Open Water Diver Course

If you already love snorkeling, you probably know the feeling. You are floating at the surface, looking down at a beautiful coral reef. Below you are colorful reef fish, perhaps a turtle, a moray eel disappearing between the rocks, or something interesting hiding underneath a coral formation.

And then you think:

“I wish I could go down there and have a closer look.”

That is exactly where scuba diving changes everything.

Snorkeling gives you a window into the underwater world. Scuba diving allows you to enter it.

For people who already enjoy snorkeling, completing an SSI Open Water Diver course can be a natural next step. Instead of watching marine life from several meters above, you learn how to descend safely, control your position underwater, breathe comfortably through scuba equipment, and spend much more time exploring beneath the surface.

And there are few better places to make that transition than Gili Air and the Gili Islands in Indonesia.

At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we offer SSI Open Water Diver courses every day, allowing you to turn part of your tropical holiday into the beginning of a completely new adventure.

From Looking Down to Being Part of the Underwater World

Snorkeling is a fantastic activity. You need relatively little equipment, you can explore shallow reefs, and you can enjoy the ocean without completing a diving certification.

But snorkeling has one obvious limitation: most of the time, you remain at the surface.

You might see a turtle swimming several meters underneath you. You can watch it for a while, but unless it comes to the surface, there will always be some distance between you and the animal.

You might see a beautiful coral formation below you, but you cannot comfortably stay next to it for several minutes.

You may notice a school of fish disappearing deeper along the reef, but eventually you have to stay behind.

Scuba diving changes your perspective.

Instead of looking at the underwater world, you become part of it.

With scuba equipment, you can remain underwater and move slowly around the reef. You can stop, observe and take your time. A small coral formation that looked relatively simple from the surface can suddenly reveal dozens of different animals when viewed from nearby.

For somebody who already loves snorkeling, that can be an incredible experience.

See the Fish From a Completely Different Perspective

One of the biggest differences between snorkeling and scuba diving is not simply depth. It is time.

While snorkeling, you can make short breath-hold dives below the surface, but eventually you must return for air.

During a scuba dive, you carry your breathing gas with you.

This allows you to slow everything down.

Instead of quickly diving toward a fish and returning to the surface, you can remain neutrally buoyant and watch what happens.

You may see butterflyfish moving around coral heads, surgeonfish feeding across the reef, an anemonefish defending its home, or a turtle quietly feeding nearby.

And sometimes the most interesting animals are the smallest ones.

Once you start scuba diving, you begin looking underneath coral formations and into small cracks. Suddenly you notice nudibranchs, shrimps, pipefish, small crabs and other creatures that are easily missed while snorkeling.

The underwater world becomes much bigger simply because you have more time to observe it.

The SSI Open Water Diver Course

The SSI Open Water Diver certification is an internationally recognized entry-level scuba certification. SSI describes the program as combining academic learning, confined-water practice and open-water experience to develop the skills and confidence required to become a certified diver.[1]

The SSI program includes:

• 6 academic sessions
• 6 pool/confined-water sessions
• 4 open-water training dives
• A maximum training depth of 18 meters
• A minimum age of 10 years, with additional depth restrictions applying to younger divers.[1][2]

SSI recommends approximately 16–32 hours for completion depending on the student and training schedule.[1][2]

Once successfully certified, an Open Water Diver has been trained to dive with an equally or more qualified buddy in conditions similar to those experienced during training and within the recommended limits of the certification.[2][3]

That is an enormous step beyond snorkeling.

Your certification can become the passport to underwater adventures around the world.

Why Snorkelers Often Make Great Beginner Divers

People who already enjoy snorkeling often arrive at their Open Water course with one important advantage:

They already like being in the ocean.

They are often comfortable wearing a mask and snorkel. They understand what it feels like to have their face underwater. Many already know how to use fins, clear water from a snorkel and relax while floating.

Of course, scuba diving introduces many new skills.

You need to learn how to use a regulator, control your buoyancy, equalize your ears, communicate underwater, monitor your air supply, use your dive computer and respond correctly to different situations.

But the basic fascination with being underwater is already there.

You are not learning to love the ocean.

You are learning how to explore more of it.

Why Learn to Dive on the Gili Islands?

The Gili Islands — Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan — have been famous for snorkeling and scuba diving for many years.

Indonesia’s official tourism website highlights the islands for their coral reefs and marine life and names sites such as Shark Point, Turtle Heaven, Deep Turbo and Simon’s Reef among popular diving locations.[4]

The waters surrounding the three islands are also part of the Gili Matra marine conservation area.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries describes Gili Matra as an important conservation area containing coral reefs, seagrass habitats and protected marine species, including turtles and reef sharks.[5]

In 2024, Gili Matra and Nusa Penida received international recognition when the International Maritime Organization designated the area as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA).[6]

For a new diver, this means your first underwater experiences take place in an environment with a remarkable variety of marine life.

And Yes — There Are Turtles

For many visitors, turtles are one of the highlights of snorkeling around the Gili Islands.

Diving gives you a completely different way to experience them.

Instead of looking down from the surface, you might find yourself swimming along the reef when a green turtle appears nearby.

You do not need to chase it.

You simply remain calm, control your buoyancy and observe.

The coral reefs around Gili Matra provide important habitat and feeding areas for marine life, while the islands and surrounding ecosystem are also important for green sea turtles.[5][7]

For somebody completing their first four Open Water training dives, seeing a turtle underwater can turn a training dive into a memory that lasts for years.

Why Choose Oceans 5 Gili Air for Your Open Water Course?

Learning to scuba dive is not about completing skills as quickly as possible.

It is about becoming a comfortable, confident and responsible diver.

That philosophy is important at Oceans 5 Gili Air.

We do not want students to finish their course simply knowing how to perform a list of exercises. We want them to understand what they are doing underwater and, most importantly, feel comfortable doing it.

Small Groups and Personal Attention

Oceans 5 believes strongly in personal training.

Smaller groups allow instructors to spend more time with individual students. If you need additional practice with a particular skill, there is time to work on it.

People learn differently.

Some students immediately understand buoyancy but need extra time with mask skills. Others are completely comfortable with equipment but need more practice relaxing and breathing underwater.

There is no reason everyone should learn at exactly the same speed.

Two Purpose-Built Training Pools

One major advantage of learning at Oceans 5 is our training facilities.

We have two large training pools, allowing students to develop their skills in a controlled environment before performing them in the ocean.

This is particularly useful for beginner divers.

Your first breathing experience underwater should not feel rushed. You can start in shallow water, become comfortable with your equipment and gradually progress.

Once you are relaxed, everything becomes easier.

We Focus on Buoyancy From the Beginning

One of the biggest differences between simply completing a diving course and becoming a good diver is buoyancy control.

Good buoyancy allows you to move through the water without constantly using your hands, touching the bottom or accidentally contacting coral.

It also makes diving much more enjoyable.

Instead of fighting against the water, you begin to feel almost weightless.

At Oceans 5, buoyancy is an important part of the Open Water training process.

We want students to learn how breathing, weighting, body position and their BCD work together.

That is when scuba diving starts becoming something special.

You stop feeling like somebody wearing diving equipment.

You start feeling like a diver.

Learn in the Pool — Practice Around the Gilis

After developing your basic skills in the swimming pool, it is time to take those skills into the ocean.

The SSI Open Water Diver program requires four open-water training dives.[1][2]

And around the Gili Islands, those training dives are not simply exercises.

They are real dives.

Between demonstrating the required skills, you are exploring the reef.

You may encounter turtles, schools of tropical reef fish, moray eels, pufferfish, anemonefish, stingrays and many other animals.

Every dive becomes a combination of training and discovery.

That makes learning much more enjoyable.

An Open Water Course That Fits Into Your Gili Air Holiday

Another advantage of completing your course with Oceans 5 is flexibility.

We start Open Water Diver courses every day.

That means you do not necessarily have to organize your entire holiday around a fixed weekly course schedule.

Our Open Water Diver course normally takes around three days, although learning is never a race. The goal is to complete the required training while giving students enough time to become genuinely comfortable.

And because Oceans 5 is located directly on Gili Air, your course becomes part of your island experience.

You can dive during the day and still enjoy Gili Air afterwards — restaurants, beaches, sunsets and the relaxed island atmosphere.

Your Certification Is Only the Beginning

The biggest advantage of completing an Open Water Diver course instead of doing only an introductory dive is what happens afterwards.

An introductory program gives you an experience.

An Open Water certification gives you a new activity that you can continue for the rest of your life.

After certification, diving can become part of future holidays.

Thailand?

Go diving.

The Philippines?

Go diving.

Australia?

Go diving.

Back to Indonesia?

There are thousands of islands waiting to be explored.

And if you become more enthusiastic about diving, your education can continue with specialties such as Perfect Buoyancy, Enriched Air Nitrox, Navigation, Deep Diving, Wreck Diving, Night Diving and many others.

Your Open Water certification opens the door.

Snorkeling Was the Introduction

Many scuba divers started exactly the same way.

They loved snorkeling.

They loved floating above coral reefs.

They loved watching fish.

But eventually, watching from the surface was no longer enough.

They wanted to go down.

They wanted to stay longer.

They wanted to know what was underneath that coral ledge.

They wanted to swim beside the reef rather than above it.

If that sounds familiar, perhaps it is time to make the next step.

At Oceans 5 Gili Air, SSI Open Water Diver courses start every day.

Your snorkeling adventures showed you the underwater world.

Now you can learn how to enter it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. I love snorkeling. Does that mean I will enjoy scuba diving?

There is a good chance you will. Snorkelers already enjoy being in the water and observing marine life. Scuba diving takes that experience further by allowing you to stay underwater longer and explore below the surface. However, scuba involves additional equipment, skills and safety procedures that you will learn during your course.

2. Do I need previous scuba-diving experience?

No. The SSI Open Water Diver course is an entry-level certification designed for beginners.[1][2]

3. How deep can I dive after my Open Water course?

The SSI Open Water Diver program has a maximum training depth of 18 meters/60 feet for adult students and older juniors. Different restrictions apply to younger divers.[1][2] After certification, SSI recommends diving within the conditions and depth appropriate to your training and experience.[3]

4. How old do I need to be?

SSI lists 10 years old as the minimum age for the Open Water Diver program, with additional restrictions for younger students.[2]

5. How many ocean dives are included in the course?

The SSI Open Water Diver program requires four open-water training dives, in addition to academic and confined-water training.[1]

6. What if I am nervous underwater?

Being slightly nervous at the beginning is completely normal. This is one reason Oceans 5 uses its training pools before progressing into open water. You can practice breathing, equipment use and skills in controlled conditions until you become more comfortable.

7. Will I see turtles during my Open Water course?

Turtles are commonly associated with diving and snorkeling around the Gili Islands, and Gili Matra provides important habitat for sea turtles.[5][7] Wildlife encounters can never be guaranteed, but seeing a turtle during your training dives is certainly possible.

8. Why is Gili Air a good place to learn scuba diving?

You have access to numerous dive sites around Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan, tropical marine life and coral reefs, all within the Gili Matra marine conservation area.[4][5] This means your training dives can also become genuine reef-diving experiences.

9. Why should I choose Oceans 5 Gili Air?

Oceans 5 focuses on small groups, personal attention and comfortable training. We have two purpose-built training pools, experienced SSI instructors and easy access to dive sites around the three Gili Islands. We also place strong emphasis on buoyancy and developing good diving habits from the beginning.

10. When can I start?

At Oceans 5 Gili Air, Open Water Diver courses start every day. This makes it easier to fit the course into your holiday rather than planning your entire trip around fixed course dates.

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References

[1] Scuba Schools International (SSI). SSI Open Water Diver Certification. SSI describes the Open Water Diver program as an internationally recognized entry-level certification incorporating academic, confined-water and open-water training.

[2] Scuba Schools International (SSI). Open Water Diver (ISO 24801-2) Training Standards. SSI standards specify the minimum age, recommended course duration, training depths and open-water requirements for the program.

[3] Scuba Schools International (SSI). Training Environments and Depth Limits. SSI recommends that certified divers dive with an equally or more qualified buddy in environments and depths appropriate to their experience and training.

[4] Wonderful Indonesia – Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia. Diving the Gili Islands / Snorkeling the Gili Islands. The official Indonesian tourism portal highlights Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan for their reefs and popular diving locations including Turtle Heaven, Shark Point, Deep Turbo and Simon’s Reef.

[5] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Republic of Indonesia. Conservation and Rehabilitation of the Gili Matra Marine Ecosystem. KKP identifies Gili Matra as an important marine conservation area containing coral reefs, seagrass and habitat for protected marine species including turtles and reef sharks.

[6] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Republic of Indonesia. IMO Designates Gili Matra and Nusa Penida as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area. The designation provides international recognition of the ecological importance of these marine areas.

[7] International Maritime Organization / Indonesian Government submission. Documentation supporting the Gili Matra PSSA designation describes the fringing coral reef ecosystem as important habitat, nursery and feeding grounds for marine life and notes the ecological importance of the area for green sea turtles.