The new season in Komodo is just hours away and we cannot contain our excitement. After a short break during January and February, all of our staff are chomping at the bit to welcome our first guests through the door and dive and boat crew cannot wait to show divers, snorkelers and dragon wranglers the wonders of the Komodo National Park.But, we haven’t just been swanning around on holiday topping up our tans and getting massages. Oh no!! Throughout January and February our boats have been subject to a major overhaul. Those of you who know and love the Jaya will not recognise her new look. As well as structural maintenance, she has a sexy new paint job and pirate-esque, moody black sails. The boat has been rewired with new LED lights in all cabins and subtly placed power outlets for the important camera charges in between dives and excursions. The upstairs social and dining area has had a huge revamp, with carpenters working day and night, shedding sawdust to install a new dining area, storage cupboards and a food service area. And we have to say, she looks amazing!
Our budget liveaboard, the Bali Prima, is undergoing some radical changes right now. The dormitory accommodation is having a face lift to sleep ensure super comfortable sleeping for our 6 guests onboard. The kitchen is having an overhaul so that Chef Rudy has more space to prepare his famous, giant meals after a long day of diving and snorkeling.
With our full quota of staff back on land, we have spent the last few days in staff training. For staff new and old, this is a chance not only to get to know one another and catch up on some stories, but to refresh on the core pillars of Wicked’s operation – Safe, Ethical and Fun.
And not ones to rest on our laurels, we have many exciting projects coming up this year. We’re currently hosting the first EVER SSI ITC in NTT with divemasters from Flores training up to Instructor level.
We also have some fantastic trips coming up with specialised Manta and Shark education trips throughout the year, longer range expeditions to the Gili islands and of course planning for our liveaboards to Raja Ampat which will start in November this year. We’re also sourcing as many products as we can from local sources and trying to advance our eco-friendly approach to business with natural produced shampoos and conditioners from local suppliers and more structure to our beach clean ups to ensure we are having an effective and beneficial impact to our local area.Most of these changes we have made have been from feedback that our guests have given us throughout the year. We listen to all comments from our guests and do our best to implement these changes – apart from the occasional request for an ice-cream maker onboard, which although our staff would love, would be a bit difficult to accommodate.Maybe we’re blowing our trumpet a little, but we’re very proud of the work that’s been taking place recently and we’re really looking forward to sharing it with you all. Our first Jaya trip sets sail on 2nd March. Watch this space for a thorough account of what we saw on our adventure.
-Wicked Diving Komodo