SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
Why Evidence Matters More Than Tradition Scuba diving is built on safety, knowledge, and continuous learning. Equipment evolves, research improves, and training standards are regularly updated. Yet some pieces of advice continue to be repeated decade after decade, not because they are supported by modern …
Oceans 5 Gili Air Beach Clean-Up Every Friday at 17:00, something special happens in front of Oceans 5 Gili Air. Since 2010, our team has been organizing a weekly beach clean-up, bringing together divers, local residents, guests, and volunteers with one common goal: keeping the beautiful beaches of …
The Gili Islands have earned a reputation as one of Indonesia’s most enjoyable scuba diving destinations. Crystal-clear tropical waters, healthy coral reefs, frequent turtle encounters, and a relaxed island atmosphere make diving here suitable for both beginners and experienced divers.
When you choose Oceans 5 Gili Air, you’re not just booking a dive—you are joining a dive center that has spent more than 15 years building a reputation for quality, safety, conservation, and exceptional customer service.
Located just off the northwest coast of Lombok, the Gili Islands—Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan—offer more than 25 unique dive sites, each with its own character.
Because the islands are surrounded by open ocean, currents constantly bring fresh, nutrient-rich water to the reefs. These currents help keep the reefs healthy and attract an incredible variety of marine life.
Depending on the dive site and season, you can expect to see:
Macro photographers also love the Gili Islands, with many hidden critters living among the reefs and sandy bottoms.
One of the biggest advantages of diving around the Gili Islands is the variety.
During your stay you may visit famous sites such as:
Every dive offers something different. Some sites feature gentle coral gardens, while others are exciting drift dives with schooling fish and larger pelagic species.
Unlike many destinations where divers spend the entire day on a boat, diving from Gili Air is relaxed and comfortable.
At Oceans 5, boats depart three times daily:
Each trip visits one dive site before returning to the dive center. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy your holiday between dives.
You can relax by the swimming pool, have lunch in one of Gili Air’s beachfront restaurants, explore the island by bicycle, enjoy a massage, or simply watch the sunset before your next dive.
This makes the Gili Islands the perfect destination for divers who want to combine scuba diving with a true tropical island holiday.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe diving is safer and more enjoyable in small groups.
We limit our certified dive groups to a maximum of four divers per guide.
This means:
Groups are organised according to experience, air consumption, certification level, and diving preferences whenever possible.
Well-maintained equipment is an essential part of every safe dive.
Our equipment is regularly serviced and inspected, ensuring you can simply relax and enjoy your underwater adventure.
Our spacious dive boats are designed for comfort, with experienced local captains and crew who know the Gili dive sites exceptionally well.
Safety is never an afterthought at Oceans 5.
Every dive begins with a comprehensive briefing covering:
Because drift diving is common around the Gili Islands, every Divemaster and Instructor carries a Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) and reel. During the safety stop, the SMB allows the boat crew to track the group’s exact position and alerts passing boats that divers are below the surface.
Our boats are equipped with oxygen, first aid equipment, emergency communication devices, and trained crew members prepared for emergency situations.
Not every diver has the same experience or confidence.
Whether you are making your very first dive or have logged hundreds of dives, our instructors and divemasters adapt the dive to your comfort level.
There is no pressure to rush.
If you want extra time adjusting your equipment, practicing buoyancy, or simply enjoying the reef, that’s perfectly fine.
Our philosophy has always been that relaxed divers become better divers.
The reefs around the Gili Islands are worth protecting.
Oceans 5 has been involved in marine conservation for many years and actively supports projects that help preserve the local marine environment.
Our conservation activities include:
By diving with Oceans 5, you are supporting a dive center that believes tourism and conservation should go hand in hand.
Whether you’re:
Oceans 5 has experienced instructors and divemasters ready to help you achieve your diving goals.
For more than 15 years, Oceans 5 has built a reputation as one of the leading dive centers in Indonesia.
Divers choose Oceans 5 because of:
The Gili Islands offer some of Indonesia’s most accessible and enjoyable diving. Warm water, excellent visibility, healthy coral reefs, and abundant marine life combine with the relaxed atmosphere of Gili Air to create the perfect dive holiday.
Whether you’re taking your first breath underwater or adding another hundred dives to your logbook, Oceans 5 Gili Air provides the experience, professionalism, and personal attention to make every dive memorable.
Book your next dive with Oceans 5 Gili Air and discover why so many divers return to the Gili Islands year after year.
Discover Calm Beneath the Surface Scuba diving is often described as an adventure, but for many divers it becomes something much deeper. Once you leave the surface behind, the noise of everyday life disappears. There are no ringing phones, no traffic, no endless notifications—only the …
Start Your Professional Diving Career at Oceans 5 Gili Air If you are searching for the best Divemaster internship on Gili Air, you are probably looking for much more than a certification. You want to become a confident dive professional, improve your diving skills, gain real-world …
If you are searching for the best diving Gili Air experience, you have come to the right place. Located just off the northwest coast of Lombok, Gili Air is one of Indonesia’s most beautiful tropical islands and is internationally known for its crystal-clear waters, healthy coral reefs, and incredible marine life.
Whether you are taking your first breath underwater or you are an experienced diver looking for exciting drift dives, diving Gili Air offers something for everyone.
Many visitors planning a diving holiday in Indonesia compare Bali with Gili Air. While both destinations offer fantastic diving, they provide very different experiences.
Bali is famous for its diverse dive sites, including steep walls, large wrecks, mola mola (seasonally), and manta rays. However, many dive sites require long car journeys followed by boat rides. Depending on where you stay, reaching your dive destination can take several hours.
Water temperatures can also be much colder, especially around Nusa Penida, where temperatures can drop to around 20–24°C during certain seasons.
Gili Air offers something completely different.
Everything is close together. Within just a few minutes by boat, you can reach dozens of beautiful dive sites around Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan.
The water is warm year-round, usually between 28°C and 30°C, making every dive comfortable without needing thick exposure suits.
After your dive, you’re back on the island enjoying lunch, relaxing on the beach, or watching the sunset instead of spending hours in traffic.
For many divers, that relaxed island atmosphere is exactly what makes diving Gili Air so special.
The reefs around Gili Air are among the healthiest in the region and are home to an amazing variety of marine life.
The Gili Islands are probably most famous for their sea turtles.
It is common to see multiple green turtles and hawksbill turtles during a single dive. Some turtles have become regular residents of specific dive sites and are well known by local dive guides.
One of the highlights of diving around Gili Air is spotting juvenile white-tip reef sharks and black-tip reef sharks, especially around Shark Point.
These elegant predators are shy, beautiful to watch, and completely natural residents of the reef.
Healthy hard corals, soft corals, sea fans, sponges, and countless tropical reef fish create vibrant underwater landscapes that are perfect for both photographers and recreational divers.
If you enjoy looking for the small things, Gili Air is a paradise.
You may discover:
Every dive reveals something different.
As the name suggests, this site is famous for its reef sharks, but that’s only part of the attraction.
Shark Point also features the Glenn Nusa Wreck, an artificial reef that has quickly become home to schools of fish, turtles, and beautiful coral growth.
Often described as swimming through a giant aquarium, Halik Reef offers healthy coral gardens packed with reef fish.
Its gentle drift makes it suitable for many certification levels while still exciting experienced divers.
Hans Reef has become one of the favorite dive sites for turtle lovers.
Large green turtles are commonly seen resting, feeding, or swimming slowly over the reef.
For underwater photographers, Hans Reef provides endless opportunities.
Gili Air has managed to preserve the relaxed island atmosphere that many travelers are searching for.
There are no cars or motorbikes.
Instead, transportation is by bicycle, horse cart, or simply walking.
The island combines beautiful white beaches, excellent restaurants, cozy cafés, yoga studios, stunning sunsets, and world-class scuba diving.
Unlike larger tourist destinations, Gili Air still feels peaceful while offering everything visitors need for a perfect diving holiday.
It is this balance between nature, relaxation, and adventure that keeps divers returning year after year.
Absolutely.
The calm conditions, warm water, excellent visibility, and shallow reefs make Gili Air one of Indonesia’s best places to learn scuba diving.
If you have never dived before, you can start with an introductory dive or complete your Open Water Diver course while exploring some of Indonesia’s most beautiful coral reefs.
More experienced divers can enjoy drift dives, deep dives, wreck dives, night dives, underwater photography, and numerous specialty courses.
Choosing the right dive centre can make all the difference to your diving holiday.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe that great diving is about much more than simply receiving a certification.
Here is why divers from around the world choose us:
Whether you are making your very first dive or taking the next step in your professional diving career, Oceans 5 Gili Air provides the experience, facilities, and personal attention to help you become a better diver.
There are many places to dive in Indonesia, but few combine warm water, incredible marine life, beautiful coral reefs, easy access to dive sites, and a relaxed tropical island atmosphere like Gili Air.
From turtles and reef sharks to colorful coral gardens and exciting drift dives, diving Gili Air is an unforgettable experience for divers of every level.
If you’re looking for a dive centre that values safety, quality, conservation, and personal service, Oceans 5 Gili Air is ready to welcome you to one of Indonesia’s most spectacular underwater playgrounds.
Let’s Debunk the Biggest Myths One of the most common questions we hear from Divemasters considering the next step in their diving career is: “Am I ready for the Instructor Course?” Unfortunately, many Divemasters are held back by misconceptions and advice that is often based …
Experienced Divers: What’s the ONE Piece of Advice You Wish Someone Had Given You When You Started Diving? Every diver remembers that first breath underwater. The excitement, the nerves, and the feeling of entering a completely different world. But if you ask experienced divers what …
Visitors often ask us where they should eat on Gili Air. While the island has plenty of international restaurants and cafés, the real flavors of Gili Air are found in the local warungs where island residents eat every day.
So we asked some of the Oceans 5 staff a simple question:
“What is your favorite local meal on Gili Air?”
The answers show just how diverse and delicious the local food scene really is.
Yunus doesn’t hesitate when asked about his favorite meal. For him, it’s the famous Ayam Geprek at Warung Muslim.
What makes it special? The crispy fried chicken is covered with a spicy sambal that will definitely wake up your taste buds. Add plenty of fresh vegetables and delicious fried eggplant, and you have the perfect Indonesian meal.
“The spicier, the better!” says Yunus.
Yani’s favorite is Nasi Campur from Warung Parida.
The beauty of Nasi Campur is the variety. Every plate can be different, with a selection of vegetables, meats, fish, tempeh, tofu, and other Indonesian specialties.
Yani loves having so many choices and appreciates the large selection of vegetables available every day.
For Ziki, nothing beats a giant plate of Nasi Goreng from ZzZ Warung.
The portions are big, the flavors are rich, and the spice level is exactly how he likes it. After a long day of diving around the Gili Islands, a large plate of fried rice is the perfect reward.
Yudi’s favorite meal is another Lombok classic: Nasi Puyung from Warung Muslim.
This traditional Lombok dish combines rice with spicy shredded chicken, peanuts, and sambal. Simple ingredients, but packed with flavor.
If you want to try authentic Lombok cuisine, Nasi Puyung is a great place to start.
For Dul, comfort food means one thing: Bakso from Warung Pong, located right in front of Oceans 5.
This Indonesian meatball soup is a national favorite, and according to Dul, Warung Pong serves one of the best versions on Gili Air.
Warm, filling, affordable, and perfect after a dive.
For Oceans 5 owner Sander, the winner is Nasi Kuning at the harbor near the jetty.
Served fresh every morning, this Indonesian yellow rice dish is packed with flavor and accompanied by a variety of side dishes. Watching the boats arrive and depart while enjoying breakfast at the harbor is one of the simple pleasures of island life.
According to Sander:
“The best Nasi Kuning on Gili Air is found right at the harbor.”
What’s interesting is that no two staff members chose exactly the same meal.
Some prefer spicy chicken, others fried rice, meatball soup, Nasi Campur, Nasi Puyung, or Nasi Kuning. Different dishes, different warungs, different flavors.
And that is exactly what makes Gili Air special.
Whether you’re staying at Oceans 5, learning to dive, joining a Divemaster internship, or completing your SSI Instructor Course, take some time to explore the local warungs. The island may be small, but its food scene is surprisingly diverse.
Gili Air is not only a paradise for diving—it is also a paradise for local food. 🌶️🍛🏝️🍜🇮🇩
Learn to dive One of the most common questions we receive at Oceans 5 Gili Air is: “Can I learn to dive in just 3 days?” The simple answer is yes, you can. The SSI Open Water Diver course is designed so that most people can …