Spearfishing in Bali and Indonesia

Aquatix runs spearfishing courses and guided charters from our base in Amed on Bali's northeast coast. Beginner training in our classroom and pool, reef hunting along our local drop-offs, and offshore blue water trips to North Bali's FADs. We only do small groups, and there is always a certified freediving instructor in the water with you as a guide.

Spearfishing Safety in Bali

Spearfishing puts a loaded gun, a breath-hold and open water in the same place at the same time. Run properly it is a controlled activity. Run badly it is not. Most of what keeps it controlled happens before anybody gets in the water.

Every session opens with a briefing: how the speargun is loaded and carried, where it is allowed to point, float line protocol, the hand signals we use and what happens if something goes wrong. Nobody dives alone. Your instructor is in the water with you for the whole trip as hunting guide and dedicated safety diver, and we keep numbers low enough that they can genuinely watch you, with a maximum of two divers to one instructor.

We would also rather call a day off than push it. If swell, wind or current makes a site unsafe, or simply not worth diving, we tell you and reschedule at no cost.

Kit that travels with us. An industrial first-aid kit goes on every trip alongside emergency lifejackets and SOS devices, and a second kit stays at the dive centre.

Seen from the surface. Every diver gets a float, a float line and a dive flag. In open water with boat traffic, being visible from above is not optional.

Covered while you are with us. Third-party liability insurance runs for your whole time with Aquatix, from the briefing through to stepping back onto the beach.

Licensed to run this. We hold the Indonesian commercial permits required to operate spearfishing and diving activities. Not every operator here does, and it matters most at the exact moment you would want it to.

No scuba in the 24 hours before. Residual nitrogen from a scuba dive raises the risk of decompression sickness on a breath-hold day. That one is a firm rule, not a preference.

Where We Spearfish in Bali

Bali has more to offer a spearo than the shallow reef most visitors see from the beach. From our base in Amed on the northeast coast we reach three genuinely different kinds of hunting inside one region.

Close to home there are coral reefs, walls, drop-offs and current lines where smart skittish fish hold tight to structure and even advanced spearos can be tested. An hour or two north there are FADs anchored in water kilometres deep, where the hunting is open, blue and nothing like the reef.

That variety is why we like working here. It also means there is no single Bali spearfishing trip that suits everybody. A beginner learning to handle a speargun needs a different day from a diver chasing Dogtooth Tuna on a drop-off. We match the site and the trip to the diver, not the other way around.

Offshore blue water. North Bali's offshore FADs, anchored 10 to 40 kilometres out over water that can reach two kilometres deep.

Nearshore structure. The nearshore rumpons closer to the coast, where most divers get their first taste of hunting with no bottom underneath them.

Reef and drop-off. Sites like Golden Rock, Gili Selang and Bunutan, plus a few secret spots we do not name publicly.

Bottom side of a Balinese rumpon with a cheeky spearo hunting for his dinner...

A small community of fish living in-between the bamboo of a traditional Indo-Pacific style FAD (Rumpon).

Topside of a rumpon in North Bali.

An underwater shot of a diver in a black wetsuit in Bali swimming with a speargun in front of a bamboo rumpon in clear blue water.
Underwater view of a traditional Indo-pacific style bamboo fad covered in marine growth and small coral, surrounded by small striped fish swimming in clear blue water.
A serene ocean scene with deep blue water under a bright blue sky with white clouds. A small bamboo FAD is visible floating on the surface and mainland Bali is visible in the background under the clouds.
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Blue Water Spearfishing Offshore in Bali

A rumpon (FAD) is a traditional Indonesian fish house. FAD stands for fish attracting (or aggregating) device. In Indonesian rumpon means fish house.

It is a series of bamboo poles lashed around styrofoam floats in a way that it looks like a raft. Palm fronds and other ropes hang below, and the whole system is anchored in open ocean on a mooring line that runs very deep to a seabed you will never see. Indonesian fishermen have used them for generations to catch pelagic fish.

Baitfish and other small species arrive first for the shade plus shelter. Predators follow. On a productive day the water around a single bamboo raft holds more apex predators in one place than most divers encounter in a week on any reef.

Our blue water spearfishing charters move between multiple FADs through the day based on conditions and fish activity. If you want range beyond the normal day-trip radius, our multi-day trips reach FADs a single day cannot.

Reef Spearfishing Around Amed

Reef hunting here is a completely different game, and an honest one. The reef around Amed is under real fishing pressure. The fish are educated. They spook early, they hold deep in structure and they do not offer easy shots.

That is exactly why it is worth diving. You have to read the bottom, use the current, control your body language and close the distance without advertising what you are doing to the fish. Learn to hunt this reef and you can hunt most reefs anywhere else in the world.

Our reef spearfishing charter is aimed at divers who already have solid breath-hold ability and want a full day working the drop-offs and current lines with a guide who knows how each site behaves. The sites we use include Golden Rock, Gili Selang and Bunutan, alongside a handful of spots we keep to ourselves.

Trevally. Giant Trevally and other trevally species patrol the reef edges. Aggressive, powerful and very good eating.

Drop-off pelagics. Dogtooth Tuna, Spanish Mackerel and Green Jobfish turn up on the deeper structure. Rare, and never guaranteed.

Reef species. Coral Trout, Midnight Snapper, Maori Seaperch, Bigeye Seabream and Red Seabass. Beautiful fish and excellent table fare.

Learn to Spearfish in Bali

You do not need previous spearfishing experience to start with us. You do need to be comfortable in the ocean.

Our beginner spearfishing course is built for confident swimmers, freedivers, snorkellers and scuba divers who want to learn the sport properly rather than be handed a loaded gun and pointed at a fish. The morning covers safety, fish behaviour, approach technique and shot placement. Then you take it to our pool for live target practice, and only after that do you get on the boat.

The objective is not simply to shoot a fish. It is to understand what you are doing well enough to make good decisions when nobody is standing beside you telling you what to do.

Speargun handling. Loading, swimming with, aiming, firing and re-stringing a gun without endangering anybody.

Approach and shot placement. How fish behave, how to close on them and where the shot actually needs to go.

Pool session. Live target practice at our dive centre before you ever load a gun in open water.

Already a freediver? Certified freedivers usually progress fastest. If you are not one yet, our Level 1 freediving course is the shortest route to the ability this sport asks for.

What Can You Spearfish in Bali?

It depends almost entirely on where we dive. The offshore FADs and the Amed reef produce two different species lists, and neither of them comes with a guarantee.

Fish move. Current changes. Visibility changes. A site that is alive one day is quiet the next. We would rather tell you that than promise a trophy. What we can control is where we take you, how we plan the day and the quality of the guiding once you are in the water.

Mahi Mahi. Hold right at the structure, curious and aggressive in equal measure. Spectacular on film.

Wahoo. Shiny torpedoes working the upper water column in small packs. When they show up, it is a good day.

Tuna. Yellowfin and Bigeye work deeper, visible in glimpses until they commit. The trophy target.

Around the rafts. Rainbow Runner, Almaco Jack, Lesser Amberjack, Triple Tail, Cobia, Giant Trevally, Barracuda, Oceanic Triggerfish and Filefish.

On the reef. Giant Trevally and other trevallies, Coral Trout, Midnight Snapper, Maori Seaperch, Bigeye Seabream and Red Seabass.

Unicorns. The FADs always have surprises. We have seen Marlin, Sailfish, Pilot Whales, Sperm Whales, Beaked Whales, Whale Sharks and plenty of Dolphins.

Spearfishing Conditions in Bali

There is no single condition report that covers every site. Amed's reefs, the exposed points and North Bali's offshore FADs all behave differently on the same day.

Offshore, swell and wind are the main variables. On the wrong day the run is not worth making. But there are stretches, sometimes a week at a time, where you travel 30 kilometres out and arrive to an ocean that is completely glass, with underwater visibility of 25 to 35 metres. Those are the days we plan around. Inshore, current moves with the tide through the Lombok Strait and can change the character of a dive within an hour.

Before we choose a site we look at current, wind, swell, visibility, recent weather, your ability and what you actually want to hunt. If conditions are genuinely unsafe or would simply make for a poor day, we contact you and reschedule at no cost. We would rather move you than force an itinerary somebody wrote a week earlier.

Talk to us before you commit to a date. Timing matters here more than in most places.

Visibility. 20 to 30 metres is normal at the FADs on a good day, and 25 to 35 metres when it goes glassy offshore.

Current. Tidal movement through the Lombok Strait drives the inshore sites and can turn a slow dive into a fast one.

Swell. The primary access variable offshore. It decides whether the run out happens at all.

Responsible Spearfishing in Bali

The part of this sport we respect most is the ability to choose. You see the fish before you take the shot. You judge the size. You decide whether it is something you actually want to eat. And you can let it swim away.

Site access and fishing rules vary along the coast, and not every dive site is an appropriate place to hunt. Marine protected areas and busy scuba sites need to be respected. We choose locations accordingly, we take only fish we intend to eat, and we do not fill a boat for the sake of filling a boat.

If we bring fish home, we eat it. On most trips that means finishing the day at a local restaurant with the catch cooked in front of you.

Selective by nature. Every fish is identified and judged long before a trigger gets pulled.

Eaten, not wasted. The day usually ends with the catch prepared fresh at a local restaurant.

Why Spearfish from Amed?

Aquatix is based in Amed on Bali's northeast coast, directly beside some of the island's best known freediving water. That position gives us two very different environments from one base. Locally we hunt reef, walls, drop-offs and current lines. For blue water we travel north to the FADs anchored offshore in much deeper water.

The dive centre gives us something charter-only operations do not have: a proper place to teach before the boat leaves. Beginners cover theory and speargun handling, practise in our pool, then enter the ocean already understanding the equipment and the safety procedure. Experienced spearos skip all of that and spend the day doing what they came here to do.

Classroom and pool on site. Theory and target practice happen at our dive centre before anybody gets on a boat.

Guides who dive. Our instructors are in the water with you, hunting and covering you, on every trip we run.

Two environments, one base. Amed's reef on the doorstep, North Bali's blue water within reach. Browse the dive sites we work.

Equipment provided. Spearguns, floats, float lines, wetsuits, masks, fins and weights are included. Bring your own if you prefer.

Who Are Our Spearfishing Trips For?

New to spearfishing. Start with the Learn to Spearfish course. No previous spearfishing experience needed, but you should already be confident swimming and diving in open water.

Already a spearo. Choose a reef charter or a blue water charter based on your diving ability and what you want to hunt.

Experienced and after more. Our multi-day offshore trips give you the range and the water time a single day cannot.

Not sure where you fit? Tell us your freediving depth, your spearfishing experience and what you want out of the trip, and we'll recommend the option that actually suits you.

These are some of our most recent reviews.

5.0 From 68 reviews on Google

  • I've hired this team many times over the past few years and the experience is always amazing. Super knowledgeable about local spots, really friendly, and very talented freedivers. They're also very patient instructors and I've learned so much every time. I would travel to Bali specifically to go spearfishing with them, it's that good.

    Lex U Verified Google review · June 2026

  • Aquatix exceeded all expectations. The instructors combine exceptional local knowledge with a strong focus on safety, making every session both educational and enjoyable. Their understanding of the local reefs, conditions, and fish behaviour added tremendous value and helped maximize our time in the water. Professional, friendly, and genuinely invested in helping each student succeed. Highly recommend.

    Shaun Verified Google review · June 2026

  • Epic half day spearfishing and freediving. I've done a lot of spearfishing trips but the guide here is insanely knowledgeable. Before every spot he'd predict exactly what fish we'd see and where on the drift, and sure enough that's what happened. He put us onto wahoo, mahi, cobia and triple tail in a couple of hours, and he'd even turn down shots so I'd have the chance. Topped off with the catch cooked up at a local restaurant. I'll be back for more.

    Smitty Verified Google review · June 2026

  • I took the spearfishing course with Aquatix and it was honestly one of the best experiences I've ever had. It wasn't just a 'go shoot fish' style. We covered freediving technique, safety, selective spearfishing awareness, and how to approach fish properly. The instructor focused a lot on being calm in the water and I never once felt rushed. A great mix of practical spearfishing knowledge and proper freediving fundamentals.

    Ethan Radstone Verified Google review · June 2026

  • Spearfishing here in Bali, Indonesia is so fun and so invigorating. Guaranteed, fish or no fish you're going to have a blast if you're an outdoor person. Highly recommend Aquatix Spearfishing!

    Dustin Angela Verified Google review · July 2026

  • Booked a private 1 day spearfishing charter. The experience was completely tailored to my level with a strong focus on safety. They were incredibly helpful choosing the site and flexible on the day to pick the best conditions. I learned loads from the expert guide and finished the day a better diver and a better spearo. Best of all they organized dinner and had the day's catch cooked up. You won't go wrong with Aquatix.

    Noah Canby Verified Google review · May 2026
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Spearfishing in Bali, Indonesia with Aquatix

Common questions about spearfishing in Bali.

Do I need experience to go spearfishing in Bali?

Not necessarily. Our beginner spearfishing course is built for people with no previous spearfishing experience, although you do need to be confident in open water. The reef charter and the blue water charter ask for more diving ability, depending on the site and the conditions on the day.

Do I need a freediving certification?

Not for every trip. What you do need is enough swimming, equalization and breath-hold ability for the environment you are entering. A freediving certification is simply the clearest way to show that foundation, and our Level 1 freediving course is the fastest route to it. If you are unsure, tell us about your experience before you book and we'll be honest with you about what suits.

Is spearfishing equipment included?

Yes. Spearguns, floats, float lines, wetsuits, masks, snorkels, fins and weights are provided on our courses and charters. You are welcome to bring and use your own gear if you prefer it.

What fish can you spearfish in Bali?

At the offshore FADs the focus is pelagic: Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Tuna, Rainbow Runner, Almaco Jack, Cobia, Triple Tail, Giant Trevally and Barracuda. On the Amed reef it is Giant Trevally and other trevallies, Coral Trout, Midnight Snapper, Maori Seaperch, Bigeye Seabream and Red Seabass, with Dogtooth Tuna, Spanish Mackerel and Green Jobfish as rarities on the deeper drop-offs.

What's the difference between reef and blue water spearfishing?

Blue water means hunting open ocean around anchored FADs, with no bottom, no wall and no reference except the mooring line. The fish are large, fast and range-sensitive, and shot placement matters more than anywhere else.

Reef hunting is a slower, closer game: reading structure, using current and stalking educated fish that hold tight to cover. The two ask for different skills, and most divers find one suits them more than the other.

Is spearfishing legal in Bali?

Recreational spearfishing does happen in Bali, but where you do it matters. Marine protected areas, no-take zones and busy scuba sites are not appropriate places to hunt, and local access rules vary along the coast.

We choose sites that are appropriate for spearfishing and we hold the Indonesian commercial licences required to run diving and spearfishing activities. If you plan to dive independently, check the rules for the specific area you intend to fish.

Are fish guaranteed?

No. Fish are wild, conditions change and hunting ability matters. Any operator promising that you will definitely shoot a particular fish is worth treating with some suspicion.

We choose productive sites, move on when a spot is quiet and give you the best opportunity we can. The rest is spearfishing.

Can we eat what we catch?

Yes. When we bring suitable fish back to shore we arrange for the catch to be prepared locally. For a lot of our guests, sitting down to the day's catch is the best part of the trip.

What should I ask any operator before booking?

A few things worth checking with any operator before you commit:

  • How many clients per instructor?
  • What certification does the instructor hold?
  • Are clients covered by third-party liability insurance for the duration of the activity?
  • Is the operator properly licensed to run commercial diving activities in Indonesia?

We're happy to answer all of these. Just reach out.

Get in Touch to Go for a Spear

Tell us your freediving depth, your spearfishing experience and what you want to hunt. We'll point you at the right water.

Email us info@aquatixofficial.comWe usually reply within a few hours
WhatsApp us +1 (226) 210-1308Chat with us directly

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