SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
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 …
Certified Local SSI Divemasters 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 …
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 it with the SSI Deep Diving Specialty and SSI Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty is one of the smartest investments you can make in your diving career.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we strongly recommend that every Divemaster candidate completes these specialties during their internship. Not only will they make you a more competent diver, but they will also increase your employability and prepare you for diving careers around the world.[1][2]
Many new Divemasters focus on reaching the minimum certification level required to work. Professional dive centres, however, are looking for something different. They want Divemasters who understand diving beyond the basics.
The Deep Diving and Enriched Air Nitrox specialties provide exactly that additional level of competence.
During your internship, you’ll already spend weeks diving nearly every day. Adding these specialties allows you to integrate new knowledge immediately into real-world diving instead of completing them months or years later.
Many of the world’s best dive sites lie deeper than 18 metres. Wrecks, walls, pinnacles, shark cleaning stations and spectacular coral formations often begin where Open Water certification ends.[3]
The SSI Deep Diving Specialty teaches far more than simply descending deeper.
You learn about:
These are skills every Divemaster should master.
As a professional diver, guests expect you to remain calm, organised and aware throughout every dive. Understanding how depth changes gas consumption, decompression limits and diver behaviour makes you a safer guide and a better role model.
Enriched Air Nitrox has become the standard breathing gas at many professional dive centres.
While Nitrox does not allow you to dive deeper, it reduces nitrogen exposure when used within its operating depth limits. Depending on the dive profile, this can provide longer no-decompression limits or lower nitrogen loading compared with diving air.[4]
This becomes especially valuable during a Divemaster internship.
Imagine diving:
for weeks or even months.
Using Nitrox helps reduce accumulated nitrogen exposure during repetitive diving schedules, making it particularly valuable for professionals who spend many days underwater.[4]
Many liveaboards and professional dive operations expect Divemasters to be Nitrox certified.
Having this certification before applying for jobs immediately makes your CV more attractive.
One common misconception is that Nitrox is only useful for shallow dives.
In reality, many professional divers use Nitrox during dives that stay within the gas’s maximum operating depth because it can optimise repetitive diving schedules and reduce nitrogen loading.[4]
Learning both specialties together helps you understand:
Instead of learning isolated pieces of diving theory, everything starts fitting together.
The biggest advantage of completing these specialties during your internship is simple:
You are already diving every day.
Instead of scheduling separate holidays later, your training becomes part of your daily diving routine.
Every dive becomes another opportunity to practise:
The repetition accelerates your learning dramatically.
Experience is what turns knowledge into confidence.
When a dive centre hires a Divemaster, they are looking beyond the certification card.
They ask questions like:
The more experience and relevant specialties you have, the easier these questions become to answer.
Many employers view Deep Diving and Nitrox as valuable additions because they demonstrate a commitment to professional development and prepare candidates for a broader range of diving activities.[2][4]
There are many places to complete a Divemaster internship.
Very few offer the combination of facilities, experience and training quality that Oceans 5 provides.
At Oceans 5, Divemaster candidates are never treated as numbers.
Training is personalised, allowing instructors to spend time developing each candidate’s strengths.
With up to three boat departures every day, candidates experience:
This variety produces confident professionals.
Before entering the ocean, candidates can perfect demonstrations and rescue skills in two dedicated training pools.
This allows skills to be refined without pressure.
Oceans 5 is one of the few SSI Instructor Training Centres in Indonesia.
Divemaster candidates learn from professionals who train future instructors, bringing a high standard of coaching, feedback and mentoring throughout the internship.
The Gili Islands offer excellent conditions for professional training.
Candidates regularly encounter:
The wide variety of dive sites creates ideal learning opportunities.
Rather than simply logging dives, interns become part of the daily operation.
They assist instructors, prepare equipment, brief divers, organise boats and gradually develop the skills required to work in the dive industry.
Many divers see Divemaster as the final goal.
In reality, it is only the beginning.
Whether your future includes:
Deep Diving and Nitrox provide knowledge that you will continue using throughout your diving career.
Completing them during your internship saves time, builds confidence and makes every dive more valuable.
If you’re already committing several weeks to becoming a Divemaster, adding these two specialties is one of the best investments you can make in yourself.
SSI requires Divemaster candidates to either hold the Deep Diving certification (or equivalent) or demonstrate sufficient verified deep diving experience that an instructor can assess as meeting the required competency.[1]
No. Nitrox does not increase your maximum depth. Its main benefit is reducing nitrogen exposure when used within its operating depth limits, which can extend no-decompression limits or reduce nitrogen loading on appropriate dives.[4]
Yes. Completing them during your internship is often ideal because you’re already diving regularly and can immediately apply what you learn.
Yes. Many employers value Divemasters with Deep Diving and Nitrox qualifications because they are prepared for a wider variety of diving operations and professional environments.[2][4]
Oceans 5 offers daily diving, two dedicated training pools, experienced SSI Instructor Trainers, small training groups, excellent dive sites and a professional learning environment that prepares candidates for real-world diving careers.
[1] SSI Training Standards – Divemaster (ISO 24801-3): Professional prerequisites, required experience and competencies.
[2] SSI – Become a Certified Divemaster: Professional pathway, career opportunities and recommended qualifications.
[3] SSI Training Standards – Deep Diving Specialty: Objectives, training requirements and depth limits.
[4] SSI Advanced Training – Enriched Air Nitrox & Deep Diving: Benefits of Nitrox, repetitive diving, no-decompression limits and reduced nitrogen exposure.
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 …