SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
Take Your Diving Beyond the Recreational Limits For many scuba divers, earning an Open Water certification is just the beginning of an incredible underwater journey. After completing Advanced Adventurer, Deep Diving, Nitrox, or Rescue Diver, many divers start wondering what lies beyond the recreational limits. …
Special Instructor Crossover Course Starts: 20 AugustInstructor Trainer: Warren “Waz” BeyersLocation: Oceans 5 Gili Air, Indonesia Already a certified dive instructor with another training agency? Then this course has been designed specifically for you. Instead of completing the full 16-day Instructor Training Course (ITC), Oceans …
Choosing where to complete your Instructor Training Course (ITC) is one of the most important decisions of your diving career. Becoming an SSI Open Water Instructor is about much more than passing an Instructor Evaluation (IE). It’s about developing the confidence, teaching ability, leadership, and professionalism to inspire the next generation of divers.
Indonesia has many excellent dive centres offering instructor training, but not all Instructor Training Courses are created equal. The quality of your education depends on the experience of your Instructor Trainers, the amount of individual coaching you receive, the facilities you train in, and how well the course prepares you for a real career in diving.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we’ve built our SSI Instructor Training Course around one simple philosophy:
We don’t just train candidates to pass the Instructor Evaluation—we train instructors that dive centres want to hire. [1][2]
The SSI Instructor Evaluation lasts only two days.
Your career as a dive instructor may last twenty years.
While many ITCs understandably focus on helping candidates pass the evaluation, we believe the real objective is preparing you for the thousands of students you’ll teach afterwards.
During our 16-day Instructor Training Course you continually practise:
Everything is repeated, analysed and improved through continuous coaching until teaching becomes natural and confident. [1][2]
Educational research consistently shows that students learn faster when they receive regular, individual feedback. [3]
That’s exactly why we limit every SSI Instructor Training Course to a maximum of six candidates.
Instead of competing for an Instructor Trainer’s attention, every candidate receives:
Every future instructor develops differently. Small groups allow us to adapt our coaching to each individual rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. [2]
Your learning environment matters.
Oceans 5 Gili Air was designed specifically for diver education.
Our facilities include:
Unlike centres where recreational courses compete for pool space, our facilities provide plenty of room to practise skills repeatedly without interruption. [2]
The Gili Islands are one of the world’s best places to learn how to teach diving.
Instructor candidates experience:
Rather than training only in ideal conditions, candidates learn how to adapt to changing situations—exactly what professional instructors do every day.
This practical experience builds confidence that cannot be learned in the classroom alone.
One of the biggest influences on your future career is the quality of your Instructor Trainers.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, candidates are coached by experienced SSI Instructor Trainers who have trained numerous dive professionals over the years.
Instead of simply following a manual, they share practical knowledge gained from thousands of dives and years of teaching experience.
Topics include:
This practical mentoring prepares candidates for life after the Instructor Evaluation. [2]
A well-organised instructor is usually a safe instructor.
One subject we place great emphasis on is organisation.
Throughout the ITC you learn how to:
Good organisation reduces stress, increases safety and creates a better experience for every student.
It is also one of the first things employers notice when hiring instructors.
Passing the Instructor Evaluation is only the beginning.
Finding a job—and keeping it—is the next challenge.
Throughout the course we discuss:
Many graduates also choose to complete an instructor internship after the ITC, allowing them to gain valuable real-world teaching experience before starting their first professional position.
Today’s divers increasingly expect their instructors to care about marine conservation.
At Oceans 5, environmental awareness is integrated into our professional training.
Our team actively participates in:
We believe every professional instructor should leave the ocean in a better condition than they found it.
Becoming a dive professional is an investment in your future.
The SSI education system provides an internationally recognised instructor qualification while remaining competitively priced compared with many equivalent professional programmes.
Rather than simply selling a certification, we invest our time in developing confident instructors who are ready for the global diving industry. [1][2]
A successful Instructor Training Course isn’t built overnight.
For many years Oceans 5 Gili Air has focused on developing professional divers through small groups, personalised coaching and high educational standards.
Our graduates work throughout Indonesia and around the world.
What makes us proud isn’t how many instructors we certify.
It’s hearing from dive centre managers that our graduates arrive confident, organised, professional and ready to teach.
That is ultimately the goal of every Instructor Training Course.
If your dream is to turn your passion for diving into a career, choosing the right Instructor Training Course is one of the most important investments you’ll ever make.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air you’ll receive:
Whether you plan to work in Indonesia, Thailand, the Maldives, Australia, the Caribbean or anywhere else in the world, the skills you develop during your SSI Instructor Training Course will stay with you throughout your career.
The next SSI Instructor Training Course starts soon, and places are limited to ensure every candidate receives personal attention.
For more information:
📱 WhatsApp: +62 853 3339 7823
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.oceans5dive.com
Take the next step and become the instructor you’ve always wanted to be.
The SSI Instructor Training Course lasts 16 days, followed by the 2-day SSI Instructor Evaluation (IE). During the course you’ll develop classroom teaching skills, confined water presentations, open water teaching techniques, rescue skills, risk management and professional diving knowledge.
Yes. Oceans 5 welcomes Divemasters from recognised training agencies. You’ll complete the required SSI crossover preparation before starting the Instructor Training Course, ensuring you’re fully familiar with SSI standards and teaching philosophy.
Candidates choose Oceans 5 because of:
After successfully passing the Instructor Evaluation, many graduates continue with an instructor internship at Oceans 5 to gain additional teaching experience. Others begin working immediately at dive centres around the world, using the practical skills and confidence developed during the course.
[1] SSI International. SSI Professional Training Standards and Instructor Training Course Standards. Available through the SSI Professional Portal: https://my.divessi.com
[2] Oceans 5 Gili Air. SSI Instructor Training Course. https://www.oceans5dive.com/ssi-instructor-training-course/
[3] Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Routledge. (Demonstrates the importance of regular feedback and personalised coaching in education.)
The Perfect Addition to Your Gili Air Holiday Many visitors come to Indonesia dreaming about white sandy beaches, crystal-clear water, and unforgettable scuba diving. While the Gili Islands are famous for exactly that, there is another destination that deserves a place on your itinerary: Lombok. Combining …
Open Water Course Many people think that you have to be an adult, or at least 12 years old, before you can learn to scuba dive. The good news is that this isn’t true. At Oceans 5 Gili Air, children can start their SSI Open Water Diver course …
If you ask divers why they love the Gili Islands, chances are that one of the first things they will mention is the turtles. Whether you are snorkeling from the beach or exploring deeper reefs on a scuba dive, seeing sea turtles is almost an everyday experience. This is why many visitors have started calling the Gili Islands the Turtle Capital of the World.
But what makes these three small islands so special?
The waters around Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan are home to two species of sea turtles:
It is not unusual to see several turtles during a single dive. On some dive sites, divers may encounter five, ten, or even more turtles in one dive.
The Gili Islands offer almost everything sea turtles need to thrive.
Healthy coral reefs provide shelter and feeding grounds for juvenile and adult turtles. The reefs around the islands include shallow coral gardens, reef slopes, and deeper walls, giving turtles plenty of habitat.
Green Sea Turtles are herbivores as adults and feed mainly on seagrass. The extensive seagrass beds surrounding the islands are one of the reasons why so many green turtles choose to stay in the area.
With water temperatures ranging between 26°C and 30°C throughout the year, turtles can remain active in every season. Unlike many destinations where turtle sightings are seasonal, the Gili Islands offer excellent chances of seeing turtles all year round.
The Gili Islands are part of the Gili Matra Marine Recreation Park, a protected marine area managed by the Indonesian government.
Although challenges remain, marine protection has helped preserve important turtle habitats. Regulations on fishing, marine conservation initiatives, coral restoration projects, and increasing environmental awareness all contribute to maintaining healthy ecosystems where turtles can survive.
Many local dive centres, conservation organisations, universities, and volunteers also participate in reef monitoring, beach clean-ups, marine education, and scientific research.
One of the unique aspects of diving around the Gili Islands is that turtles can be found at almost every certification level.
Many snorkelers encounter turtles only a few metres from the beach, especially around Gili Air and Gili Meno.
Open Water students often see turtles during their very first ocean dives, creating unforgettable memories that inspire many to continue diving.
Advanced divers regularly encounter turtles while exploring drift dives, deep reefs, and wrecks. Watching a turtle effortlessly glide through the current is one of the highlights of diving in the Gilis.
Unlike many destinations where turtles quickly swim away, the turtles around the Gili Islands often appear calm and relaxed.
This is largely because:
Giving turtles enough space allows them to behave naturally, making encounters more enjoyable for both divers and the animals.
Being known as the Turtle Capital of the World also brings responsibility.
Sea turtles still face many threats, including:
Everyone visiting the islands can help by avoiding touching turtles, maintaining good buoyancy while diving, reducing plastic waste, and choosing environmentally responsible dive operators.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, turtle encounters are part of everyday diving. Whether you are trying scuba diving for the first time, completing your Open Water Course, or joining guided fun dives, there is an excellent chance you’ll meet one or more sea turtles.
Our experienced instructors and divemasters focus on small dive groups, excellent buoyancy control, and environmentally responsible diving practices. We believe the best turtle encounters happen when the animals are allowed to behave naturally in their own environment.
Every dive is an opportunity not only to admire these incredible animals but also to understand why protecting the reefs around the Gili Islands is so important.
The title isn’t official, but after just one day in the water around Gili Air, Gili Meno, or Gili Trawangan, it’s easy to understand why so many divers use it.
With warm tropical waters, healthy reefs, abundant seagrass, protected marine habitats, and turtle sightings that are possible almost every day of the year, the Gili Islands have earned a reputation as one of the best places on Earth to see sea turtles.
If seeing turtles in their natural habitat is on your diving bucket list, few destinations can match what the Gili Islands have to offer.
Why Bigger Doesn’t Mean Busier High Season Has Arrived on Gili Air Every year, when high season arrives on Gili Air, the atmosphere changes. The island becomes livelier, divers arrive from all over the world, our boats head out several times a day, and every …
The Next Generation of Indonesian Marine Scientists Indonesia is home to the world’s largest archipelago, stretching across more than 17,000 islands. It is a country blessed with extraordinary marine biodiversity, vibrant coral reefs, thousands of fish species, sea turtles, sharks, manta rays, and countless other …
The Gili Islands have become one of Indonesia’s most popular scuba diving destinations, and it’s easy to understand why. Every year thousands of divers, from complete beginners to experienced technical divers, visit Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan to experience warm tropical waters, healthy coral reefs, and an incredible variety of marine life.
But what makes diving around the Gili Islands so special? We asked some of the instructors, divemasters, and dive professionals at Oceans 5 Gili Air why they enjoy diving here every single day.
For Tegar, one of the biggest attractions is the underwater scenery.
“The diving is amazing because of the beautiful coral reefs and underwater topography.”
The reefs surrounding the Gili Islands offer an impressive variety of hard and soft corals. Sloping reefs, coral gardens, walls, sandy patches, and artificial reefs create different environments that keep every dive interesting. Whether you’re exploring colorful coral formations or drifting over healthy reef systems, every dive offers something different.
Esmee enjoys the comfortable diving conditions.
“The water is warm, the currents are generally mild, and I love the relaxed drift dives.”
Water temperatures usually range between 28°C and 30°C throughout most of the year, making diving comfortable with minimal thermal protection. Many dive sites feature gentle currents that allow divers to simply relax and enjoy the reef while drifting along with the water.
Ary believes one of the greatest strengths of the Gili Islands is the variety of dive sites.
“There are dive sites suitable for every type of diver.”
Whether you’re taking your first breaths underwater during an SSI Open Water Course, completing your Advanced Adventurer course, or exploring deeper sites as an experienced diver, there is always an appropriate dive location.
Beginners can enjoy calm, shallow reefs filled with marine life, while experienced divers can explore deeper pinnacles, drift dives, wrecks, and macro sites.
May has a simple reason why she loves diving around the Gili Islands.
“I can see lots of Nemo!”
Clownfish are among the most popular marine animals for new divers. Throughout the reefs surrounding the Gili Islands, many different anemones are home to these colourful little fish, making them one of the easiest and most enjoyable species to spot.
Another reason May enjoys diving here is that the dive sites often feel spacious.
“The dive sites are not crowded.”
Although the Gili Islands are famous worldwide, there are many dive sites spread around the three islands. Good dive planning allows divers to enjoy the reefs without feeling surrounded by large groups underwater.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we further improve the experience by keeping our dive groups small, allowing everyone to enjoy the reef at a comfortable pace.
For Ziki, the marine life is what keeps every dive exciting.
“There are no crazy currents, and you can see sharks, clownfish, turtles, and so much more.”
Green turtles and hawksbill turtles are seen almost daily around the islands. Divers also regularly encounter blacktip reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, moray eels, octopus, stingrays, cuttlefish, schools of reef fish, and countless reef species.
Every dive is different, which makes each trip underwater unique.
Ono enjoys one dive site in particular.
“I love diving the wrecks.”
The famous Glenn Nusa wreck has become one of the highlights of diving around the Gili Islands. Originally intentionally sunk as an artificial reef, it has developed into a thriving ecosystem covered in corals and home to countless marine species. It’s also an excellent location for divers interested in wreck diving and advanced training.
Yunus prefers to look for the small things.
“I love the macro dive sites.”
Not every exciting dive is about large animals. The reefs around the Gili Islands are home to an incredible variety of small marine creatures, including nudibranchs, shrimp, crabs, pipefish, frogfish, and many other fascinating species. Macro photographers can spend an entire dive searching for these hidden treasures.
Alex appreciates how quickly divers reach the dive sites.
“You don’t spend a long time on the boat before diving.”
Most dive sites are only a short boat ride from Oceans 5 Gili Air. Instead of spending hours travelling offshore, divers can quickly arrive at the reef, enjoy their dives, and return to relax at the resort.
This means more time enjoying your holiday and less time travelling.
For Tama, the people make the difference.
“Very good divemasters and instructors at Oceans 5 Gili Air.”
Even the most beautiful dive site becomes more enjoyable when guided by experienced professionals. At Oceans 5 Gili Air, safety, small dive groups, and high-quality briefings are central to every dive. Our experienced instructors and divemasters know the local dive sites inside out and enjoy sharing the incredible underwater world with every guest.
The Gili Islands combine warm tropical water, healthy coral reefs, abundant marine life, excellent visibility, relaxed drift dives, wreck diving, macro photography, and dive sites suitable for every certification level. Add short boat rides, professional dive guides, and a welcoming atmosphere, and it’s easy to understand why so many divers return year after year.
Whether you’re making your very first dive, completing an SSI course, searching for turtles, exploring the Glenn Nusa wreck, or photographing tiny macro creatures, the Gili Islands offer unforgettable diving experiences.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we’re proud to share these incredible dive sites with divers from all over the world. Come and discover why so many people fall in love with diving around the Gili Islands.
Become a Confident Dive Professional Start Your Professional Diving Career with Oceans 5 Gili Air If your goal is to become a professional diver, choosing the right Divemaster program is one of the most important decisions you will make. At Oceans 5 Gili Air, our SSI …