Freediving in RAJA AMPAT, Indonesia

Raja Ampat is a beautiful archipelago and marine reserve in Papua, Indonesia. It’s one of the world’s most bio-diverse regions, meaning no two dives will be the same! Even above water, Raja Ampat offers a unique landscape of lush jungle hanging over the reefs. We saw coral gardens full of fish, fusilier bait balls, black tip reef sharks, manta rays, turtles and more.
The trip: We went on a 7 night freediving liveboard trip with Tradewinds Aventures www.tradewinds..., on the Mikumba II boat. A typical day on the liveboard looked as follows: sunrise yoga, light breakfast, first dive, second breakfast, second dive, lunch & resting time, third dive, optional night dive, and dinner. The Mikumba boat crew, and Kwab, our guide from Tradewinds, all made sure we had an amazing time, all the time. Highly recommended!
Skills: I’m an SSI L2 freediver and felt perfectly comfortable on this trip. I didn't miss out on anything except some of the swimthroughs that I felt were too tight. Some sites had quite some current, but the crew was always keeping an eye out for us and would pick us up anytime if we drifted too far out.
Freediving gear: I used a 3mm wetsuit, which was more than enough for the 29°C water. If I had to do it again I’d wear 3mm upper body and rash guard pants. I don’t recommend long freediving fins like I had since you have to constantly make sure not to damage the reef with them... but they do look very cool! :)