DIVING IN RAJA AMPAT #1
Report about Tecline equipment tests during a trip to Indonesia by Przemyslaw JoczTECLINE IN LUGGAGE
Raja Ampat is an archipelago located on the border between the Seram Sea and the Pacific Ocean. To find Waigeo – its largest island – on the map, we need to look north from the Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea.
Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country; its population exceeds 260 million people. Raja Ampat archipelago – with its four main islands: Waigeo, Misool, Salawati, Batanta – makes up the easternmost past of Indonesia. In total, the archipelago consists of over 1,500 islands and islets, most of them uninhabited by humans. This is reflected in the extraordinary natural beauty of the region. The archipelago was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002 and is considered the most beautiful dive site in the world.
It is worth mentioning that Raja Ampat is still relatively rarely visited by tourists. In Sorong people with fair skin and blond hair are still a sensation – the locals believe taking a picture with a blonde will bring them luck.
SO - LET'S GO!
Traveling from Central Europe to Raja Ampat means spending well over twenty hours in the air. When planning the trip, you need to factor in the waiting time for transfers. From Poland, the cheapest option was to fly with LOT Polish Airlines to Singapore. From there, through Jakarta to Sorong the most financially favorable option was provided by Garuda Indonesia. The weight restrictions for Garuda were as follows: hold luggage – 30 kg, cabin luggage – 7 kg. LOT proved to be the bottleneck with checked luggage limited to only 23 kg and hand luggage – 8 kg.
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
Staying within the weight limit with almost a month’s worth of luggage is not an easy task. The matter was greatly facilitated by opting for Tecline diving equipment. Tecline Aluminum Backplate, harness, weight pockets and the newest asymmetric Peanut Travel Edition is about 2.90 kg.
Zmieszczenie się na prawie miesiąc podróży w bagażu z tak skromnym limitem wagowym wymaga przemyślanego pakowania. Sprawę bardzo ułatwiła decyzja o wyborze sprzętu nurkowego produkcji Tecline.
For those who prefer adjustable harnesses, it is worth looking into Tecline’s fully adjustable – but still minimalist Comfort Eco Harness. The lack of soft pads helps reduce luggage weight and later allows you to take less weights under water. Less fabric also means easier and faster drying – which is especially important during the rainy season in the tropics. The equipment’s weight can be further reduced by Tecline Aluminum “H-shape” Backplate .
Author:
Przemysław Jocz
First completed diving course (2008) in the National Defense League (3rd class diver). He has been diving intensively since 2015. Current diving certificates: SSI AOWD (Deep, Dry Suit, Nitrox, Science), SSI Gas Blender Nitrox/Trimix, cylinders filling qualifications: Office of Technical Inspection. Volunteer Firefighter. Co-organizer and participant of ecological actions, volunteer of W.O.Ś.P. Author of one book, co-author of two. His wife Anna is a technical diver and diving partner.
