SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
Become an SSI Dive Instructor Already a dive instructor with another training agency and thinking about adding SSI to your professional qualifications? This August, Oceans 5 Gili Air is offering a special opportunity. Starting 20 August 2026, Oceans 5 Gili Air will organize a special 10-day SSI …
Diving for Everyone For many people, scuba diving looks like an activity reserved for athletes, adventurous travelers, or people in perfect physical condition. Movies often portray diving as an extreme sport involving sharks, deep wrecks, or dangerous caves. As a result, one of the most …
When you join a dive at Oceans 5 Gili Air, one thing immediately stands out: every certified diver is guided by a local Indonesian SSI Divemaster. This is not a coincidence, nor is it simply a company preference. It is a conscious decision based on three important principles: complying with Indonesian law, supporting the local community, and providing guests with highly trained professionals who know the Gili Islands better than anyone else.
Many visitors to Indonesia are surprised to learn that foreign dive guides are generally not permitted to work as recreational dive guides. While foreign instructors can obtain the correct permits to teach scuba diving courses, Indonesian immigration and manpower regulations do not provide a work permit specifically for foreigners to work as recreational dive guides.[1][2] As a result, responsible dive centers follow these regulations by employing qualified Indonesian Divemasters to guide certified divers.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we have embraced this philosophy from the very beginning. Every guide is an Indonesian SSI Divemaster who has completed extensive professional training, knows the local environment intimately, and plays an important role in protecting the marine ecosystem surrounding Gili Air.
Some dive centers around the world use experienced recreational divers or Divemaster trainees to guide certified divers. At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe every guide should be a certified dive professional.
An SSI Divemaster is not simply someone with many logged dives. Becoming a Divemaster requires completing a professional-level training program that includes:
By completing this training, SSI Divemasters become capable of supervising certified divers safely while creating enjoyable underwater experiences.
Our guests can therefore relax knowing that every guided dive is led by a trained professional who meets international SSI professional standards.[3]
The Gili Islands are famous for their crystal-clear water, turtles, coral reefs and drift dives. However, currents around Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan can change significantly throughout the day.
Local Divemasters understand:
Many of our Divemasters have spent hundreds—often thousands—of dives in these waters.
That experience simply cannot be replaced by reading a dive map.
Because they grew up in the area or have worked here for many years, they know where turtles usually sleep, where juvenile reef sharks can be found, when certain macro species appear, and how changing currents influence each dive site.
Tourism should benefit the people who live where tourism takes place.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we strongly believe that local people should have opportunities to build long-term careers within the dive industry.
Employing local Divemasters means:
Many of our Divemasters started as beginner divers before progressing through Open Water Diver, Advanced Adventurer, Rescue Diver and finally Divemaster.
Several have continued their education to become SSI Open Water Instructors and now teach new generations of divers.
Occasionally guests ask:
“Why is our dive guide Indonesian while the instructor teaching a course may be from another country?”
The answer lies in Indonesian immigration and manpower regulations.
Foreign nationals can obtain the appropriate work permits for specific professional positions, such as scuba instructor or instructor trainer, provided all legal requirements are met.[1][2]
However, guiding certified recreational divers is considered a position intended for Indonesian workers, and there is no standard work permit category allowing foreigners to work solely as dive guides.
This regulation has two important goals:
Responsible dive centres respect these regulations rather than attempting to circumvent them.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, compliance with Indonesian law is a fundamental part of how we operate.
This does not mean foreign professionals cannot work in Indonesian diving.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, our international SSI instructors focus on what they are specifically qualified and permitted to do:
Once divers are certified, they are guided by our experienced Indonesian SSI Divemasters.
This creates a professional division of responsibilities while fully respecting Indonesian regulations.
Some visitors initially assume they would prefer a guide from their own country.
After a few dives, most discover the opposite.
Our local Divemasters often know every rock, coral bommie and cleaning station on each dive site.
They know where turtles usually rest.
They know where frogfish hide.
They know where octopus emerge during different tides.
They know how to avoid stronger currents while still visiting the most exciting parts of a reef.
This local knowledge creates safer and more enjoyable dives.
Another important advantage at Oceans 5 Gili Air is our commitment to small dive groups.
Rather than placing large numbers of divers together, we organise groups according to:
This allows our Divemasters to focus on every diver while protecting the reef and ensuring everyone enjoys the dive at a comfortable pace.
Our Divemasters are also ambassadors for marine conservation.
During every dive they encourage responsible underwater behaviour, including:
These practices help protect the reefs surrounding Gili Air for future generations.
Many of our Divemasters also participate in beach clean-ups, reef conservation initiatives and marine education programs organised by Oceans 5 Gili Air.
One of the things we are most proud of is helping Indonesian divers become dive professionals.
Many talented young Indonesians dream of working in the dive industry but cannot afford the tuition required for professional training.
To help overcome this barrier, Oceans 5 Gili Air offers a unique opportunity.
Indonesian citizens who meet the entry requirements can join our SSI Divemaster Internship without paying course tuition.
Applicants must:
Instead of paying course fees, candidates only cover the mandatory SSI professional costs:
This allows aspiring professionals to receive comprehensive training while keeping the financial barrier as low as possible.
Throughout the internship, candidates develop real-world experience by working alongside our instructional team, assisting courses, guiding under supervision, improving dive skills, learning equipment maintenance, enhancing customer service, and gaining the confidence needed for a successful career in the diving industry.
Many graduates continue into the SSI Instructor Training Course and go on to work throughout Indonesia and internationally.
Indonesia is home to some of the world’s richest marine biodiversity. Developing local dive professionals helps ensure that this incredible natural heritage is protected by the people who know it best.
By investing in Indonesian Divemasters today, we are investing in the future of sustainable diving.
Our professional training philosophy focuses not only on producing excellent dive leaders but also on developing future instructors, conservation advocates and ambassadors for Indonesia’s underwater world.
When you dive with Oceans 5 Gili Air, you are diving with professionals who combine internationally recognised SSI training with local knowledge that can only come from years of experience in the Gili Islands.
Our certified Indonesian Divemasters know these reefs intimately, understand the changing conditions, care deeply about protecting the marine environment, and are passionate about sharing the beauty of Gili Air with divers from around the world.
For us, employing local SSI Divemasters is about much more than following regulations. It is about creating opportunities, supporting the community, protecting Indonesia’s reefs, and delivering the safest and most enjoyable diving experience possible.
Whether you are joining your first fun dive after certification or returning for another unforgettable underwater adventure, you can be confident that you are in capable hands.
Yes. Every guide leading certified divers is a fully certified SSI Divemaster or higher-level SSI professional.
Indonesian immigration and manpower regulations reserve recreational dive guiding positions for Indonesian citizens. Oceans 5 fully complies with these regulations by employing qualified local professionals.[1][2]
In general, foreigners cannot obtain a standard work permit solely to work as recreational dive guides. Foreign professionals may work in other approved roles, such as scuba instructors, if they meet all legal requirements.[1][2]
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, hold a Rescue Diver certification (or equivalent), have a minimum of 40 logged dives, and meet the medical requirements for professional diving.
Course tuition is free for eligible Indonesian citizens. Candidates only pay the mandatory SSI Digital Learning Kit and SSI Professional Membership fees.
Yes. Many of our Divemaster graduates continue into the SSI Instructor Training Course and build successful careers in the diving industry.
Because every dive is led by experienced local SSI Divemasters, groups are kept small, safety standards are high, and guests benefit from exceptional local knowledge of the Gili Islands.
If you are an Indonesian citizen with a Rescue Diver certification and at least 40 logged dives, we’d love to hear from you.
For more information about our Free SSI Divemaster Internship, contact Oceans 5 Gili Air:
WhatsApp: +62 853 3339 7823
Email: [email protected]
Becoming a Divemaster is much more than collecting a professional certification. It is about developing the confidence, experience, and knowledge to guide certified divers safely in a wide range of underwater environments. While the Divemaster internship itself provides an enormous amount of practical experience, combining …
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. …
Starts: 20 August
Instructor Trainer: Warren “Waz” Beyers
Location: 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 5 Gili Air is offering a special 10-day SSI Instructor Crossover Course. It is the fastest way to become an SSI Open Water Instructor while learning one of the world’s fastest-growing scuba training systems.[1][2]
Even better, you can join one week of free diving before the course starts, allowing you to become familiar with the dive sites, currents, procedures and the Oceans 5 team before your crossover begins.
If you’ve been thinking about expanding your career opportunities, there has never been a better time.
The scuba industry has changed enormously during the last decade. Dive centres around the world are increasingly choosing SSI because of its flexible teaching philosophy, modern digital learning platform and strong support for dive professionals.[1][2]
As an instructor, becoming agency-independent makes you considerably more employable. Many dive centres today prefer instructors who can teach multiple training systems or specifically require SSI instructors.
An SSI crossover is not about saying one organisation is better than another. It is about giving yourself more career opportunities.
Whether you dream of working in Indonesia, Thailand, the Maldives, Egypt, the Caribbean or Australia, having an SSI instructor certification opens many additional doors.[2]
Timing is everything.
Every year, hundreds of dive centres prepare for upcoming high seasons by recruiting new instructors. Completing your crossover now means you’ll be ready before many recruitment periods begin.[2]
Indonesia in particular has seen a huge increase in SSI dive centres over recent years. The Gili Islands themselves have become one of the strongest SSI communities in Southeast Asia.
Instead of waiting until you need an SSI certification for a job, why not get certified before the opportunity arrives?
Choosing where you complete your instructor crossover matters.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, instructor development isn’t about simply passing an Instructor Evaluation. It’s about becoming a better educator, safer diver and more employable professional.
Unlike large instructor factories, Oceans 5 limits professional courses to small groups. This gives every candidate plenty of individual coaching and personal feedback throughout the course.
You won’t disappear into a class of twenty instructor candidates.
Instead, you’ll work closely with SSI Instructor Trainer Warren “Waz” Beyers, who will personally guide you through every aspect of the crossover.
Oceans 5 has been training dive professionals for over 16 years.
During that time, thousands of divers have completed recreational and professional training at the centre, while numerous Divemasters and Instructors have started successful careers throughout the diving industry.
The experience of the teaching team allows them to focus on much more than simply completing standards.
Many instructor programmes focus almost entirely on preparing candidates to pass the examination.
At Oceans 5, the emphasis is different.
The course concentrates on:
These are the skills employers actually look for.
One of the biggest advantages of this crossover programme is the opportunity to dive free for one week before the course starts.
This allows you to:
By the first day of the course, you’ll already feel part of the team.
SSI has become one of the world’s leading diver training organisations by combining modern technology with flexible education.[1]
Every student receives digital learning materials that can be accessed from almost any device.
For instructors, this means:
SSI also allows instructors to teach through affiliated dive centres with strong quality assurance and educational support.[1][2]
Start Date: 20 August
Duration: 10 Days
Instructor Trainer: Warren “Waz” Beyers
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| SSI Instructor Crossover Course | €750 |
| SSI Open Water Instructor Digital Learning | IDR 6,000,000 |
| SSI Professional Registration & Initial Year Membership | IDR 2,000,000 |
| Instructor Package | IDR 1,000,000 |
| Instructor Evaluation (IE) Fee | €550 |
Bonus: Free diving for one week before the course.
During the crossover you will learn:
The Gili Islands are famous for calm conditions, warm water, excellent visibility and abundant marine life.[3]
During your training you can expect to see:
Outside the classroom, Gili Air offers relaxed cafés, beachfront restaurants, live music and one of Indonesia’s most enjoyable island lifestyles.
It is a fantastic place to spend ten days improving your career.
An instructor certification is more than another card in your wallet.
It is an investment in your future.
Whether you want to work around the world, teach more students or simply expand your professional qualifications, becoming an SSI Instructor gives you another valuable opportunity.
With experienced coaching, small groups, free diving before the course and one of Indonesia’s most respected professional training centres, this crossover programme offers outstanding value.
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment…
This is it.
Any active scuba instructor from another recognised recreational training organisation who meets SSI crossover prerequisites.
The crossover lasts 10 days, significantly shorter than the standard 16-day SSI Instructor Training Course.
The course is conducted by SSI Instructor Trainer Warren “Waz” Beyers.
The crossover training itself and one week of free diving before the course.
SSI digital materials, professional registration, instructor package and the Instructor Evaluation fee are separate costs.
SSI combines flexible digital education, high-quality teaching materials, strong dive centre support and continuous instructor development, making it attractive for both dive centres and instructors.[1][2]
Because of its experienced training team, personalised coaching, small instructor groups, excellent facilities, and over 16 years of professional diver education.
Once you successfully complete the Instructor Evaluation, activate your professional membership and affiliate with an SSI Dive Centre, you can teach SSI programmes in accordance with SSI standards.[1]
Contact Oceans 5 Gili Air:
WhatsApp: +62 853 3339 7823
Email: [email protected]
Places are limited to ensure every candidate receives individual attention.
[1] SSI (Scuba Schools International). SSI Training Standards & Professional Programmes.
[2] SSI. Professional Pathways, Instructor Training and Digital Learning Resources.
[3] Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) & Gili Matra Marine Recreation Park information on the Gili Islands’ marine environment and protected waters.
SSI Instructor Training Course at Oceans 5 Gili Air 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). …
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 …
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 from the age of 10.
The SSI Open Water Diver course is designed to introduce young divers to the underwater world in a safe, fun, and educational way. Our experienced instructors work in small groups, giving every student the attention they need to build confidence and develop their diving skills.
Safety always comes first. The course is adapted to the student’s age and experience, ensuring that every child learns at a comfortable pace while having an unforgettable adventure.
The Gili Islands are one of the best places in the world to learn how to dive. The warm tropical water, excellent visibility, and calm conditions create the ideal environment for beginners.
Our dive sites are suitable for divers of all ages and experience levels. Whether you’re 10 years old or 70, you’ll find beautiful coral reefs and incredible marine life just a short boat ride from Oceans 5.
What makes learning to dive even more exciting? Seeing your favourite movie characters in real life!
During your Open Water course, there’s a great chance you’ll encounter:
For many children, spotting Nemo and Dory underwater is a magical moment that they’ll never forget. It’s one thing to watch them in a movie, but it’s something completely different to see them in their natural habitat.
And of course, the Gili Islands are also famous for their friendly sea turtles, making almost every dive a memorable experience.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe every student deserves personal attention. That’s why we teach our Open Water courses in small groups with a maximum of four students per instructor. This allows our instructors to focus on every diver’s comfort, safety, and progress throughout the course.
Scuba diving is a skill that can last a lifetime, and there’s no need to wait until you’re an adult to discover the underwater world. If you’re 10 years or older, you can already become an SSI Open Water Diver and begin exploring the amazing reefs around the Gili Islands.
Who knows? Your very first dive could include swimming alongside turtles, finding Nemo, and spotting Dory among the coral.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, your underwater adventure starts earlier than you might think!
The Turtle Capital of the World 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, …