‘Some of my friends ask me about diving, wondering if they could do it. The one thing I tell them is you have to be very strong – physically, but especially mentally. You are going to be with the boys, the men, so you have to be very strong and take the kicks. You have to be very committed.’

Mersi is an absolute badass in and out of the water – but also super personable and friendly – the ultimate Dive Master! The local scuba diving world in Indonesia is almost solely run by men – but it’s amazing to see and meet women like Mersi are also joining the profession.

‘Working in Komodo can be very challenging, especially during the full moon when the currents are strongest and some guests can feel panicked when faced with down currents. As a professional, 10 – 20 meters underwater, you need to react appropriately and stay calm. You need to learn how to make people trust you as their Divemaster; underwater, make eye contact, keep them calm, be able to communicate, ‘trust me, stay with me, we will go up together, and be safe.’

I had the pleasure of meeting her in 2018 on my first Komodo trip, and again whilst doing my Dive Master in 2019 (post coming!)

Read my full interview with her on Girls That Scuba: One of Indonesia’s only female Dive Masters