gear that I consider essential?

I suspect very strict as the flights are in small aircraft and they are severely limited in the weight they can carry.

 

[stiebs]

A question for anyone who has dived Spirit of Freedom and may have the answer.

How strict are they about this 4kg/8lb carry on rule and/or is there a workaround besides not bringing some gear that I consider essential?

It was over a decade since I was on SoF, but I doubt the type of aircraft used now will be much different. Here's a couple of pictures. You make your own mind on how strict they are with luggage
They weighed all the bags and carefully distributed all bags within the cargo hold and told all passengers where to sit to balance the plane.

Best thing to do is ask them. If it's a full plane, they'll probably be very strict. If it's not so full then you have a better chance of getting extra weight. If I were you I'd hope that most of the passengers are doing the full round trip on board, and that there aren't a plane load of photographers flying up with you

 

[LI-er]

If I were you I'd hope that most of the passengers are doing the full round trip on board,

I don't understand what you mean by this. We'd all doing a round trip as no one is moving there permanently.

 

[SteveCapnK]

Hi, bumping this thread rather than starting a new one as it's closely related.

A question for anyone who has dived Spirit of Freedom and may have the answer.

We are limited to 45 lbs of gear on the flight to Lizard Island, and I see that was mentioned here. I can get my gear bag to 45 lbs but I'm at about 20 lbs in my carry on which includes my laptop, camera gear and personal items including a handful of clothing for the 3 day liveaboard. We are supposedly limited to 8 lbs. How strict are they about this 4kg/8lb carry on rule and/or is there a workaround besides not bringing some gear that I consider essential?

I dived SoF in mid Dec last year.
Our bags were weighed when we got on the boat in Cairns (I was flying back from Lizard).

So I can’t comment on how ‘strict’ they were, but they absolutely checked the weight.

And, be careful, I think the allowance is total weight (gear and hand luggage).

On board you won’t need much, as you are either asleep, getting ready to dive, diving, or eating.

Fantastic trip, crew was great, chef was awesome. I’m jealous if you’re doing the leg from Lizard back to Cairns.

 

[SteveCapnK]

I don't understand what you mean by this. We'd all doing a round trip as no one is moving there permanently.

The SoF boat runs a regular 7 day loop, Cairns to Lizard and back.

But you can book a 3 day trip (boat from Cairns to Lizard, fly back),
or a 4 day trip ( fly to Lizard , boat back to Cairns).
Or a 7 day round trip, which means you get on in cairns and then off in cairns a week later (and don’t fly )

On my trip, about 1/2 the passengers were doing the 7 days.