SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
The Ocean Doesn’t Start at the Shore When people hear the words marine conservation, they usually look toward the ocean. They think about coral restoration, turtles, sharks, plastic pollution, fishing, anchor damage and divers touching coral. But there is a fundamental problem with that way of …
Marine Protected Area When people hear the words Marine Protected Area, they naturally think about what lies beneath the surface: coral reefs, turtles, fish, sharks, seagrass and other marine life. But the ocean does not begin at the shoreline. Everything happening on a small island like …
When people hear the words marine conservation, what do they imagine?
Coral nurseries. Reef restoration. Coral transplantation. Artificial reefs. Beach clean-ups. Divers attaching fragments of coral to structures underwater.
All of these activities can have value.
But there is an uncomfortable question that we should be asking on the Gili Islands:
Why are we so focused on repairing damaged reefs while remaining relatively quiet about the activities that may be damaging them in the first place?
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe conservation cannot start underwater.
And it certainly cannot end at the shoreline.
If we genuinely want to protect the Gili Matra Marine Protected Area, conservation has to include what happens on the beaches, inside businesses, around construction sites, in the groundwater, in wastewater systems and along the coastline.
Otherwise, we are not preventing environmental degradation.
We are simply waiting for damage—and then trying to repair it.
There is nothing wrong with reef restoration.
Indonesia has hundreds of documented coral-restoration projects, and restoration can be an important tool for helping damaged ecosystems recover.[1]
But we should understand what restoration actually means.
Restoration happens because something has already been damaged.
The coral has already died.
The reef has already degraded.
The habitat has already disappeared.
The intervention comes afterwards.
That makes restoration primarily a reaction.
Imagine having a leaking water pipe in your house. Every morning you mop the floor and proudly tell everyone how much water you removed.
But nobody repairs the pipe.
Eventually someone has to ask:
Why are we celebrating the mopping instead of stopping the leak?
Marine conservation should work the same way.
We need restoration where restoration is necessary. But at the same time, we need to identify and reduce the pressures that created the damage.
One of the biggest mistakes in marine conservation is treating the ocean as if it were separated from the land.
It isn’t.
Everything is connected.
What happens on Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan can eventually influence what happens in the surrounding marine environment.
Wastewater doesn’t magically disappear because it leaves a hotel.
Sand doesn’t stop being part of the ecosystem because someone constructs a wall.
Construction near the coastline doesn’t automatically become environmentally harmless because it happens a few meters above the waterline.
Research from tourism-intensive Sanur, Bali, provides an important warning. Researchers identified tourism development, wastewater discharge and coastal development as interacting pressures on coral reefs. They concluded that many responses remain localized and short-term and that interventions focused on the visible reef can fail to address land-based sources of wastewater and sediment.[2]
That lesson should matter enormously to the Gili Islands.
If we are serious about marine conservation, our discussions cannot only be about coral transplantation.
We also need to ask uncomfortable questions.
What is the environmental impact of continued overdevelopment on three extremely small islands?
What happens when more permanent structures are constructed close to the beach?
What happens when hard seawalls change natural coastal processes?
What happens when channels are created through shallow reef areas so boats can reach businesses or beaches?
Where does the wastewater from an increasing number of hotels, villas, restaurants, swimming pools and households actually go?
How effectively are septic systems functioning?
How is groundwater quality changing?
How much nutrient enrichment is entering the coastal environment?
How is coastal erosion changing?
And perhaps most importantly:
Are we monitoring these things before visible ecological damage occurs?
These questions may be less attractive than planting coral.
But they may ultimately be more important.
Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan sit within the Gili Matra conservation area.
Its management uses a zoning system that includes core zones, limited-use areas and other designated zones, while conservation objectives include coral reefs, seagrass and important marine species.[3]
Government authorities themselves have demonstrated that activities connected with coastal infrastructure can become marine-conservation issues.
In 2024, Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries investigated drilling associated with a desalination project on Gili Trawangan following indications of environmental pollution. The ministry explicitly warned that drilling waste could damage coral reefs and other marine habitats and stressed the need to mitigate impacts before ecological damage spread further.[4]
That is prevention.
And it demonstrates an important principle:
You cannot manage a marine protected area by looking only at what happens below the surface.
Development is not automatically bad.
The Gili Islands depend heavily on tourism. Hotels, restaurants, dive centers and other businesses provide employment and economic opportunities.
Oceans 5 is part of that tourism industry as well.
The question isn’t whether development should exist.
The question is:
How much development can a small island ecosystem support, and under what conditions?
A 2026 study of sustainability in the Gili Matra Marine Protected Area found ecological performance to be a principal limiting dimension and identified coastal degradation, waste and pollution pressure, stakeholder coordination and social conflict among the priority issues affecting sustainability.[5]
Those aren’t simply tourism-management problems.
They are conservation problems.
If development creates environmental pressure today that contributes to reef degradation tomorrow, waiting until tomorrow to restore the coral makes little sense.
Walk around the Gili Islands and you will see hard structures constructed to protect beachfront property.
From the perspective of an individual business owner, the logic is understandable.
The ocean is approaching the property.
Protect the investment.
But coastlines don’t function property by property.
They function as connected systems.
A structure that changes wave energy, sediment movement or erosion in one location can have consequences elsewhere.
So conservation organizations should be part of the discussion about coastal engineering.
Not after beaches disappear.
Before walls are built.
Because protecting reefs while ignoring major changes to the coastline beside them is not integrated conservation.
Wastewater may be one of the least photogenic subjects in conservation.
There is no beautiful Instagram picture of a properly functioning septic system.
Nobody wants to pose beside wastewater infrastructure.
But nutrient pollution and poorly managed wastewater can place serious pressure on tropical coastal ecosystems.
And this is precisely why prevention receives less attention than restoration.
Prevention is often invisible.
When prevention succeeds, nothing happens.
The reef doesn’t collapse.
The water doesn’t become polluted.
The algae bloom doesn’t appear.
The beach doesn’t disappear.
There is no dramatic before-and-after photograph because the environmental disaster never happened.
That should be considered a conservation success.
Recently, we have been observing extensive Halimeda growth around parts of Gili Trawangan.
Oceans 5 has participated in removing Halimeda from selected areas together with other conservation stakeholders.
But we are very clear about something:
Removing the algae is not the solution.
It is a reaction.
If unusual growth is occurring, the important scientific question is why.
That is why we support further investigation and water-quality research rather than immediately announcing a cause without sufficient evidence.
Until research provides answers, we should not pretend we know exactly what is driving the change.
But uncertainty is not an excuse for inactivity.
It is a reason to investigate.
Marine conservation should not only ask:
“How do we remove this?”
It should ask:
“Why is this happening?”
And then:
“What can we change so it doesn’t keep happening?”
That is the difference between reaction and prevention.
This is perhaps the most uncomfortable part of the discussion.
Why do conservation organizations sometimes speak loudly about plastic, coral restoration and beach clean-ups, but much more carefully about overdevelopment, questionable coastal construction, wastewater, seawalls or activities affecting shallow reefs?
There may be several reasons.
These subjects are complicated.
Different authorities have different jurisdictions.
Scientific evidence must be gathered before attributing a particular ecological change to a particular activity.
Businesses provide employment.
Investors have influence.
Tourism generates income.
Stakeholders have competing interests.
And challenging development can create conflict.
It is much easier to organize a coral-restoration event where everyone agrees that planting coral is good than to question whether a new development should have been constructed where it is.
Prevention sometimes requires saying something people don’t want to hear.
There is another question worth discussing openly.
The conservation world frequently operates through projects.
A project needs objectives.
It needs activities.
It needs photographs.
It needs measurable results.
It needs reports.
A coral nursery can provide those things.
“We transplanted X corals.”
“We installed X structures.”
“We restored X square meters.”
Those are visible outputs.
But how do you photograph a reef that wasn’t damaged because someone prevented the damage?
How do you create a dramatic fundraising campaign around wastewater regulations being enforced?
How many social-media likes do you receive because somebody decided not to construct another seawall?
Preventive conservation can be politically difficult, socially uncomfortable and less visually marketable.
And challenging another stakeholder may make future cooperation more difficult.
That creates a dangerous incentive:
Repairing environmental damage can sometimes be easier to fund and promote than preventing the damage from occurring.
That doesn’t mean restoration organizations are acting in bad faith, nor should it be presented as a claim that organizations deliberately ignore problems for grant money.
But it is a structural question the conservation community should be willing to discuss.
We don’t think Oceans 5 should claim to be the only organization on Gili Air that understands conservation beyond reef restoration.
There are people, community groups, government agencies, scientists, businesses and conservation organizations doing valuable work across the Gili Islands.
And government authorities such as BKKPN Kupang are actively monitoring activities and zoning compliance within Gili Matra. In August 2025, for example, BKKPN reported patrols across Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan specifically aimed at monitoring use and addressing zoning violations.[6]
But Oceans 5 is willing to say something that we believe needs to be said more often:
Marine conservation cannot stop where the ocean meets the beach.
And sometimes that means raising subjects that aren’t popular.
It can mean questioning development.
It can mean asking about wastewater.
It can mean opposing destructive coastal practices.
It can mean asking why a channel is being created.
It can mean questioning another tourism business.
It can even mean questioning practices within our own industry.
That doesn’t always create friends.
But conservation shouldn’t be measured by how few people you upset.
It should be measured by whether ecosystems are better protected.
Restoration often creates a positive story.
Something was damaged.
People came together.
Something was rebuilt.
Prevention has a different story.
Someone proposes something.
Another stakeholder raises environmental concerns.
Questions are asked.
Permits are checked.
Scientific studies are requested.
Plans may need to change.
Someone may lose money.
Someone becomes angry.
There may be meetings, disagreements and accusations.
And if prevention succeeds?
Nothing dramatic happens.
The reef simply remains alive.
That is exactly the point.
There is a tendency to make conservation comfortable.
Pick up plastic.
Plant coral.
Post photographs.
Thank the volunteers.
Repeat.
We support beach clean-ups. Oceans 5 organizes them regularly.
We support reef restoration where it is scientifically appropriate.
We support education.
We support research.
But conservation cannot only consist of activities everyone agrees with.
Sometimes conservation means asking:
Should this be built here?
Where will this wastewater go?
What happens to the coastline if this wall is constructed?
Why is this channel necessary?
What environmental assessment was conducted?
Who is monitoring the consequences?
And who will be responsible if damage appears five years from now?
Those questions may create problems with other stakeholders.
But remaining silent doesn’t protect a marine park.
Imagine a different conservation model for the Gili Islands.
Before another coastal development begins, environmental consequences are properly considered.
Before another seawall appears, its effects on neighboring coastline and sediment movement are assessed.
Before a channel is altered or created, ecological impacts and legal requirements are examined.
Wastewater and groundwater are monitored routinely.
Water-quality data are collected over years rather than only after something unusual happens.
Development limits reflect the carrying capacity of small islands.
Scientists, government, businesses, conservation organizations and local communities share information.
And when somebody sees a potential environmental problem, they speak.
Not after the coral dies.
Before.
That is the direction Oceans 5 believes marine conservation needs to take.
Because if we wait until a reef collapses and then proudly announce a project to rebuild it, we have misunderstood what conservation should be.
Restoration will always have a role.
But the greatest conservation success is not rebuilding a reef.
It is making sure we never have to rebuild it in the first place.
No. Coral restoration can be an important conservation tool, particularly where reefs have already been damaged. Our argument is that restoration should be combined with prevention. There is little sense restoring coral while environmental pressures responsible for degradation continue.
No. Oceans 5 itself is a tourism business. Tourism provides jobs and income for thousands of people. The issue is responsible development that respects environmental limits, coastal regulations and the carrying capacity of small islands.
The impacts depend on location, design and local coastal processes. That is precisely why coastal engineering should be assessed professionally rather than approached property by property without considering the wider shoreline.
Poorly managed wastewater can introduce nutrients, contaminants and pathogens into coastal environments. Research in tourism-intensive tropical coastal areas shows that land-based wastewater and development pressures need to be considered alongside direct reef impacts.[2]
We are not making that claim. The cause needs to be established through scientific investigation. Oceans 5 supports research and water-quality monitoring precisely because conclusions should be based on evidence rather than assumptions.
Because restoration treats damage that has already occurred. Long-term reef conservation also requires reducing the pressures causing degradation—including pollution, inappropriate coastal development, physical damage and other local stressors.
Because Oceans 5 operates inside and economically benefits from the Gili Matra marine environment. We believe that creates a responsibility to protect the entire ecosystem, even when discussing environmental problems is uncomfortable.
[1] Razak, T.B. et al. (2022). Coral reef restoration in Indonesia: A review of policies and projects. Marine Policy, 137, 104940. The review documented more than 500 restoration-project records in Indonesia between 1990 and 2020.
[2] Understanding coral reef change in urbanised and tourism-intensive seascapes: Insights from Sanur, Bali. The study highlights interacting pressures from tourism, wastewater and coastal development and argues that reef-focused interventions can fail when upstream land-based pressures remain unresolved.
[3] BAPPEDA NTB (2021). Public Consultation on the Review of the Management and Zoning Plan for the Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan Marine Tourism Park. The consultation describes core, limited-use and other zones and emphasizes continuing stakeholder education and coordinated management.
[4] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) (2024). KKP Reviews Desalination Drilling Location in the Gili Matra Conservation Area. KKP reported an investigation following indications of pollution associated with drilling activities and emphasized mitigation to prevent wider ecosystem damage.
[5] Widianto, A. et al. (2026). Assessing Multidimensional Ecotourism Sustainability and Zoning Conformity in the Gili Matra Marine Protected Area, Indonesia. The research identifies coastal degradation, waste and pollution pressure, stakeholder coordination and social conflict among important sustainability priorities.
[6] BKKPN Kupang (2025). BKKPN Kupang Enforces Zoning Violations in the Gili Matra Island Conservation Area.The agency reported monitoring activities across the three Gili Islands as part of zoning oversight and enforcement.
Marine Conservation Marine conservation has become an increasingly important part of the diving industry. Dive centres organise beach clean-ups, participate in coral restoration projects, share conservation messages on social media and encourage divers to behave responsibly underwater. At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe all …
Touching the Seafloor? For decades, scuba students around the world have learned diving skills while kneeling on the bottom. It creates a stable platform, makes it easier for an instructor to organize a group, and allows students to concentrate on one skill at a time. …
Have you always wondered what it feels like to breathe underwater, but you have never tried scuba diving before?
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, you have two opportunities every day to start your Introduction Dive: at 08:30 and at 15:00.
You don’t need any previous diving experience. An Introduction Dive is specifically designed for people who want to discover scuba diving before deciding whether they would like to become certified divers. Under professional supervision, beginners can learn basic diving principles, practice essential skills in confined water, and then experience diving in open water.[1][2]
And most importantly at Oceans 5: there is no rush.
An Introduction Dive gives you the opportunity to experience scuba diving without immediately signing up for a complete Open Water Diver course.
You will learn basic diving theory, practice important scuba skills in one of our training pools, become comfortable breathing underwater, and—when you are ready—make a real dive around the beautiful Gili Islands.
The maximum depth during the ocean part of the program is 12 meters.
The Gili Islands are also famous for their populations of green and hawksbill sea turtles.[3] So there is a good chance that one of the first larger marine animals you encounter as a diver will be a turtle.
Of course, marine life is wild, so sightings can never be guaranteed. But seeing your first turtle while actually diving next to it instead of looking down from the surface can be an unforgettable experience.
Oceans 5 Gili Air has a team of five experienced dive instructors. One of these instructors will guide you throughout your Introduction Dive, from your first explanation of scuba diving until your first real dive in the ocean.
We believe that learning to dive shouldn’t feel like being on a production line.
Everyone reacts differently to breathing underwater. Some people put their regulator in their mouth, take their first breath and immediately feel comfortable. Others need a little more time to get used to the sensation.
Both are completely normal.
That’s why we practice the skills at your pace.
There is no reason to hurry. We want you to feel relaxed and confident before going into the ocean.
Our first Introduction Dive session starts every morning at 08:30.
The program is divided into several stages.
Your instructor starts with a theory session.
Before entering the water, it is important to understand some basic principles of scuba diving.
One of the most important differences between being on land and being underwater is pressure. Water is much denser than air, so pressure increases as a diver descends.[4]
Your instructor will explain what this means for you as a diver, including:
Don’t worry—you don’t need to study a huge textbook.
The purpose of this session is to give you enough knowledge to understand what you are going to experience and how to respond comfortably underwater.
After the theory session, it’s time to get wet.
Oceans 5 has two large training pools, giving our students plenty of space to practice without feeling crowded.
Before entering the water, your instructor explains your scuba equipment and the skills you are going to practice.
Then comes one of the most memorable moments for every new diver:
your first breath underwater.
For some people, it feels completely natural.
For others, the brain needs a few moments to understand something that normally seems impossible: you are underwater, but you can still breathe.
There is no hurry.
Your instructor stays with you while you become comfortable with breathing through the regulator.
After that, you will practice the required diving skills. These are designed to prepare you for situations that can realistically happen during your dive.
Once the skills are completed, you will also spend time simply diving around the pool.
This part is important.
Scuba diving isn’t only about completing skills. You need to become comfortable moving through the water, controlling your position, breathing normally and getting used to your equipment.
The pool gives you a controlled environment to do exactly that before entering the ocean.[1][2]
Once the pool session has gone well and you are comfortable, it’s time for the real adventure.
Depending on how much time you need in the pool, your ocean dive can normally be conducted with our 11:30 or 14:30 dive departure.
This flexibility is an important part of the Oceans 5 philosophy.
We don’t want you looking at the clock while learning your skills.
If you need some extra practice, you get extra practice.
When you are ready, your instructor will take you by boat to one of the dive sites around the Gili Islands.
The Gili Islands—Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan—are surrounded by the Gili Matra marine protected area.[5] The area contains coral reef habitats and a wide variety of tropical marine life.
Your maximum depth during your Introduction Dive is 12 meters.
Instead of floating on the surface with a mask and snorkel and looking down, you suddenly become part of the underwater environment.
You can swim alongside tropical fish, look closely at the reef and, with some luck, meet one of the turtles for which the Gili Islands are famous.[3]
Not everyone arrives on Gili Air early in the morning.
Maybe your boat arrives around lunchtime. You first want to check into your accommodation, have something to eat, unpack and relax.
Starting an entire diving day at that point might not be what you want.
That’s why Oceans 5 offers a second option.
You can start your Introduction Dive at 15:00.
The program begins in exactly the same way as our morning option.
You meet your instructor, complete the theory session and then enter the pool to practice the diving skills.
But there is one important difference:
you don’t have to make your ocean dive that afternoon.
After finishing your pool training, you can shower, relax and enjoy the rest of your afternoon and evening on Gili Air.
The following morning, you return to Oceans 5 and make your ocean dive.
This option is particularly convenient for people arriving on Gili Air around lunchtime or for guests who simply prefer to spread their first scuba experience over two days.
Because your holiday shouldn’t have to fit around a rigid diving schedule.
Some guests want to start early, complete their training and make their first ocean dive on the same day.
Others arrive later or don’t want to spend most of one holiday day completing the entire program.
That’s why we offer two Introduction Dive starting times every day.
Theory → Pool Training → Ocean Dive at 11:30 or 14:30
Theory → Pool Training → Enjoy your evening on Gili Air → Ocean Dive the following morning
Different schedules, but exactly the same goal:
giving you a relaxed, safe and enjoyable first experience underwater.
For us, this is one of the most important parts of an Introduction Dive.
Your first experience underwater should be something you remember for the right reasons.
If you need more time in the pool, we take more time.
If you want to repeat a skill, you repeat it.
If you need a few extra minutes simply breathing underwater before continuing, that’s fine.
The ocean will still be there.
Our instructors want you to enter the ocean feeling comfortable with what you learned in the pool rather than feeling that you were rushed through the program because the boat was waiting.
This is also one of the advantages of having two training pools, multiple daily boat departures and experienced instructors available at Oceans 5 Gili Air.
We can focus on the person rather than only focusing on the schedule.
There is another possibility.
You might discover that you absolutely love scuba diving.
For many certified divers, their diving journey started with exactly this type of experience: they simply wanted to try scuba diving once.
Then they surfaced and immediately wanted to go again.
If you decide that scuba diving is something you would like to continue, the logical next step is the SSI Open Water Diver course.[6]
The Open Water Diver program provides more extensive academic learning, confined-water training and open-water dives and leads to an internationally recognized scuba certification.[6]
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, Open Water Diver courses can start every day.
Your Introduction Dive therefore doesn’t necessarily have to be the end of your experience.
It might be the beginning of an entirely new adventure.
No. The Introduction Dive is designed for people who have never scuba dived before. Your instructor starts from the beginning and explains everything you need to know before entering the water.
Oceans 5 Gili Air offers two starting times every day: 08:30 and 15:00.
The 08:30 program allows you to potentially complete the theory, pool training and ocean dive on the same day.
The 15:00 option allows you to complete the theory and pool training in the afternoon and make your ocean dive the following morning.
The maximum depth for the Introduction Dive is 12 meters. Your actual depth will depend on the dive site, conditions and your personal comfort level.
Reaching 12 meters is not the objective. Having a comfortable and enjoyable first diving experience is.
That’s exactly why we use the pool before going into the ocean.
Your instructor can give you extra time to become comfortable with breathing underwater and repeat skills when necessary.
There is no rush.
We work at your pace.
For guests starting at 08:30, the ocean dive can normally be made at either 11:30 or 14:30, depending on how the pool session progresses.
We don’t want you to hurry simply because a particular boat is leaving.
There is a good chance. The Gili Islands are well known for green and hawksbill turtles.[3]
However, turtles and other marine animals are wild, so we can never guarantee a particular animal sighting.
Yes. After completing the theory and required pool training, you will make an open-water dive under the supervision of your instructor.
The 15:00 start is ideal if you arrive on Gili Air around lunchtime or don’t want to spend most of one day completing the entire program.
You can do your theory and pool training in the afternoon, enjoy your evening on Gili Air and make your ocean dive the following morning.
Yes. If you enjoy the experience and want to become a certified diver, you can continue your diving education with the SSI Open Water Diver course.[6]
Oceans 5 offers Open Water Diver courses with daily starting possibilities.
No. An Introduction Dive is an experience program for beginners and does not make you an independently certified diver.
If you want to become a certified recreational diver, you should complete an entry-level certification program such as the SSI Open Water Diver course.[6]
You don’t need diving experience.
You don’t need to know whether scuba diving is going to become your new passion.
You simply need to be curious about what is underneath the surface.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, you can start your Introduction Dive every day at 08:30 or 15:00.
Choose the morning program and potentially complete your first ocean dive the same day, or choose the afternoon program and make your ocean dive the following morning.
Two starting times. More flexibility. Small-scale training. No rush.
And who knows?
The first turtle you see underwater might be the moment you realize that one dive isn’t going to be enough.
[1] Scuba Schools International (SSI). Try Scuba and Basic Diver Programs. SSI recreational diving education materials and training standards.
[2] Scuba Schools International (SSI). SSI Training Standards. Standards covering introductory scuba experiences, confined-water training, supervision and open-water diving.
[3] Gili Eco Trust. Information and conservation resources concerning sea turtles and the marine environment around the Gili Islands, Lombok, Indonesia.
[4] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Diving and underwater pressure principles, including the effects of increasing ambient pressure with depth.
[5] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia / BKKPN Kupang. Information concerning the Gili Matra Marine Tourism Park (Taman Wisata Perairan Gili Matra) and management of the marine protected area surrounding Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
[6] Scuba Schools International (SSI). Open Water Diver Program. Entry-level recreational scuba certification, including academic, confined-water and open-water training.
10 Things to Check Before Booking Choosing a dive center can have a much bigger influence on your diving experience than choosing the dive site itself. When people plan a diving holiday, they often compare three things first: location, reviews and price. They search Google, …
A Complete Guide to Learning to Dive in the Gili Islands If you have never scuba dived before, choosing where to take your first breaths underwater is an important decision. You want warm water, interesting marine life, professional instructors, good training facilities and, most importantly, …
If you already love snorkeling, you probably know the feeling. You are floating at the surface, looking down at a beautiful coral reef. Below you are colorful reef fish, perhaps a turtle, a moray eel disappearing between the rocks, or something interesting hiding underneath a coral formation.
And then you think:
“I wish I could go down there and have a closer look.”
That is exactly where scuba diving changes everything.
Snorkeling gives you a window into the underwater world. Scuba diving allows you to enter it.
For people who already enjoy snorkeling, completing an SSI Open Water Diver course can be a natural next step. Instead of watching marine life from several meters above, you learn how to descend safely, control your position underwater, breathe comfortably through scuba equipment, and spend much more time exploring beneath the surface.
And there are few better places to make that transition than Gili Air and the Gili Islands in Indonesia.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we offer SSI Open Water Diver courses every day, allowing you to turn part of your tropical holiday into the beginning of a completely new adventure.
Snorkeling is a fantastic activity. You need relatively little equipment, you can explore shallow reefs, and you can enjoy the ocean without completing a diving certification.
But snorkeling has one obvious limitation: most of the time, you remain at the surface.
You might see a turtle swimming several meters underneath you. You can watch it for a while, but unless it comes to the surface, there will always be some distance between you and the animal.
You might see a beautiful coral formation below you, but you cannot comfortably stay next to it for several minutes.
You may notice a school of fish disappearing deeper along the reef, but eventually you have to stay behind.
Scuba diving changes your perspective.
Instead of looking at the underwater world, you become part of it.
With scuba equipment, you can remain underwater and move slowly around the reef. You can stop, observe and take your time. A small coral formation that looked relatively simple from the surface can suddenly reveal dozens of different animals when viewed from nearby.
For somebody who already loves snorkeling, that can be an incredible experience.
One of the biggest differences between snorkeling and scuba diving is not simply depth. It is time.
While snorkeling, you can make short breath-hold dives below the surface, but eventually you must return for air.
During a scuba dive, you carry your breathing gas with you.
This allows you to slow everything down.
Instead of quickly diving toward a fish and returning to the surface, you can remain neutrally buoyant and watch what happens.
You may see butterflyfish moving around coral heads, surgeonfish feeding across the reef, an anemonefish defending its home, or a turtle quietly feeding nearby.
And sometimes the most interesting animals are the smallest ones.
Once you start scuba diving, you begin looking underneath coral formations and into small cracks. Suddenly you notice nudibranchs, shrimps, pipefish, small crabs and other creatures that are easily missed while snorkeling.
The underwater world becomes much bigger simply because you have more time to observe it.
The SSI Open Water Diver certification is an internationally recognized entry-level scuba certification. SSI describes the program as combining academic learning, confined-water practice and open-water experience to develop the skills and confidence required to become a certified diver.[1]
The SSI program includes:
SSI recommends approximately 16–32 hours for completion depending on the student and training schedule.[1][2]
Once successfully certified, an Open Water Diver has been trained to dive with an equally or more qualified buddy in conditions similar to those experienced during training and within the recommended limits of the certification.[2][3]
That is an enormous step beyond snorkeling.
Your certification can become the passport to underwater adventures around the world.
People who already enjoy snorkeling often arrive at their Open Water course with one important advantage:
They already like being in the ocean.
They are often comfortable wearing a mask and snorkel. They understand what it feels like to have their face underwater. Many already know how to use fins, clear water from a snorkel and relax while floating.
Of course, scuba diving introduces many new skills.
You need to learn how to use a regulator, control your buoyancy, equalize your ears, communicate underwater, monitor your air supply, use your dive computer and respond correctly to different situations.
But the basic fascination with being underwater is already there.
You are not learning to love the ocean.
You are learning how to explore more of it.
The Gili Islands — Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan — have been famous for snorkeling and scuba diving for many years.
Indonesia’s official tourism website highlights the islands for their coral reefs and marine life and names sites such as Shark Point, Turtle Heaven, Deep Turbo and Simon’s Reef among popular diving locations.[4]
The waters surrounding the three islands are also part of the Gili Matra marine conservation area.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries describes Gili Matra as an important conservation area containing coral reefs, seagrass habitats and protected marine species, including turtles and reef sharks.[5]
In 2024, Gili Matra and Nusa Penida received international recognition when the International Maritime Organization designated the area as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA).[6]
For a new diver, this means your first underwater experiences take place in an environment with a remarkable variety of marine life.
For many visitors, turtles are one of the highlights of snorkeling around the Gili Islands.
Diving gives you a completely different way to experience them.
Instead of looking down from the surface, you might find yourself swimming along the reef when a green turtle appears nearby.
You do not need to chase it.
You simply remain calm, control your buoyancy and observe.
The coral reefs around Gili Matra provide important habitat and feeding areas for marine life, while the islands and surrounding ecosystem are also important for green sea turtles.[5][7]
For somebody completing their first four Open Water training dives, seeing a turtle underwater can turn a training dive into a memory that lasts for years.
Learning to scuba dive is not about completing skills as quickly as possible.
It is about becoming a comfortable, confident and responsible diver.
That philosophy is important at Oceans 5 Gili Air.
We do not want students to finish their course simply knowing how to perform a list of exercises. We want them to understand what they are doing underwater and, most importantly, feel comfortable doing it.
Oceans 5 believes strongly in personal training.
Smaller groups allow instructors to spend more time with individual students. If you need additional practice with a particular skill, there is time to work on it.
People learn differently.
Some students immediately understand buoyancy but need extra time with mask skills. Others are completely comfortable with equipment but need more practice relaxing and breathing underwater.
There is no reason everyone should learn at exactly the same speed.
One major advantage of learning at Oceans 5 is our training facilities.
We have two large training pools, allowing students to develop their skills in a controlled environment before performing them in the ocean.
This is particularly useful for beginner divers.
Your first breathing experience underwater should not feel rushed. You can start in shallow water, become comfortable with your equipment and gradually progress.
Once you are relaxed, everything becomes easier.
One of the biggest differences between simply completing a diving course and becoming a good diver is buoyancy control.
Good buoyancy allows you to move through the water without constantly using your hands, touching the bottom or accidentally contacting coral.
It also makes diving much more enjoyable.
Instead of fighting against the water, you begin to feel almost weightless.
At Oceans 5, buoyancy is an important part of the Open Water training process.
We want students to learn how breathing, weighting, body position and their BCD work together.
That is when scuba diving starts becoming something special.
You stop feeling like somebody wearing diving equipment.
You start feeling like a diver.
After developing your basic skills in the swimming pool, it is time to take those skills into the ocean.
The SSI Open Water Diver program requires four open-water training dives.[1][2]
And around the Gili Islands, those training dives are not simply exercises.
They are real dives.
Between demonstrating the required skills, you are exploring the reef.
You may encounter turtles, schools of tropical reef fish, moray eels, pufferfish, anemonefish, stingrays and many other animals.
Every dive becomes a combination of training and discovery.
That makes learning much more enjoyable.
Another advantage of completing your course with Oceans 5 is flexibility.
We start Open Water Diver courses every day.
That means you do not necessarily have to organize your entire holiday around a fixed weekly course schedule.
Our Open Water Diver course normally takes around three days, although learning is never a race. The goal is to complete the required training while giving students enough time to become genuinely comfortable.
And because Oceans 5 is located directly on Gili Air, your course becomes part of your island experience.
You can dive during the day and still enjoy Gili Air afterwards — restaurants, beaches, sunsets and the relaxed island atmosphere.
The biggest advantage of completing an Open Water Diver course instead of doing only an introductory dive is what happens afterwards.
An introductory program gives you an experience.
An Open Water certification gives you a new activity that you can continue for the rest of your life.
After certification, diving can become part of future holidays.
Thailand?
Go diving.
The Philippines?
Go diving.
Australia?
Go diving.
Back to Indonesia?
There are thousands of islands waiting to be explored.
And if you become more enthusiastic about diving, your education can continue with specialties such as Perfect Buoyancy, Enriched Air Nitrox, Navigation, Deep Diving, Wreck Diving, Night Diving and many others.
Your Open Water certification opens the door.
Many scuba divers started exactly the same way.
They loved snorkeling.
They loved floating above coral reefs.
They loved watching fish.
But eventually, watching from the surface was no longer enough.
They wanted to go down.
They wanted to stay longer.
They wanted to know what was underneath that coral ledge.
They wanted to swim beside the reef rather than above it.
If that sounds familiar, perhaps it is time to make the next step.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, SSI Open Water Diver courses start every day.
Your snorkeling adventures showed you the underwater world.
Now you can learn how to enter it.
There is a good chance you will. Snorkelers already enjoy being in the water and observing marine life. Scuba diving takes that experience further by allowing you to stay underwater longer and explore below the surface. However, scuba involves additional equipment, skills and safety procedures that you will learn during your course.
No. The SSI Open Water Diver course is an entry-level certification designed for beginners.[1][2]
The SSI Open Water Diver program has a maximum training depth of 18 meters/60 feet for adult students and older juniors. Different restrictions apply to younger divers.[1][2] After certification, SSI recommends diving within the conditions and depth appropriate to your training and experience.[3]
SSI lists 10 years old as the minimum age for the Open Water Diver program, with additional restrictions for younger students.[2]
The SSI Open Water Diver program requires four open-water training dives, in addition to academic and confined-water training.[1]
Being slightly nervous at the beginning is completely normal. This is one reason Oceans 5 uses its training pools before progressing into open water. You can practice breathing, equipment use and skills in controlled conditions until you become more comfortable.
Turtles are commonly associated with diving and snorkeling around the Gili Islands, and Gili Matra provides important habitat for sea turtles.[5][7] Wildlife encounters can never be guaranteed, but seeing a turtle during your training dives is certainly possible.
You have access to numerous dive sites around Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan, tropical marine life and coral reefs, all within the Gili Matra marine conservation area.[4][5] This means your training dives can also become genuine reef-diving experiences.
Oceans 5 focuses on small groups, personal attention and comfortable training. We have two purpose-built training pools, experienced SSI instructors and easy access to dive sites around the three Gili Islands. We also place strong emphasis on buoyancy and developing good diving habits from the beginning.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, Open Water Diver courses start every day. This makes it easier to fit the course into your holiday rather than planning your entire trip around fixed course dates.
[1] Scuba Schools International (SSI). SSI Open Water Diver Certification. SSI describes the Open Water Diver program as an internationally recognized entry-level certification incorporating academic, confined-water and open-water training.
[2] Scuba Schools International (SSI). Open Water Diver (ISO 24801-2) Training Standards. SSI standards specify the minimum age, recommended course duration, training depths and open-water requirements for the program.
[3] Scuba Schools International (SSI). Training Environments and Depth Limits. SSI recommends that certified divers dive with an equally or more qualified buddy in environments and depths appropriate to their experience and training.
[4] Wonderful Indonesia – Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia. Diving the Gili Islands / Snorkeling the Gili Islands. The official Indonesian tourism portal highlights Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan for their reefs and popular diving locations including Turtle Heaven, Shark Point, Deep Turbo and Simon’s Reef.
[5] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Republic of Indonesia. Conservation and Rehabilitation of the Gili Matra Marine Ecosystem. KKP identifies Gili Matra as an important marine conservation area containing coral reefs, seagrass and habitat for protected marine species including turtles and reef sharks.
[6] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Republic of Indonesia. IMO Designates Gili Matra and Nusa Penida as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area. The designation provides international recognition of the ecological importance of these marine areas.
[7] International Maritime Organization / Indonesian Government submission. Documentation supporting the Gili Matra PSSA designation describes the fringing coral reef ecosystem as important habitat, nursery and feeding grounds for marine life and notes the ecological importance of the area for green sea turtles.
Where Every Tourist Is Valentino Rossi There was a time, not so long ago, when Gili Air was famous for something rather unusual in the modern world: there were no motorized vehicles. No cars. No motorbikes. No traffic jams. Just bicycles, cidomos, people walking barefoot along …