A novice Jet Ski rider and three of his mates are about to embark on an ambitious international adventure – from Darwin to Bali – on a pair of specially-modified Sea-Doo Fish Pro models.
The trip is expected to include 10 days of riding – but could take a total of up to four weeks to complete, to allow for poor weather and other unforeseen delays.
Despite having limited Jet Ski experience in open ocean riding, they are embarking on what is believed to be a world-first Jet Ski journey along this route.
While the organiser and primary rider aims to complete the entire journey from start to finish, the second Jet Ski will be shared by three mates, who will each do a portion of the trip, before handing over the craft to the next rider.
Aside from attempting a world-first journey by Jet Ski, Daniel Wilkins – an Australian based in Bali – says the aim is to raise money and awareness for Bali charity group Sole Family, which helps disadvantaged locals and provides an ambulance service for those who can’t afford it.
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Wilkins says he has spent 12 months planning the journey.
The goal is to depart Darwin on 6 November 2024 – pending clear weather – and head north-west via Melville Island (about 60km north of Darwin, it is the second largest island in Australia, after Tasmania).
From there, the plan is to navigate across the Timor Sea – bypassing East Timor – and head due north to the small islands scattered in the Banda Sea, before the journey heads west in an island hop towards Bali.
The itinerary maps out 10 days of riding over three to four weeks, to allow for poor weather, rest days, and sightseeing.
Depending on where they stop each night, the riders will camp on remote beaches, stay with local villagers, or book accomodation on islands with facilities.
The idea for the international Jet Ski journey came from Daniel Wilkins, aged 41, a former chef originally from Wollongong NSW who has been living in Bali for 12 years, where he owns an alcohol home-delivery service called Wow Booze.
Wilkins says he plans to complete the entire 2300km journey from start to finish.
The second Jet Ski (decked out with identical modifications) will be shared by three of Wilkins’ mates – from Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia – who will each complete one of three legs.
The rider of the second Jet Ski for the first portion of the journey is New Zealand man Benjamin Nock, aged 35 – who works in Tasmania as a marine engineer and diver for Tassal Salmon, and previously worked with Wilkins on a pearl farm in the Northern Territory.
The rider of the second Jet Ski for the middle portion of the journey is Indonesian man Indra Palguna, aged 31 – who is Wilkins’ fishing buddy in Bali.
The rider of the second Jet Ski for the third portion of the journey is Zac Martin, aged 42, one of Wilkins’ former school friends from Wollongong NSW who now lives in Perth WA.
Despite the challenges of riding a Jet Ski in open waters – which is regarded as the most demanding conditions, even for experienced riders – Wilkins says they are well prepared for the journey.
In a test run in September 2024 – two months before the Darwin to Bali trip – Wilkins rode his brand-new and freshly kitted-out Sea-Doo Fish Pro Sport from Perth to Bunbury (a distance of 170km) and back again the next day, for a total distance of 340km over two days.
Prior to that, in April 2024, Wilkins rode two-up with mate Zac Martin around Rottnest Island (which is about 30km off the coast of Perth) on an older model Sea-Doo Wake Pro.
Including the 22km circumnavigation of Rottnest Island, that particular journey clocked up about 90km of Jet Ski riding.
Despite having accumulated a combined total of only about 440km of Jet Ski riding in open waters in the previous six months – ahead of the upcoming 2300km international journey from Darwin to Bali – Wilkins says he is ready for the trip.
As the son of a commercial fisherman, Wilkins says he grew up around boats – and the ocean has always been a part of his life.
When asked by Watercraft Zone if he was worried about the journey, Wilkins said: “No, I’m pretty confident.
“The most difficult thing has been getting in contact with the destinations we plan to stop at, and making sure we can get fuel and have somewhere to stay and store the skis overnight.
“Our main concern at this stage is the possibility of fuel contamination in some of the remote islands, but we have been told we will be ok.
“We have the journey mapped out in detail. My wife, who has been helping with the planning, is Indonesian, so there’s no language barrier.
“We’ve been getting really accurate information about each destination – and also letting them know to expect a couple of Jet Skis to turn up one day.
“I speak Indonesian pretty well, so once we’re on the journey, communication won’t be a barrier.”
There is no support vessel for the trip, the riders will only have each other to rely on if they strike trouble.
Wilkins says his wife will monitor their progress from home in Bali.
“We are going to be patient, we’re not running to a deadline, and we want to pick good weather windows wherever possible,” said Wilkins.
The itinerary runs for 10 days but Wilkins says he has allowed extra time if there is need to wait for clear conditions – or if they stop somewhere they’d like to explore.
“We want to take our time, do some fishing (spear fishing and rod fishing), catch and cook wherever possible, and make a bit of an adventure out of it,” Wilkins told Watercraft Zone.
He plans to make a video about the epic journey, gathering footage with GoPro action cameras and a small drone.
“If it goes really well we might keep going and ride to Singapore,” said Wilkins.
However, one thing is for certain: Wilkins says he does not plan to ride the Jet Skis back to Australia. The plan for now is to keep the skis in Bali once they get there.
Provisions on the skis include a small quantity of snack food such as beef jerky and protein bars “to keep the skis as light as we can”.
Each rider will carry “5 to 10 litres of drinking water” and the riders will top-up their water supplies each day.
In addition to a tow rope, safety measures include a satellite phone, an EPIRB emergency beacon in each ski, a PLB (personal locator beacon) on each rider’s life jacket, a portable Starlink satellite communication device, portable marine radios for each rider, and fixed marine radios fitted to each ski.
Because the journey covers international waters, each Jet Ski is equipped with an AIS (Automatic Identification System) so their location can be seen by ships and other vessels.
The AIS beacon also posts real-time updates to make it easier for authorities – and rescuers – to track their exact location.
The riders will use the basic Garmin navigation unit that comes factory-fitted on the Sea-Doo Fish Pro Sport – but it will be installed with detailed map software. Plus they will have portable GPS devices as a back-up.
While most of the trip has been broken down into 250km to 300km legs, the longest single stretch of the Darwin to Bali journey could run to about 400km.
To ensure they have plenty of fuel, each Sea-Doo Fish Pro Sport has been equipped with a specially-made rack mounted on the rear deck, which can carry four 25-litre fuel cans.
Plus there will be two more 25-litre fuel cans (one in each foot well), as well as the standard 70-litre fuel tank in the nose of the ski.
This will give each Sea-Doo Fish Pro Sport a total fuel capacity of 220 litres (70 litres from the standard fuel bladder, plus 150 litres across six 25-litre fuel cans).
This should deliver a maximum riding range of 440km in ideal conditions, however consumption could increase in adverse conditions – plus the skis will initially be thirstier when they are weighed down with a full load of fuel on board.
The journey is due to depart Darwin on 6 November 2024 – pending any weather delays – and arrive in Bali approximately three to four weeks later, after 10 days of riding time.
Wilkins says much of the itinerary has been dictated by ports where foreign vessels can legally enter – and have offices able to process Customs clearances.
Watercraft Zone will follow the journey and keep readers updated, so be sure to check back with us.
The plan: Darwin to Bali via Jet Ski in 10 days (over three to four weeks)
Day 1 (142km)
Darwin to Pirlangimpi, Melville Island (camp on Seagull Island)
Day 2 (390km)
Seagull Island to Saumlaki
Day 3 (200km)
Saumlaki to Tepa, Babar Island
Day 4 (280km)
Tepa, Babar Island to Wonreli Harbour, Kisar Island
Day 5 (280km)
Wonreli, Kisar Island to Mali, Alor Island
*Rider of the second ski hands over to the next rider in Mali, Alor Island (pending conditions)
Day 6 (187km)
Mali, Alor Island to Larantuka, Flores
Day 7 (250km)
Larantuka, Flores to Riung, Flores
Day 8 (280km)
Riung, Flores to Bima Sumbawa, Flores
*Rider of the second ski hands over to the next rider in Labuan, Bajo (pending conditions)
Day 9 (315km)
Bima, Sumbawa, Gili Air, Lombok
Day 10 (105km)
Gili Air, Lombok to Sanur Beach, Bali
Approximate total distance (excluding detours and navigation variations): 2300km
Other sightseeing stopovers:
- Mount Tambora
- Seven Islands National Park
- Komodo Island
- Mojo Island
- Small islands rarely visited by outsiders
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