Introducing Wayan
Name: I Wayan Mardita
Also known as: Gabres
Age: 28
Experience: 5 years of scuba diving in around Amed with over 2,000 dives in the local area (he lost count after 1000!)
Fun fact - Wayan shares his name with a little over half of the population of Bali making it very confusing when trying to get his attention - half the dive site turns around when you shout WAYAN! Because of this, he also goes by the name Gabres.
Wayan is definitely the smile of the company! He is from the local area in a village called Tukadse. His house is actually less than 20 meters from the dive center.
He started his diving career as just a boy, working for a dive company as a gardener and not speaking a word of English, he was known then, as Wayan Boy. Over some years of gardening and dog walking he was gradually introduced to the underwater world, joining in with tourist student divers. He started moving away from gardening, learning how to repair scuba equipment and starting to assist dive courses. Eventually Wayan was certified as a dive guide and went from the back of the group to the front, guiding divers in his new world. Also his English was much better by then and his name upgraded to Wayan handsome!
After many years of working as a dive guide, learning invaluable lessons and gaining ample experience underwater, he was ready for his own adventure.
In the summer of 2017 Wayan set out on his own to start freelancing, so he could experience what it was like working for other dive companies and start earning some money. Not long after that, he met his business partner and together they started building their own project which is when Bali Dive Cove was born.
Other than diving, Wayan enjoys spending time with his friends and family - he is often the joker of the group! He enjoys travelling and hopes one day to venture a bit further than Asia!