SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
Marine Conservation 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 …
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 …
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.
But once we move from the swimming pool into the ocean, should we still teach this way?
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe we shouldn’t.
Our philosophy is straightforward: in the ocean, we teach scuba skills neutrally buoyant.
The swimming pool is a controlled training environment. We use it to introduce and practice skills and help students become comfortable underwater. But the ocean is different. Once we enter open water, we want our students to behave like divers.
Certified divers don’t normally swim to the bottom, kneel down, solve a problem, stand up again and continue their dive. They deal with situations while diving.
So why should we teach open-water skills differently?
There is another important reason behind our philosophy. Oceans 5 operates inside the Gili Matra Marine Conservation Area, surrounding Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
For us, the seafloor isn’t a classroom floor.
It is part of an ecosystem we have a responsibility to protect.
Many certified divers will recognize the traditional underwater classroom.
Students descend to the bottom and kneel in a semicircle around their instructor. The instructor demonstrates mask clearing, regulator recovery, air sharing or another skill. One by one, the students repeat it.
There are understandable reasons why this method became popular.
The bottom provides stability. Students don’t need to think as much about depth control while performing a new skill. The instructor can easily keep everyone together.
It makes teaching easier.
But there is an important question:
Does making something easier to teach automatically make it better training?
Once students become certified, we expect them to maintain neutral buoyancy, control their depth, stay with their buddy and avoid unnecessary contact with the underwater environment.
If those are the behaviors we want from certified divers, we believe those behaviors should already be encouraged during their open-water training.
At Oceans 5, we make an important distinction between confined-water training and training in the ocean.
The swimming pool is a controlled learning environment.
It is where students become familiar with scuba equipment, learn how breathing underwater feels and practice the different skills required during their course.
Depending on the exercise and stage of training, instructors can use the pool environment in the way that best supports the student.
We have two large training pools at Oceans 5, which gives our instructors plenty of space and allows students to practice without being rushed.
But once we enter the ocean, our philosophy changes.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, open-water skills are taught neutrally buoyant.
We don’t take students to the seafloor simply because it creates a convenient platform for performing skills.
The reason is simple.
The ocean is where students learn to become divers.
In the pool, we teach you the skills. In the ocean, we teach you to perform those skills while actually diving.
Imagine a student performing a mask-clearing exercise.
If the student is kneeling on the bottom, there is very little need to control depth. The bottom is doing that job.
Now imagine performing exactly the same exercise neutrally buoyant at 10 metres.
The student needs to clear the mask while continuing to breathe, maintain position, control depth and remain aware of the instructor and buddy.
That is much closer to what would happen during an actual dive.
The same principle applies to regulator recovery, air sharing and many other diving exercises.
At Oceans 5, we therefore don’t see buoyancy as something completely separate from the other skills.
Buoyancy is part of diving.
And once students are in the ocean, we want them to combine their skills with actual diving.
Does this mean an Oceans 5 student is never allowed to touch the bottom?
Of course not.
Students are learning.
Their buoyancy isn’t perfect yet. Sometimes they will descend too far. Sometimes they will become vertical. Sometimes a fin might touch the sand.
That is part of becoming a diver.
Safety also always comes first. An instructor may need to stabilize or assist a student.
There is an important difference between accidental contact while learning and deliberately taking an entire group to the seafloor because it is easier to conduct a lesson there.
Our objective isn’t to punish students for touching the bottom.
Our objective is to avoid teaching them that the bottom is the normal place to perform scuba skills.
This becomes especially important when we are diving inside a protected marine area.
Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan are surrounded by the Gili Matra Marine Conservation Area, managed within Indonesia’s national marine conservation framework.
The area contains coral reefs, seagrass habitats and an enormous diversity of marine life.
Some organisms are obvious.
Everyone recognizes a coral colony, turtle or large sea cucumber.
Others are much harder to see.
What appears to a diver to be an empty patch of sand can contain small organisms or form part of a much larger ecosystem.
This is why we don’t believe the ocean floor should automatically become a classroom just because it is convenient.
One group kneeling on a sandy area may appear harmless.
But multiply that behavior by thousands of students, hundreds of instructors and many years of dive tourism.
Small impacts can become cumulative impacts.
More importantly, training creates habits.
If divers learn from their first open-water dives that sitting on the bottom is normal, we shouldn’t be surprised when they continue doing it after certification.
Oceans 5 isn’t simply a dive center located next to some beautiful dive sites.
We operate inside a marine conservation area.
That creates responsibility.
The coral reefs, seagrass ecosystems, turtles, fish and other marine life around the Gili Islands are a major reason people travel here.
They are also an important part of the local tourism economy.
A dive center earns money because people want to experience this underwater environment.
We therefore believe protecting that environment cannot be separated from running a dive operation.
Conservation isn’t something that should happen only during an organized cleanup or special conservation day.
It should influence everyday decisions.
Where we take divers.
How we brief them.
How our guides behave.
How instructors demonstrate skills.
And how we teach students in open water.
Oceans 5 works together with BKKPN, the Indonesian government authority involved in managing and protecting the Gili Matra Marine Conservation Area.
This relationship has helped Oceans 5 become more involved in understanding what is actually happening underwater around the Gili Islands.
Marine conservation isn’t simply about telling divers:
“Don’t touch the coral.”
Real conservation requires much more.
It requires observation.
It requires data.
It requires research.
It requires long-term monitoring.
And it requires cooperation between government authorities, scientists, local communities, conservation organizations and tourism businesses.
Dive centers have an interesting position within this network.
We are underwater almost every day.
Our instructors and Divemasters see the reefs continuously.
We notice changes.
We see areas becoming healthier.
We can also see when something doesn’t look right.
That makes cooperation between dive operators and organizations responsible for marine management extremely valuable.
Oceans 5 also works closely with the University of Mataram (Universitas Mataram).
This relationship connects diving with marine science and education.
Marine-science students need more than classrooms and textbooks.
To understand marine ecosystems, they need access to the ocean.
They need to observe reefs.
They need to collect data.
They need practical experience.
But underwater research requires infrastructure.
Researchers may need boats, diving equipment, tanks, experienced divers and people with detailed knowledge of local conditions.
A professional dive center already has much of this infrastructure.
Oceans 5 believes that infrastructure can be used for more than tourism.
We can also use it to support science.
By supporting students and marine research, we help create stronger connections between tourism, education and conservation.
And we learn from them as well.
Scientists help us understand the environment we dive in every day.
That knowledge can then influence how we operate and how we educate our divers.
It creates a circle:
Science → Understanding → Conservation → Education → Better Divers → Less Impact
Our conservation philosophy also includes cooperation with Marine Conservation Indonesia and other organizations working to protect Indonesia’s marine ecosystems.
No single organization can protect a marine park on its own.
BKKPN has an important management role.
Universities provide scientific knowledge and research.
Conservation organizations can support monitoring, education and practical conservation activities.
Local communities have generations of knowledge and depend directly on healthy marine resources.
Tourism businesses interact with visitors and the marine environment every day.
Each has a different role.
The strongest conservation happens when these groups work together rather than separately.
Oceans 5 wants to be part of that cooperation.
Within the diving industry, conservation is sometimes treated as an additional activity.
First you learn to dive.
Later you might take a marine ecology specialty.
Maybe you participate in a beach cleanup.
Perhaps you join a coral restoration project.
Those activities are valuable, but we believe environmental responsibility should begin much earlier.
It should start during your first scuba course.
A diver doesn’t need to complete a marine ecology course before understanding that standing on coral isn’t acceptable.
A student shouldn’t need an advanced buoyancy course before discovering that controlling their position above the reef is important.
These behaviors should become part of normal diving from the beginning.
And instructors play an enormous role in creating them.
Students copy their instructors.
If an instructor kneels on the bottom, students learn that kneeling is normal.
If an instructor touches the reef unnecessarily, students see that behavior.
But if the instructor remains neutrally buoyant while demonstrating skills, students see something different.
They see what a diver should look like.
This philosophy becomes especially important during our SSI Instructor Training Courses at Oceans 5 Gili Air.
An instructor candidate isn’t simply learning for themselves.
They are learning how to teach hundreds or potentially thousands of future divers.
That means teaching habits multiply.
Imagine an instructor who teaches 500 Open Water students during a career.
Those 500 divers may dive all over the world.
Some may eventually become Divemasters.
Some may become instructors themselves.
They will take the habits they learned during their first courses with them.
This is why Oceans 5 places so much emphasis on realistic teaching during our SSI Instructor Training Courses.
In open water, our instructor candidates learn to teach skills neutrally buoyant.
We don’t want to train instructors simply to pass an Instructor Evaluation.
We want to prepare them for their future jobs.
Our instructor training is based around a simple question:
How would this situation happen during a real dive?
Take an out-of-air exercise.
In reality, an out-of-air situation probably isn’t going to happen while two divers are conveniently kneeling next to each other on a sandy bottom.
It could happen while swimming over a reef.
There may be current.
The divers need to communicate.
They need to establish an alternate air source.
They need to remain together.
They need to control their buoyancy.
And they need to deal with the situation safely.
That is what training should prepare divers for.
The same principle applies to many other skills.
We want training to resemble diving.
Not an underwater examination.
During our SSI Instructor Training Courses, Oceans 5 also uses video analysis.
Instructor candidates can watch themselves teaching.
Where were you positioned?
Could you see all your students?
Where was your Divemaster?
Did you maintain neutral buoyancy?
Were your students positioned correctly?
How did you react when something unexpected happened?
Did you actually solve the problem?
Seeing yourself on video can be very different from remembering what happened underwater.
Instead of an Instructor Trainer simply saying that someone’s positioning could have been better, the candidate can actually see it.
The objective isn’t to create a perfect demonstration purely for an evaluation.
The objective is to develop a better instructor.
Our neutral-buoyancy philosophy isn’t only about protecting the environment.
It is also about creating more capable divers.
A diver who can comfortably maintain depth has more mental capacity available to deal with other situations.
Imagine an unexpected problem at 15 metres.
The diver may need to communicate with a buddy, solve the problem, monitor depth, control breathing and maintain awareness of the surroundings.
If maintaining buoyancy already requires all of the diver’s attention, everything becomes more difficult.
Good buoyancy gives divers more capacity to think.
They aren’t constantly fighting to stay up or down.
They can concentrate on what is happening.
This is why buoyancy isn’t simply an environmental skill.
It is one of the foundations of good diving.
Yes.
Kneeling is easier.
And that is part of the reason it has been used for so long.
But we should ask another question:
Easier for whom?
Sometimes it is easier for the student.
But it can also be easier for the instructor.
A group sitting on the bottom is simple to organize.
Teaching a group while everyone maintains position in the water column requires more instructor awareness and control.
At Oceans 5, we believe instructor convenience shouldn’t automatically determine how open-water skills are taught.
This is also one of the reasons we believe in small training groups.
Smaller groups give instructors more time to watch individual students, correct problems and allow people to progress at their own pace.
If someone needs additional practice, we would rather give that student more time than simply use the bottom to make everything easier.
People travel thousands of kilometres to visit the Gili Islands.
They come to see turtles.
They come for coral reefs.
They come for tropical fish.
They come because they want to experience an underwater world that is completely different from life on land.
It would be contradictory if the way we teach people to experience that environment contributed unnecessarily to damaging it.
Most divers don’t intentionally damage reefs.
They simply repeat the behaviors they learned.
That is why good training matters.
If neutral buoyancy and environmental awareness become normal from the beginning, divers don’t constantly need to remind themselves:
“Don’t touch the bottom.”
They simply don’t need to touch it.
They are diving.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we don’t believe conservation should be something a dive center talks about only on social media.
It needs to be reflected in everyday decisions.
Our cooperation with BKKPN matters.
Our partnership with the University of Mataram matters.
Our work with Marine Conservation Indonesia matters.
Supporting marine research matters.
Monitoring changes to our reefs matters.
Beach cleanups matter.
Education matters.
But conservation should also be reflected in something as ordinary as how an instructor conducts an Open Water course.
We cannot tell people that coral reefs need protection while unnecessarily using the seafloor as a classroom.
Our teaching methods should support the same conservation principles we promote outside our courses.
Conservation starts with behavior.
Students are students.
Accidental contact will happen.
Sometimes an instructor may need to stabilize or assist someone.
Safety will always come first.
But should sitting or kneeling on the seafloor be the standard method for conducting open-water scuba skills?
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, our answer is no.
In the swimming pool, students learn and practice their skills in a controlled environment.
But once we enter the ocean, we teach those skills neutrally buoyant.
Because that is how divers dive.
Because it creates more realistic training.
Because it develops better buoyancy.
Because it prepares students to solve problems while actually diving.
And because we operate inside a marine conservation area that deserves our respect.
Ultimately, scuba education shouldn’t be about completing a checklist of exercises and receiving a certification card.
It should be about creating a diver.
A diver who is comfortable underwater.
A diver who can control their buoyancy.
A diver who can solve problems.
A diver who remains aware of their buddy.
A diver who respects marine life.
And a diver who understands that entering the ocean means entering an ecosystem—not an underwater playground.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, our teaching philosophy, instructor training and conservation activities are all connected by this idea.
Working with the University of Mataram helps connect us with science.
Working with BKKPN connects us with the management and protection of Gili Matra.
Working with Marine Conservation Indonesia connects us with broader marine conservation efforts.
And teaching our students to remain neutrally buoyant in the ocean connects conservation directly to everyday diver education.
Because conservation doesn’t always require a major project.
Sometimes it starts with something much simpler:
Don’t use the seafloor as your classroom.
Learn to dive in the water column.
Better training creates better divers.
And better divers help us protect the underwater world we all came to enjoy.
Oceans 5 specifically applies its neutral-buoyancy teaching philosophy to open-water training in the ocean.
The swimming pool is a controlled environment where students first learn and practice their scuba skills. Once training moves into the ocean, however, we teach skills neutrally buoyant rather than routinely taking students to the seafloor.
For us, there is an important difference between learning a skill in a swimming pool and demonstrating that skill while actually diving.
Students are learning, so accidental contact can happen. Safety also comes first, and an instructor may sometimes need to assist or stabilize a student.
Our philosophy isn’t about criticizing a beginner for accidentally touching the sand. It is about not deliberately using the seafloor as the standard classroom for open-water skills.
Because it more closely resembles real diving. If a diver experiences a mask, regulator or air-sharing problem during an actual dive, they will normally need to manage the situation while maintaining depth and buoyancy.
It can initially be more challenging, which is why students first learn and practice their skills in the swimming pool. Small groups and individual attention also allow instructors to give students additional time when necessary.
Yes. Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan are surrounded by the Gili Matra Marine Conservation Area. This is another reason Oceans 5 believes dive operators have a responsibility to minimize unnecessary contact with the underwater environment.
Our partnership helps connect dive tourism with marine science and education. Oceans 5 can provide practical diving infrastructure and local underwater knowledge, while researchers and students help improve our understanding of the marine environment around the Gili Islands.
BKKPN is involved in the management and conservation of Gili Matra. Cooperation between marine-park authorities, researchers, local communities, conservation organizations and tourism operators is important for understanding and protecting the area.
Because instructors multiply behavior. One instructor may teach hundreds or thousands of divers during a career. If we teach future instructors to use realistic, environmentally responsible teaching techniques, those practices can be passed to the next generation of divers.
[1] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia (KKP) — information and management framework for Indonesia’s marine conservation areas, including Gili Matra.
[2] Balai Kawasan Konservasi Perairan Nasional (BKKPN) Kupang — information, monitoring and management activities concerning the Gili Matra Marine Conservation Area.
[3] BKKPN Kupang — coral reef and ecosystem monitoring within Gili Matra, including monitoring around Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
[4] Universitas Mataram — Faculty and marine-science activities related to marine ecosystems, research and conservation in West Nusa Tenggara.
[5] Marine Conservation Indonesia — marine conservation, research, education and ecosystem-protection activities in Indonesia.
[6] Scuba Schools International (SSI) — diver education standards and training philosophy relating to buoyancy, environmental awareness and responsible diving.
Introduction Dive 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 …
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, …
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, an environment where you can learn without feeling rushed.
So, is Gili Air good for beginner divers?
The short answer is yes. Gili Air is an excellent place to learn to scuba dive, and thousands of people have discovered the underwater world around the Gili Islands for the first time.
Warm tropical water, abundant marine life, a variety of dive sites and relatively short boat journeys make Gili Air particularly attractive to new divers. But there is another important factor: the Gili Islands also experience currents. Learning here therefore shouldn’t simply be about completing the minimum requirements for a certification. Good training should teach you to become comfortable, confident and environmentally responsible underwater.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe your first diving course creates the foundation for everything you do later as a diver.
Gili Air is one of three small islands located off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia, together with Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. The waters surrounding the islands form part of the Gili Matra marine protected area.[1]
For a beginner diver, the location offers something special: within relatively short boat rides you can find coral reefs, sandy areas, slopes, walls and different underwater environments.
That variety is valuable during training.
A beginner isn’t simply learning how to breathe underwater. You are learning how to control your body, manage your equipment, communicate, monitor your air, equalize your ears, control your depth and become aware of the environment around you.
And after mastering those skills, there is a very good chance that you will be doing all of this while watching a turtle swim past.
One of the challenges when learning to dive in colder destinations is dealing with thick wetsuits, gloves and additional weight.
Around the Gili Islands, the water is generally warm throughout the year. For beginners, that can make training considerably more comfortable.
Less exposure protection generally means less bulky equipment and greater freedom of movement. Instead of thinking about being cold, students can concentrate on their breathing, buoyancy and surroundings.
Comfort should never be underestimated when learning to dive.
The more relaxed you become underwater, the easier it usually becomes to concentrate on developing your diving skills.
Another advantage of learning to dive around Gili Air is that interesting marine life isn’t reserved only for advanced dive sites.
The Gili Islands are particularly well known for their sea turtles, and both green and hawksbill turtles can be encountered around the islands. Depending on the dive site, beginners may also see anemonefish, angelfish, butterflyfish, moray eels, pufferfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, lionfish and many other tropical species.
For someone completing their first open-water dives, seeing a turtle underwater can be unforgettable.
It also creates an important connection.
Suddenly, the skills you practiced in the swimming pool have a purpose. Buoyancy isn’t just something you need to demonstrate to your instructor. Good buoyancy allows you to observe a turtle or coral reef without crashing into the bottom or damaging the environment.
Divers Alert Network describes buoyancy control as an important element of diving safety and notes that poor buoyancy can contribute to problems including excessive descents, increased gas consumption and uncontrolled ascents.[2]
At Oceans 5, we therefore put a lot of attention on developing good buoyancy from the beginning.
The ocean is exciting, but your first experience with scuba equipment doesn’t have to start there.
Oceans 5 Gili Air has two purpose-built training swimming pools. This gives beginner divers an opportunity to become familiar with their equipment and basic diving skills in a controlled environment before going into the ocean.
This is especially valuable if you are nervous.
Your first experience breathing through a regulator feels unusual. You suddenly discover that you can breathe while your face is underwater. Then you learn how to clear water from your mask, recover your regulator, control your buoyancy and communicate using hand signals.
There is no reason to rush this process.
If you need to repeat something, you repeat it.
Confidence underwater isn’t created by pushing someone beyond their comfort level. It develops through understanding, repetition and experience.
A beginner diver needs attention.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we deliberately keep our training groups small, with a maximum of four students per instructor.
This allows an instructor to see what is actually happening with every student.
One person might immediately understand mask clearing but struggle with buoyancy. Another may have excellent buoyancy but need more time equalizing their ears.
Learning speeds are different.
Scuba diving shouldn’t be an assembly line where everyone must perform a skill at exactly the same speed.
Small groups give instructors more opportunity to recognize problems early and help students become comfortable before progressing.
This is probably the most important point when discussing whether the Gili Islands are suitable for beginners.
Yes, there can be currents around the Gilis.
The islands are located in an area where water movement can produce anything from almost no current to enjoyable drift dives and, at times, stronger conditions.
Does that make Gili Air unsuitable for beginners?
No.
But it makes good dive planning extremely important.
Beginner students shouldn’t simply be taken to a dive site because that is where everyone else is going. The dive site and entry point should be selected according to the conditions and the experience of the divers.
At Oceans 5, our dive professionals check the conditions and currents before dives. We can adjust the entry point, dive site or dive plan when necessary.
Learning to dive in an area where some current exists can actually give students useful experience. You learn that the ocean isn’t a swimming pool and that conditions can change.
The important difference is that this experience should be introduced gradually and under professional supervision.
Not everyone knows immediately whether they want to complete a full diving certification.
For those people, the SSI Basic Diver program can be a great introduction.
The SSI Basic Diver program includes an academic component, pool or confined-water training and an open-water introductory dive. SSI allows Basic Divers to dive to a maximum training depth of 12 metres under the required professional supervision.[3]
The minimum age is 10.[3]
An additional advantage is that the Basic Diver program can be credited toward the SSI Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver program when the applicable requirements are met within six months.[3]
That makes it ideal for someone thinking:
“I would love to try scuba diving, but I’m not sure yet whether I want to become certified.”
You can first experience diving and then decide.
If you already love snorkeling, enjoy being in the ocean or simply know that you want to become a diver, the SSI Open Water Diver course is usually the better option.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we offer Open Water Diver courses throughout the year.
The course combines digital learning, confined-water training and four open-water training dives. SSI describes Open Water Diver as its globally recognized entry-level scuba certification.[3]
But obtaining the card shouldn’t be the only objective.
The goal should be to finish your course feeling that you can actually dive.
That means developing good habits from your very first course:
These principles remain important long after your Open Water course. DAN similarly recommends equipment checks, pre-dive checklists, reviewing dive plans with your buddy or dive professional and regularly practicing fundamental skills such as buoyancy and emergency procedures.[4]
Being nervous before your first dive is completely normal.
Some people worry about breathing underwater. Others are concerned about their ears, removing their mask or simply being below the surface.
Tell your instructor.
There is no prize for pretending that you aren’t nervous.
A good instructor wants to know what concerns you because then they can work with you.
One of the advantages of starting in a proper training pool is that everything can happen gradually. You can stand up. You can put your face underwater and breathe. You can swim in shallow water. You can move deeper when you are comfortable.
Step by step, something that initially feels completely unnatural starts feeling normal.
Learning to dive isn’t only about what happens underwater.
Gili Air has developed into a popular holiday destination while maintaining a smaller-island atmosphere. There are restaurants, cafés, accommodation options and beaches around the island, while distances remain short.
That makes it easy to combine your diving course with a holiday.
You can complete your morning training, have lunch, relax around the pool or beach and review your SSI digital learning later.
For couples or families where not everyone wants to dive, this is particularly useful. One person can complete a diving course while others enjoy snorkeling, the beach or simply island life.
Oceans 5 Gili Air has been teaching scuba diving on Gili Air since 2010.
Today, Oceans 5 is an SSI Instructor Training Center, teaching everything from beginner programs through Divemaster and professional-level instructor education.
For beginners, however, the philosophy remains simple:
Don’t rush the student.
We have two dedicated training pools, experienced SSI instructors and small training groups. Our dive boats depart directly from Gili Air, and most dive sites around the three islands can be reached relatively quickly.
More importantly, Oceans 5 isn’t interested in becoming a diving factory.
Learning to scuba dive should be personal.
Some students need additional time.
Some students are nervous.
Some students learn quickly.
Some have dreamed about scuba diving for years.
The certification requirements may be standardized, but the people completing them aren’t.
Your first scuba course should also teach you something beyond diving skills.
It should teach you that you are entering an ecosystem.
Corals aren’t decorations. Turtles aren’t underwater attractions to chase for photographs. Marine animals shouldn’t be touched, moved or harassed.
As divers, we are visitors.
This is especially important around the Gili Islands because the reefs are part of a designated conservation area.[1]
Good buoyancy therefore becomes more than a diving skill. It becomes a conservation skill.
A diver who can control their position can observe coral without standing on it, photograph marine life without crashing into the reef and move through the underwater environment with minimal impact.
That is the type of diver we want our students to become.
Absolutely.
Gili Air combines warm tropical water, diverse dive sites, abundant marine life and the possibility of seeing turtles during your very first dives.
But what makes a destination good for beginners isn’t simply the number of turtles or the water temperature.
It is the quality of the training.
Choose a dive center where you feel comfortable. Ask about group sizes. Look at the training facilities. Talk to the instructors. Ask how much pool training you will receive and how they select dive sites when conditions change.
Your Open Water course isn’t just another holiday activity.
It is the beginning of your life as a diver.
And Gili Air is a pretty amazing place to begin.
Yes. Many people complete their first scuba experience or full Open Water certification on Gili Air. Beginners can first learn fundamental skills in a swimming pool before progressing to open water.
Currents do occur around the Gili Islands, and conditions vary between dive sites and throughout the day. This makes appropriate dive-site selection and professional supervision particularly important for beginners.
It is certainly possible. Turtles are commonly encountered around the Gili Islands, although marine-life sightings can never be guaranteed.
You don’t need to be a competitive swimmer, but entry-level certification involves water-comfort and swimming requirements. SSI requires students in entry-level programs such as Open Water Diver to complete a water-fitness evaluation.[3]
Tell your instructor. Nervousness is common among first-time divers. Starting in a controlled pool environment allows you to become comfortable with breathing, equipment and basic skills gradually.
SSI lists a minimum age of 10 years for programs including Basic Diver and Scuba Diver.[3][5] Age-related training and depth limitations apply to younger divers.
If you simply want to experience scuba diving before deciding whether to become certified, Basic Diver is a good introduction. If you already know that you want to continue diving, starting the Open Water Diver course usually makes more sense.
SSI specifies a maximum open-water training depth of 12 metres/40 feet for the Basic Diver program.[3]
No. SSI specifically identifies Basic Diver as an introductory recognition rather than an entry-level scuba certification. To become a certified diver, you need to complete an appropriate certification program such as Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver.[6]
Buoyancy allows you to control your position and depth while using less effort. It is important for both diving safety and protecting the underwater environment. DAN identifies good buoyancy control as a fundamental component of safe diving.[2]
[1] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia (KKP) — Documentation concerning the Gili Matra conservation area covering the waters surrounding Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
[2] Divers Alert Network (DAN), The Importance of Buoyancy Control. Reviewed and updated March 2026.
[3] Scuba Schools International (SSI), Basic Diver Program — program requirements, minimum age, training sessions, depth limits and progression toward Scuba Diver/Open Water Diver.
[4] Divers Alert Network (DAN), Safe Diving Practices — equipment checks, pre-dive planning, checklists and fundamental diving skills.
[5] Scuba Schools International (SSI), Scuba Diver Certification — minimum age, training requirements and 12-metre certification limit under professional supervision.
[6] Scuba Schools International (SSI), Basic Diver Completion Record — clarification that Basic Diver is a recognition rather than an entry-level scuba certification.
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Are you an Indonesian citizen with a Rescue Diver certification who dreams of becoming a professional Divemaster?
Perhaps you want to guide divers around Indonesia’s incredible reefs. Maybe you dream about working in Raja Ampat, Komodo, Bali, the Gili Islands or another famous Indonesian diving destination. Or perhaps becoming a Divemaster is only the first step toward your ultimate goal of becoming a scuba diving instructor.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe motivated Indonesian divers should have the opportunity to build a professional career in their own country’s diving industry.
That is why Oceans 5 Gili Air offers a special four-month SSI Divemaster Internship scholarship exclusively for Indonesian citizens.
And when we say scholarship, we mean it.
There is no Divemaster course fee charged by Oceans 5 Gili Air. Candidates only need to pay the required SSI Divemaster digital learning materials and SSI professional registration/membership fees.[1]
There are no hidden Oceans 5 training fees.
There is no obligation to work for Oceans 5 after completing the program.
Most importantly, this is not a program where candidates work for months simply in exchange for receiving a certification at the end.
This is a proper professional SSI Divemaster course and internship.
Our objective is simple: to develop excellent Indonesian dive professionals who are ready to enter the diving industry.
Indonesia is one of the world’s most important scuba diving destinations.
The Indonesian archipelago sits within the Coral Triangle, an area internationally recognized for its extraordinary marine biodiversity.[2] Destinations such as Raja Ampat, Komodo, Bunaken, Bali and the Gili Islands attract divers from around the world.
That creates opportunities for Indonesian dive professionals.
However, becoming a professional diver requires training, experience and professional certification. For some talented Indonesian divers, the financial cost of professional-level education can make taking the next step difficult.
Oceans 5 Gili Air wants to help remove part of that barrier.
Instead of simply talking about supporting local employment, we decided to create a practical pathway into the diving industry.
Our Indonesian Divemaster Internship gives motivated Indonesian Rescue Divers the opportunity to spend approximately four months developing themselves into professional SSI Divemasters.
It is an investment in Indonesian dive professionals and, ultimately, in the future of Indonesia’s diving industry.
There is an important difference between a genuine Divemaster internship and using Divemaster candidates as free workers.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, our philosophy is clear:
You are here to learn.
Of course, part of becoming a Divemaster is understanding how a professional dive center operates. Candidates need experience with equipment preparation, dive organization, customer service, boat procedures, dive briefings, safety procedures and many other aspects of professional diving.
These activities are part of your professional education.
Candidates do not receive their Divemaster certification simply because they have spent four months at Oceans 5.
You have to train, study and develop.
You must demonstrate the required diving skills, knowledge, professionalism and leadership abilities and successfully meet the applicable SSI training standards.[1]
The objective is not to create someone who only knows how to carry tanks, prepare equipment or wash diving gear.
The objective is to create a knowledgeable, confident, safety-conscious and employable Indonesian dive professional.
That difference is extremely important.
Why does Oceans 5 make the Indonesian Divemaster Internship approximately four months long?
Because becoming an excellent Divemaster takes time.
A Divemaster certification should represent much more than completing a checklist of minimum requirements.
During four months at Oceans 5, candidates experience the daily reality of a professional dive center.
You meet beginner divers, experienced divers, instructors, Divemasters and professional candidates. You observe different diving situations and learn how experienced professionals organize and supervise activities.
You learn about briefings, dive planning, equipment, boats, customer service, safety and the responsibilities that come with becoming a dive professional.
Most importantly, you gain experience.
The Gili Islands provide an excellent environment for this type of training because diving conditions can vary. Currents are common around the islands, meaning Divemasters need to develop awareness of changing underwater conditions.
A professional Divemaster should not simply memorize a route around a dive site.
A good Divemaster observes the conditions, understands the environment, makes appropriate decisions and keeps the group together and safe.
Those abilities develop through training and experience.
The SSI Divemaster pathway represents an important transition from recreational diver toward becoming a dive professional.[1]
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we want candidates to understand that professional diving involves much more than simply being comfortable underwater.
Candidates develop their diving abilities, theoretical knowledge, leadership skills, environmental awareness and professional attitude.
You gain experience in areas such as:
You will also develop something that cannot simply be downloaded from a digital manual:
professional judgment.
When should a dive plan be changed?
How can you recognize that a diver is uncomfortable?
What should you do when the current is different from what you expected?
Where should you position yourself while guiding a group?
How do you manage divers with different levels of experience?
How do you make a dive enjoyable while still maintaining safety and control?
These are the details that separate someone who simply holds a Divemaster certification from someone who is genuinely ready to work as a professional Divemaster.
Oceans 5 Gili Air is an SSI Instructor Training Center, which means professional education is an important part of our daily operation.
Divemaster candidates train in an environment where future SSI instructors are also educated.
This creates an atmosphere where teaching, professional development and continuing education are part of everyday life.
Candidates have opportunities to observe experienced Divemasters, instructors and instructor trainers.
You are therefore not only learning how to become a Divemaster. You are surrounded by people at different stages of the professional diving pathway.
For candidates who eventually want to become instructors, this can be extremely valuable.
Getting certified is one thing.
Finding your first job is another.
Oceans 5 Gili Air therefore also tries to help Indonesian Divemaster graduates make the transition from training into employment.
When suitable opportunities become available, we are happy to help connect our graduates with dive centers looking for professional Indonesian Divemasters.
And the results of the program are something we are extremely proud of.
In 2025, 10 Indonesian candidates became Divemasters through Oceans 5 Gili Air.[3]
In 2026, we have already welcomed another eight Indonesian candidates into the pathway, with two more candidates graduating today.[3]
Our former candidates are now working in some of Indonesia’s most famous diving destinations.
Oceans 5 graduates have found opportunities in Raja Ampat, Komodo and the Gili Islands.[3]
The two Indonesian candidates graduating today have already found Divemaster positions here on Gili Air.[3]
That is exactly what we want this program to achieve.
Training should create opportunities.
There is another important principle behind the Oceans 5 Indonesian Divemaster Internship.
Once you have successfully completed your training, you are free to work wherever you want.
There is no obligation to stay at Oceans 5.
There is no employment contract requiring you to work for us because we provided your training scholarship.
You can look for opportunities on Gili Air, Gili Trawangan, Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat or elsewhere, subject to the professional and employment requirements applicable to the position.
We are proud when former candidates find jobs at other dive centers.
For us, that means the program is succeeding.
Indonesia does not only have some of the world’s best diving. It also has something international divers can never bring with them: local knowledge.
Indonesian Divemasters understand their country, culture, communities and marine environment.
Developing more highly trained Indonesian dive professionals strengthens the Indonesian diving industry.
It creates employment opportunities and career pathways.
Today’s Indonesian Divemaster could become tomorrow’s instructor, instructor trainer, dive-center manager or business owner.
Professional education can therefore have an impact far beyond a single certification.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe the future of diving in Indonesia should include strong Indonesian professionals at every level of the industry.
For some candidates, becoming an SSI Divemaster is the ultimate goal.
For others, it is only the beginning.
After working as a Divemaster, you may discover that you enjoy helping and teaching other divers.
Your next ambition could then be becoming an SSI Open Water Scuba Instructor.
As an SSI Instructor Training Center, Oceans 5 Gili Air can help suitable Divemasters understand the next steps toward instructor-level training.[1]
But there is no need to rush.
First, become an excellent Divemaster.
Gain experience.
Work with real divers.
Develop your confidence.
Learn from experienced professionals.
Then, when you are ready for your next step, we can help you explore the pathway toward becoming a dive instructor.
The Oceans 5 Gili Air scholarship is specifically designed for Indonesian citizens who are serious about developing a professional career in diving.
Candidates should already hold a Rescue Diver certification or recognized equivalent and meet the applicable SSI Divemaster entry requirements.[1]
But qualifications are only part of what we are looking for.
Attitude matters.
We want people who genuinely want to learn.
Being a professional Divemaster means accepting responsibility. It requires reliability, communication skills, professionalism, attention to safety and a willingness to continue learning.
You don’t have to arrive at Oceans 5 as the perfect diver.
That is why you are joining a training program.
But you should arrive motivated to become the best dive professional you can be.
We want to be completely transparent about the word free.
Oceans 5 Gili Air does not charge Indonesian scholarship candidates a Divemaster course/training fee for the four-month internship.
Candidates are responsible for paying the required SSI Divemaster digital training materials and applicable SSI professional registration/membership fees.[1]
There are no additional hidden Oceans 5 Divemaster course fees suddenly added halfway through the program.
The purpose of the scholarship is not to make money from Indonesian Divemaster candidates.
The purpose is to educate them.
Imagine where your Divemaster certification could take you.
Today you might be a Rescue Diver wondering whether a professional career in diving is realistic.
Four months later, you could be an SSI Divemaster preparing for your first professional job.
You could eventually find yourself guiding divers through the reefs of the Gili Islands, working in Komodo, exploring Raja Ampat or continuing your professional education toward becoming an SSI Instructor.
Oceans 5 Gili Air has already helped Indonesian divers make that transition.
Ten Indonesian candidates became Divemasters with us in 2025.[3] Eight more have already joined the pathway this year, and today two more Indonesian candidates are graduating and preparing to work professionally on Gili Air.[3]
Maybe the next success story will be yours.
Are you an Indonesian citizen?
Are you already a Rescue Diver?
Would you like to turn your passion for scuba diving into a professional career?
Then the four-month free SSI Divemaster Internship scholarship at Oceans 5 Gili Air could be your opportunity.
Come to Gili Air.
Train properly.
Gain real experience.
Become a professional.
And become part of the next generation of Indonesian dive professionals.
Yes. Oceans 5 Gili Air waives the Divemaster course/training fee for accepted Indonesian scholarship candidates. Candidates still need to pay the required SSI Divemaster digital learning materials and applicable SSI professional registration/membership fees.[1]
The scholarship program lasts approximately four months. We deliberately provide a longer training period because our goal is not simply to complete certification requirements. We want candidates to gain practical experience and develop into confident and employable dive professionals.
Yes. This particular free Divemaster scholarship is specifically designed for Indonesian citizens.
You should already hold a Rescue Diver certification or recognized equivalent and meet the current SSI Divemaster entry requirements.[1] Your previous certification does not necessarily have to be from SSI if it is recognized as an equivalent qualification.
No. This is a professional training program. Candidates participate in dive-center activities because learning how a professional dive operation functions is part of becoming a Divemaster. The purpose of the internship is education and professional development, not obtaining free labor in exchange for certification.
No. Once you successfully complete your program, you are free to look for work wherever you want. There is no obligation to work for Oceans 5 Gili Air.
Where possible, yes. We are happy to help connect successful graduates with opportunities in the Indonesian diving industry. Previous Oceans 5 Indonesian Divemaster candidates have gone on to work in destinations including Raja Ampat, Komodo and the Gili Islands.[3]
Yes. Becoming a Divemaster can be an important step in a professional diving career. Oceans 5 Gili Air is an SSI Instructor Training Center, so candidates interested in continuing their professional education can discuss the pathway toward becoming an SSI Instructor.[1]
The four-month program gives you time to gain experience instead of rushing through the certification. You train in a professional dive-center environment alongside experienced Divemasters, instructors and instructor trainers while experiencing real diving conditions around the Gili Islands.
Indonesian Rescue Divers interested in the scholarship can contact Oceans 5 Gili Air and introduce themselves, explain their diving experience and provide information about their current certifications.
WhatsApp: +62 853 3339 7823
Email: [email protected]
[1] Scuba Schools International (SSI) – SSI Training Standards, professional training requirements, Divemaster pathway, digital learning and professional education information. Current SSI standards and requirements should always be consulted when determining eligibility and certification requirements.
[2] Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) – Information on the Coral Triangle, marine biodiversity and the importance of Indonesia within one of the world’s most biologically diverse marine regions.
[3] Oceans 5 Gili Air internal training records (2025–2026) – Indonesian Divemaster scholarship participation, graduate numbers and employment destinations referenced in this article.
SSI training standards, fees and professional registration requirements can change. Candidates should contact Oceans 5 Gili Air for the latest requirements and costs before enrolling.
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