Heri Sisworo
Gili Islands in the northwest of Lombok are popular as party or honeymoon islands. These small islands are also known to have lots of diving and snorkeling spots all over its coasts. Tourists flock this island to enjoy a more laidback tropical paradise and to explore its underwater beauty.
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Diving and snorkeling are the most popular way to explore the rich marine life of Lombok. There is a relatively new way to enjoy Lombok’s underwaters; by subwinging. Essentially, it is a water sport where you cruise while being pulled by a boat. Here are some facts about Subwing in Gili Islands.
Subwing Board
You will be given a device (wing) that consists of two small boards. The two boards are connected with a metal rod, and each board can move independently for maximum maneuvering possibilities. The wing is then pulled by a boat and the customer/surfer steer it.
There are lots of maneuvers they can do, from just swimming on the surface to dive several meters deep while still being pulled. There are two GoPro camera mounts in these boards.
Glide and Fly
Subwing offers an experience of flying underwater. As you are being pulled, you can enjoy the beautiful reefs of Gili Islands. The thrill comes from the sensation of flying and glide underwater.
You can even try any move you probably only imagine before. You don’t even need to plan it, you just go along with the groove here. You will somehow find your moves while gliding through the waters.
A Short Excursion
Exploring Gili Islands with Subwing is usually takes two and a half hours. Normally, there are 10 customers in one boat that then divided into two groups of five people. The first group will get the chance to be pulled up for the first 25 minutes while the second group enjoys the scenery under the roof of the boat.
The second group then get the chance to be pulled while the first group is on the boat. In each trip, each group will be pulled twice. Overall, the whole trip takes at most four hours.
Safety Measures
Naturally, subwinging is only available for people with swimming abilities. There are friendly and experienced instructors that will ensure the safety. The boat initially will pull slowly, less than two knots.
After the customers give their mark, the boat speeds up a little and usually reach four knots. This speed might seems slow for people on the boat. But for those underwater, that is enough to perform lots of acrobatic maneuvers.
For a trip, you have to pay IDR450,000. You don’t even have to come to their base as they can pick you up if you are in Gili Air of Gili Trawangan. If there are only five people or less, the trip will be cut an hour short (since there are only one group to pull). The trip usually starts from 09:00 and ends at 13:00. Next
