Welcome Aboard: What You Don’t See (Yet)
When you join Indo Master, your day might start with coffee on the sun deck or slipping into your wetsuit for the first dive. But long before you wake up, the Indonesia liveaboard diving crew has already been at work. You’ll hear the soft clatter of tanks being checked, smell fresh bread from the galley, and notice the dive deck already prepared for your morning briefing.
What you won’t always see, unless you look closely, is the coordination, care, and quiet pride that make your trip feel effortless. From the engine room to the galley to the tender drivers and dive guides, every crew member has a part in creating the experience you’ll remember.
This blog gives you a glimpse behind the scenes.
It’s your chance to meet the people who will welcome you onboard, look after you, guide you underwater, and keep the vessel running smoothly as she moves between diving locations in Raja Ampat, Komodo dive spots, and beyond.
Your adventure starts long before the first dive and and it starts with them.
Explore More:
Dive In:
A quick snapshot of what you’ll discover:
- A behind-the-scenes look at daily life aboard Indo Master
- Meet two crew members: Chief Engineer Zumi and Head of Service Fauzi
- How the crew adapt as Indo Master shifts between Raja Ampat and Komodo throughout the seasons.
- Authentic stories, real quotes, and deep pride in delivering world-class diving
- What it really takes to run a 20-crew liveaboard in remote Indonesia
Jump to:
- A Day Aboard Indo Master
- Meet the Crew
- Raja Ampat & Komodo: Changing Rhythms
- The Heartbeat of the Boat
- Reflections from the Crew
- The People Behind Your Adventure
A Day Aboard Indo Master
Before Sunrise
At 5:00 AM, Fauzi, the Head of Service, is already up.
“I wake up early so I can shower first,” he laughs, “otherwise there’s a queue with 20 crew.” By the time you wander into the restaurant, he’s already laid out juices, warm bread, coffee, and the soft comfort of a light first breakfast. “We bake fresh bread every night or every morning,” he explains. “Guests love it and they always ask for more.”
Below deck, Zumiyanto (known affectionately as Zumi), the Chief Engineer, is doing his own form of dawn ritual. “I wake up at six… always before the guests,” he says. “First coffee. Then checking everything—mechanical, electrical, plumbing. Something is always breaking,” he adds with a grin. You’ll never see most of this work and that’s exactly the point. The engineering team keeps compressors, generators, pumps, and systems humming long before the first briefing.
Morning Briefings & First Dives
While you’re slipping into your wetsuit, the crew moves in seamless coordination:
- The dive guides prepare the dive deck
- The deckhands ensure the tenders are ready and clean
- The engineers monitor power and compressors
- The chefs prepare the “big breakfast”
- The service crew ready the restaurant for the guests’ return
“When guests are diving, we clean the restaurant, prepare breakfast, then clean all the rooms,” says Fauzi. “Only me and one housekeeper—we take care of 18 guests and 20 crew.”
Between Dives
You’ll relax with snacks, music, coffee, and sunshine. But behind you, the crew is already preparing for the next dive.
“When guests are diving, we prepare for the next dive,” Zumi says. “We also clean the boat from bottom to top.”
After Dark
By 10 or 11 PM, as you drift back to your cabin, the crew begins their final tasks of the day. That’s when Fauzi and the housekeeper finish their final task: “We clean everything before sleep. At night we are so tired, we just want to lie down.”
Zumi performs the final handover to the night-shift engineer, reviewing what’s working, what’s not, and what needs fixing tomorrow. Only then does he head to his bunk.
“Then sleep… and wake up early again.”
Meet the Crew
Indo Master sails with 20 crew members:
- 1 captain, 2 officers
- 2 deckhands
- 3 engineers + 1 oiler
- 3 dive guides
- 1 cruise director, 1 assistant Cruise Director
- 1 chef + 1 sous chef + 1 crew chef
- 1 head of service
- 1 housekeeper
- 1 hybrid deckhand/guide
Here are two you’ll remember long after the voyage ends.
Zumi – Chief Engineer
“If you don’t hear from me, it means everything is working perfectly.”
Zumi began working at sea in 2017 and has served on tankers, cargo ships, and other vessels before joining scuba diving liveaboards. He oversees everything mechanical and electrical, like the engines, generators, compressors, plumbing, and wiring.
“This is not about a favourite job,” he says. “My responsibility is to make sure everything works smoothly.”
He loves diving when he can sneak a moment, and he treasures the friendships formed with guests from around the world.
And he’s seen some wild moments! Like when one Brazilian guest once surfaced feeling extremely unwell, close to passing out. The crew rushed him to put him on oxygen and prepared to evacuate him.
“But he was laughing the whole time,” Zumi recalls. “We were stressed, but he kept saying, ‘Don’t worry guys, I’m okay!’ We could see on his face he was not okay!”
It was scary, funny, and unforgettable.
Fauzi – Head of Service & Bartender
“The best part of the day? When guests come back from diving smiling.”
Fauzi’s day begins before dawn and ends long after dinner service. His job spans breakfast setup, room service, guest care, bar service, restocking, and creating a warm atmosphere from morning until night.
“The first day of the trip is the hardest,” he admits. “You don’t know the guests’ faces yet—who drinks which coffee, who likes what. After two days, I know everything.”
He often receives repeat requests for the freshly baked bread, a speciality onboard Indo Master. And he once had a guest who was so friendly that she wanted to help serve every day:
“One guest was so friendly, she wanted to work with me every day,” he laughs. “She even made a headpiece to wear at dinner like part of the crew!”
For Fauzi, the boat is more than a workplace.
“We are a family here. After a few months, you just love it.”
Raja Ampat & Komodo: Changing Rhythms
Indo Master follows the seasons, shifting between Raja Ampat and Komodo (and everything in between) to ensure you experience each destination at its very best. For the Indonesia liveaboard crew, this means constantly adapting to new environments, new conditions, and new daily rhythms.
It’s not “calm vs. wild.”
It’s a change of tempo.
The same team moves with the vessel, but each itinerary brings different conditions, different routines, and different challenges.
Raja Ampat
Home to over 1,500 islands and some of the richest biodiversity on the planet, Raja Ampat offers a sense of endless discovery. This is where dives like Cape Kri, Melissa’s Garden, and Citrus Ridge reveal up to 75% of the world’s coral species, schools of reef fish, and gliding oceanic mantas.
Days here feel expansive and fluid. We have long crossings between emerald karst islands, mornings where soft light spills over mirror-calm water, and dive plans shaped by the region’s gentle rhythm.
The peak season runs from October to April, when conditions are at their clearest and most predictable.
From your side, Raja Ampat feels spacious and serene. For the crew, Raja Ampat means early starts, long crossings, and the joy of showing you why this region is considered a “once-in-a-lifetime” destination.
Komodo
Komodo is a completely different world: a rugged UNESCO World Heritage Site where volcanic islands rise from nutrient-rich waters. Below the surface, you’ll find everything from exhilarating drift dives and manta encounters to vibrant seamounts teeming with sharks and turtles, like Crystal Rock. And for macro lovers, Komodo is also exceptional at sites around Horseshoe Bay. Nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, frogfish, and pygmy seahorses hide among corals and volcanic sand.
Above the waterline, the iconic Komodo Dragon brings an unforgettable land excursion, offering you a glimpse into one of the most ancient species on Earth.
The peak conditions fall between May and October, during the Southeast Monsoon.
For the crew, Komodo demands precision and tight coordination: stronger currents, punchier crossings, and exact timing for safe tender launches and dive windows. It’s a region that keeps everyone attentive and working seamlessly together.
Indo Master voyages to Komodo also include volcanic sites around Sangeang (on 10-night trips only) and Sumbawa, adding even more variety for guests.
The Crew’s Perspective
The team rotates with the vessel as seasons shift, adjusting their routines to match each new environment. For many of them, choosing a favourite is impossible.
“Komodo is beautiful and the land tours are amazing,” says Fauzi. “Raja is different—more green. I love both.”
Through every change in scenery and schedule, one thing stays constant: the crew’s ability to work as one; calm, confident, and committed to giving guests the best experience possible.
The Heartbeat of the Boat
The boat works because the crew works together.
In the engine room, galley, deck, dive deck, tender, and restaurant, the team coordinates with almost unspoken communication. Twenty people from different islands, backgrounds, and languages moving like a single organism.
This unity doesn’t happen by accident. It grows from long days, shared meals, inside jokes, and the truth that life offshore turns colleagues into family.
Most guests remember the mantas and the reefs. But ask the crew what they remember?
“But we remember the faces when they see them,” one crew member often says. “That’s our reward.”
Reflections from the Crew
Life at sea shapes people. There are long days, rainy mornings, shared jokes, and countless tiny moments that turn into stories. Ask the crew what stays with them, and you’ll hear insights shaped by years of crossings and friendships made onboard.
- “Some days are long, but when guests come back from diving happy, we forget the tiredness.” — Fauzi, Head of service
- “The magic isn’t just underwater. It’s watching guests become a team.” — Guislain, Cruise Director
- “You can make friends from all over the world here.” — Zumi, Chief Engineer
- “Food is how we take care of people at sea.” — Dede, Chef
- “Every itinerary feels new, even after years.” — Guislain, Cruise Director
- “You think it’s hard at first. But after three months, you love it.” — Fauzi, Head of service
- “We work, we laugh, we help each other. We are a family.” — Hasbiah, Second Officer
- “A good voyage isn’t just smooth. It’s when the crew works as one.” — Hanafi, Captain
These voices say everything.
Below deck, the crew don’t just run a boat. They create memories, both for you, the guest, and for each other.
The People Behind the Adventure
Every smooth crossing, perfectly timed dive briefing, and beautifully presented meal starts with a team of twenty people who wake before you, rest after you, and care deeply about your experience. You’ll remember the reefs, mantas, and sunsets. But the crew will remember your excitement, your stories, your smiles.
That’s the heart of Indo Master.
When you step onboard, you’re not just a guest. You become part of a floating family that lives and breathes Indonesian liveaboard diving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Busy but rewarding. They have long days, but it is all teamwork, laughter, and a family-like bond.
20 in total.
Yes. They rotate seasonally, staying with the vessel.
Everywhere! Morning coffee, dive briefings, chats on the deck. Many guests stay in touch for years.
About the Author
