Pre-Trip Practice Checklist for Komodo
Arriving in Komodo with polished skills makes a significant difference to your safety, enjoyment, and the range of sites available to you. Here is a practical checklist of what to practice before your trip.
Priority Practice Skills
| Priority | Skill | How to Practice | Time Needed |
|---|
| 1 | SMB deployment from depth | Pool or confined water session with your reel and SMB | 1 hour |
| 2 | Buoyancy control and hovering | Pool practice: hover at 3m without moving for 1 minute | 30 minutes |
| 3 | Mask clearing and removal | Pool: practise partial and full mask clearing multiple times | 20 minutes |
| 4 | Rapid descent / negative entry | Open water practice: descend to 10m within 30 seconds of entry | 2–3 practice dives |
| 5 | Air management | Track your air consumption on training dives; practise slow, deep breathing | Ongoing habit |
| 6 | Equipment familiarity | If bringing your own gear, assemble and check it. If renting, review generic BCD/regulator operation. | 30 minutes |
Physical Preparation
- Swim 200–400 metres with fins 2 to 3 times per week for the month before your trip
- Cardiovascular exercise — running, cycling, or swimming — at least 3 times per week
- Practice equalisation — gently practise the Valsalva and Frenzel techniques daily to keep your eustachian tubes flexible
Knowledge Preparation
- Review dive theory: PADI's ReActivate online module is free for existing PADI members and reviews core concepts
- Study Komodo dive sites: Familiarise yourself with site maps, depth profiles, and typical conditions so you know what to expect during briefings
- Learn local marine life: Review photos of Komodo's key species (manta rays, reef sharks, nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses) so you can identify them underwater
- Read about current management: Understanding how drift diving, downcurrents, and negative entries work before your trip reduces anxiety significantly
Equipment Preparation
- Ensure your dive certification card is current and accessible (physical or digital)
- If you own gear, service your regulator and BCD before the trip
- Purchase or verify your SMB and reel — practise deployment
- Charge and test your dive computer
- Check your dive insurance is active and covers depths to 40m
