SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
Your Discover Scuba Diving Program In today’s highly competitive dive industry, many dive centers are racing against each other—sometimes not to be better, but simply to be cheaper or faster. The focus often shifts from education and experience to volume and turnover. Price cuts and …
Is Scuba Diving Dangerous? Understanding the Risks, Realities, and Safety of Diving at Oceans 5 Gili Air One of the most frequently asked questions we get at Oceans 5 Gili Air is, “Is scuba diving dangerous?” And it’s a fair question—when people imagine diving, they often think …
Are you ready to elevate your scuba diving career and become an exemplary PADI Instructor? Oceans 5 Gili Air invites aspiring dive professionals to join the upcoming Instructor Development Course (IDC), beginning on July 2nd, 2025, guided by the expert mentorship of renowned PADI Course Director Warren Beyers, affectionately known as Waz. This is not just an IDC; it is your gateway to becoming a true ocean ambassador in one of Indonesia’s most pristine marine parks—Gili Matra.
Located within the protected marine park of Gili Matra, Oceans 5 Gili Air holds the prestigious distinction of being the only PADI IDC center on the Gili Islands actively advocating and practicing neutral buoyancy instruction during open water training sessions. This approach isn’t merely an instructional style; it is a profound commitment to marine conservation and responsible diving practices that Oceans 5 has seamlessly integrated across all of its diving courses.
Guiding you through your IDC journey will be Warren Beyers—Waz—whose charismatic teaching style, extensive diving experience, and dedication to marine conservation set him apart as one of Indonesia’s most respected PADI Course Directors. With years of dive instruction experience, including technical and recreational diving, Waz believes deeply in cultivating instructors who not only master PADI standards but also embody ocean stewardship.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, buoyancy control is far more than a fundamental skill—it’s a core value. Diving within the marine-protected area of Gili Matra means that divers and snorkelers pay an entry fee specifically contributing towards the conservation and maintenance of this underwater paradise. As such, dive professionals bear the critical responsibility of acting as ocean ambassadors. Through impeccable buoyancy control and responsible dive practices, instructors set visible examples for new divers to emulate, safeguarding coral reefs from potential harm.
Neutral buoyancy instruction at Oceans 5 Gili Air means that from day one of your PADI IDC Indonesia, you will learn how to perform and teach dive skills without touching the bottom or disturbing marine life. This practice ensures that instructor candidates understand how to maintain precise control underwater, an invaluable skill that their future students will emulate.
The methodology involves:
The PADI IDC at Oceans 5 doesn’t just produce instructors who can teach diving—it develops marine ambassadors who passionately share conservation values. Course Director Waz emphasizes that students will inevitably mirror their instructor’s behaviors underwater. If an instructor regularly contacts the reef or seabed, students will perceive such behavior as acceptable. By teaching and demonstrating skills in perfect neutral buoyancy, IDC candidates set standards that foster long-term environmental respect among their future students.
Starting July 2nd, IDC candidates at Oceans 5 will engage in a structured, immersive 20-day learning experience, purposefully designed to reduce stress while maximizing learning outcomes. The course integrates classroom theory, confined water practice, and open water sessions seamlessly, ensuring candidates have ample opportunity to refine their skills in a supportive and highly professional environment.
The IDC at Oceans 5 covers essential topics such as:
Throughout this intensive program, candidates receive personalized mentorship, continuous feedback, and ample opportunities to practice and perfect their teaching presentations and dive skills.
Following the IDC, candidates undertake the PADI Instructor Examination (IE), scheduled conveniently on-site at Oceans 5, subject to having at least four candidates. This ensures comfort and familiarity, significantly reducing exam anxiety and fostering optimal performance.
Additionally, Oceans 5 offers a unique, free-of-charge instructor internship to newly certified instructors. This immersive internship provides invaluable real-world teaching experience under supervision, allowing new instructors to fine-tune their skills, manage real courses, and build their confidence.
Choosing Oceans 5 Gili Air for your IDC means selecting:
Gili Air, nestled within the stunning Gili Matra Marine Park, offers a serene yet vibrant backdrop for your IDC. With crystal-clear waters, diverse marine life, and a relaxed island atmosphere, the location provides the perfect balance for intensive learning and enjoyable downtime. Between IDC sessions, candidates can recharge with activities like yoga, freediving, or simply relaxing on the beach watching unforgettable sunsets.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, the philosophy is clear: instructors trained here become advocates of change. As a graduate of this program, you won’t just instruct new divers—you’ll inspire them to cherish and preserve the oceans. Through your impeccable buoyancy and responsible diving practices, you’ll set new standards for diving education globally.
Ready to elevate your diving career and become part of the next generation of ocean ambassadors? The July IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air, led by Course Director Waz, awaits you. Spots fill quickly, so don’t miss this opportunity to be trained at one of the world’s most conscientious and celebrated dive centers.
Become a dive instructor who not only teaches skills but instills a lifelong respect and love for the ocean. Join Oceans 5 Gili Air and transform your passion into your profession. Contact Oceans 5 today to reserve your place for the upcoming IDC starting July 2nd, 2025.
Jellyfish—graceful, translucent drifters of the ocean—can bring a moment of wonder when spotted underwater. But for many divers and swimmers, an encounter with a jellyfish is far from magical. A sting from these gelatinous creatures can lead to anything from a mild itch to a …
A Mission Beneath the Surface It was an amazing evening in the harbor of Gili Air. As the sun began to set and painted the sky in soft hues of orange and pink, a dedicated team of divers gathered for a mission that went beyond …
Embarking on a Divemaster internship marks the first major step toward becoming a dive professional, transforming your passion for diving into a rewarding career. Choosing the right dive center to undertake this internship is crucial for your professional growth, skill enhancement, and future career opportunities. Oceans 5 Gili Air stands out prominently as a superior option for aspiring Divemasters due to its exceptional training environment, real-life experience opportunities, and seamless progression towards becoming a PADI Instructor.
Located in the picturesque Gili Islands of Indonesia, Oceans 5 Gili Air is renowned for its commitment to excellence, high safety standards, environmental sustainability, and professional diving education. As a PADI Career Development Centre (CDC), Oceans 5 provides the ideal environment to develop the skills, confidence, and knowledge required to thrive as a Divemaster and beyond.
While free divemaster internships may sound appealing, Oceans 5 firmly believes in a paid internship model. The rationale behind a paid internship ensures that each candidate receives thorough, high-quality training, personalized mentorship, and access to top-tier equipment and facilities. Paying for your internship ensures your instructors are properly compensated, motivated, and dedicated to providing the highest quality training possible.
Oceans 5 maintains small group sizes for its Divemaster Internship programs, which typically range from 4 to 6 candidates. This intimate group size guarantees personalized attention, enhanced mentorship, and the opportunity for each intern to actively participate in real training sessions with actual students. Smaller groups foster stronger team cohesion, camaraderie, and greater individual attention from instructors, ensuring you receive the maximum benefit from your training.
One of the standout features of Oceans 5’s Divemaster Internship is the commitment to authentic, real-world training. Interns at Oceans 5 are not subjected to simulated scenarios but gain invaluable experience assisting instructors with actual students. This exposure to real situations enhances your confidence, problem-solving abilities, and capacity to manage diverse diving scenarios efficiently and safely.
Unlike other dive centers that simulate scenarios, Oceans 5 prioritizes training Divemasters using genuine student interactions. Interns assist with courses ranging from Discover Scuba Diving to Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and specialty courses. This ensures interns experience a variety of real-life diving conditions, student personalities, and challenges.
This hands-on, practical approach prepares you comprehensively for a career in diving by teaching essential skills like student management, effective communication, risk assessment, and underwater leadership. You graduate from the internship not just knowledgeable, but also confident and competent.
Oceans 5 Gili Air’s busy schedule ensures continuous exposure to diverse diving courses and scenarios. Regularly assisting courses broadens your skill set, enriches your understanding of dive logistics, and sharpens your capacity to manage students of varying skill levels and backgrounds.
One significant advantage of doing your Divemaster Internship at Oceans 5 is the seamless transition into the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC). Oceans 5 Gili Air is one of Indonesia’s most reputable PADI CDCs, hosting monthly IDCs. Completing your Divemaster training at the same location where the IDC is offered simplifies your progression, giving you direct and convenient access to advanced professional training.
Oceans 5’s regular monthly IDCs offer unmatched flexibility and convenience for Divemaster candidates looking to quickly and smoothly advance their diving careers. With frequent IDCs, candidates can effortlessly enroll in an Instructor Development Course immediately following the completion of their internship, ensuring continuous professional growth without interruption.
Starting your IDC at the same dive center where you completed your Divemaster internship has profound benefits. You are already familiar with the facilities, dive sites, staff, and logistical procedures. This continuity significantly reduces stress and allows you to fully concentrate on mastering advanced instructor-level skills without adjusting to new environments or operations.
Oceans 5’s prestigious status as a PADI CDC is highly advantageous for Divemaster interns. CDCs represent the highest level of professional diver training recognized by PADI, guaranteeing excellence in standards, training quality, and instructor proficiency.
Training at a CDC like Oceans 5 ensures exposure to the latest teaching techniques and diving practices endorsed by PADI. CDC status means strict adherence to high standards, providing you with the most current diving education methodologies and a solid foundation in safety, risk management, and environmental protection.
Completing your Divemaster Internship at a renowned CDC significantly enhances your employability. Dive operators worldwide recognize CDCs as institutions of exceptional quality. Graduates from CDCs, especially those with hands-on experience like those trained at Oceans 5, find it easier to secure positions in top-tier dive operations globally.
Oceans 5 is dedicated to marine conservation and environmental awareness, embedding these principles into every aspect of its training. This commitment prepares interns not only as skilled dive professionals but also as ambassadors for marine protection.
Interns at Oceans 5 learn sustainable diving practices, coral reef protection techniques, and actively participate in regular beach and underwater clean-ups. This environmental focus equips you to advocate for sustainable practices throughout your diving career, making you highly desirable in eco-conscious dive centers worldwide.
Oceans 5 boasts world-class facilities including spacious classrooms, dedicated training pools, modern equipment, and exceptional logistical support. These facilities ensure interns learn in an optimal environment conducive to developing professional diving skills.
Oceans 5’s multiple, purpose-built training pools are specifically designed for diver education. These pools allow Divemaster candidates to thoroughly practice and master essential diving skills in a safe, controlled environment before progressing to open water scenarios.
Reliable, high-quality equipment is paramount in dive training. Oceans 5 maintains its equipment to the highest standards, ensuring interns train with equipment representative of professional diving environments worldwide.
Joining Oceans 5 means becoming part of a vibrant, supportive community. The dive center’s family-like atmosphere encourages strong relationships between interns, instructors, and the wider dive community. This network provides valuable connections for future employment and ongoing professional development.
During your internship, you have regular interactions with industry professionals, visiting instructors, and IDC candidates. These interactions are invaluable, allowing you to build relationships that could lead to employment opportunities and collaborations throughout your diving career.
Choosing Oceans 5 Gili Air for your Divemaster Internship offers significant professional, educational, and personal advantages. From receiving personalized, real-world training in small groups to smoothly transitioning into a PADI IDC at a prestigious CDC, the benefits are extensive. Oceans 5’s emphasis on sustainability, exceptional facilities, and a supportive community further solidifies its status as the ideal location to begin your professional diving journey. Starting your Divemaster Internship at Oceans 5 Gili Air is not just about obtaining certification; it is about preparing for a successful, rewarding, and impactful career in scuba diving.
The Newest Development on Gili Air: A Safe Haven for Island Cats The tranquil island of Gili Air is often praised for its white sand beaches, welcoming locals, and laid-back atmosphere—but beneath the postcard-perfect surface lies a growing movement of sustainability, community care, and compassion. …
How Gili Air Is Turning Glass Bottles into Bricks A Sustainability Revolution Begins The island of Gili Air, known for its turquoise waters, vibrant coral reefs, and laid-back atmosphere, is undergoing a quiet revolution. Not in politics or tourism, but in waste management—specifically in how …
On 16 April 2010, Oceans 5 Gili Air received an email from PADI that would change the future of diving on Gili Air forever. That message officially confirmed Oceans 5 as a registered PADI Dive Shop, the beginning of a remarkable journey that has spanned 15 years of dedication, growth, and transformation. Today, as we celebrate this milestone in April 2025, we reflect on the passion and perseverance that made it all possible.
Back in 2010, Gili Air was a world apart from what it is today. Unlike its more developed sibling Gili Trawangan, Gili Air had only a few accommodations, no fast boats, and a modest trickle of tourism. The island’s harbor was a quiet space, where travelers arrived by local boats from Lombok or by slow island hoppers making their way from Gili Trawangan.
At that time, Oceans 5 became the fourth dive shop on the island—a bold move in a location where few saw commercial potential. Most people questioned the decision to establish a dive shop in the harbor, far from the more popular beachfronts. There were hardly any other businesses in the area, and almost no accommodation nearby.
Even more surprising was the layout of Oceans 5 itself. While most dive shops operated in compact spaces, Oceans 5 was designed with expansive land, a 25-meter swimming pool, and a layout that allowed for freedom of movement, comfort, and growth. People called it overkill. Some even called it crazy.
But behind that unconventional plan was a vision.
Sander Buis, founder of Oceans 5 and PADI Course Director, saw beyond the present. He believed that Gili Air, with its serene charm, kind community, and strategic location, had immense potential. He envisioned a dive center that would be spacious, inclusive, professional, and environmentally responsible, where divers wouldn’t just come to learn—they would come to belong.
That vision wasn’t just about creating a dive shop. It was about building a dive resort, a community, and a legacy. A place where people would feel at home the moment they stepped off the boat. A center that would grow with the island, rather than fight against it.
Over the past 15 years, Oceans 5 Gili Air has grown into a full-fledged boutique dive resort that still holds tightly to its original principles. The dive center operates with a limited number of instructors and divemasters, ensuring personalized attention and high-quality training. Rather than expanding endlessly, the focus has remained on quality over quantity.
With two dedicated scuba diving pools, new rental equipment, and a spacious dive shop built in a traditional Javanese joglo, Oceans 5 offers a calm, professional atmosphere for everyone—from absolute beginners to seasoned pros. On the premises are 11 resort rooms, a gym, and several island businesses including ticket offices, restaurants, and small shops, all of which contribute to the vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere.
But what truly sets Oceans 5 apart isn’t infrastructure. It’s philosophy.
From the very start, Oceans 5 has had a close connection with the local community. The dive shop works in harmony with the five original families of Gili Air, supporting local employment and community projects. Over the years, that connection has only deepened.
Whether through offering free education to Indonesian divemaster candidates, organizing weekly beach cleanups since 2010, or collaborating with the University of Mataram to conduct coral reef research, Oceans 5 continues to give back to the island that welcomed it 15 years ago.
This connection is not transactional—it’s emotional. It’s mutual. And it’s lasting.
The journey of Oceans 5 hasn’t been without its challenges. In 2018, the island was hit by a series of devastating earthquakes that destroyed homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Oceans 5, like many others, was deeply affected. But thanks to the resilience of the team and support from the community, it rebuilt stronger than before.
Then came COVID-19, bringing tourism to a standstill and testing the limits of every business on the island. Once again, Oceans 5 stood firm. By retaining staff, offering local conservation work, and focusing on maintenance and education, the dive center used the downtime not as a pause—but as preparation.
It is through these moments of adversity that the true spirit of Oceans 5 was revealed: resilience, unity, and hope.
As Gili Air developed and more dive centers arrived, many began to emulate Oceans 5’s model—from pool size to conservation initiatives and even community involvement. For the team at Oceans 5, this isn’t a source of frustration. It’s a source of pride.
Being an example to others means you’re doing something right. And while there may now be other dive shops that try to replicate the success, there is only one real Oceans 5. The original. The one that believed when nobody else did, that committed to long-term goals, and that continues to deliver excellence in diver education, environmental responsibility, and community impact.
In 2014, Oceans 5 received the prestigious title of PADI Career Development Centre (CDC)—the only one on Gili Air. This recognition reflects the consistent quality of instruction and the high number of professional-level certifications conducted at the center.
Today, Oceans 5 is home to two in-house PADI Course Directors, offering up to 10 PADI IDCs per year. The center has transformed thousands of divers into Divemasters and Instructors, preparing them for careers around the world.
The IDC program at Oceans 5 is known for its realistic teaching techniques, stress-free environment, and small group sizes, ensuring that candidates are not just ready to pass their Instructor Examination, but to teach confidently and responsibly anywhere in the world.
Fifteen years is both a long time and a blink of an eye. For Oceans 5, it marks not just an anniversary but a new chapter. The future will see more innovation, continued conservation efforts, and expanded partnerships with local and global marine organizations.
In 2025, Oceans 5 also launched a free Divemaster Internship Program for Indonesian citizens, offering locals a chance to pursue a professional diving career without financial barriers. It’s a fitting symbol of where the dive center’s heart lies: with the people, the ocean, and the island.
There are also plans to add new accommodation, expand the conservation department, and introduce more specialty and technical diving programs, including TDI tech courses—ensuring that Oceans 5 remains at the cutting edge of dive education.
As we celebrate this anniversary, founder Sander Buis shares his thoughts:
“When I opened Oceans 5 in 2010, people thought I was dreaming too big. But I wasn’t building just a dive shop—I was building a space where people could feel safe, learn, grow, and fall in love with the ocean. Oceans 5 has always been about more than diving. It’s about the people we meet, the lives we change, and the island we protect. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey.”
This celebration is not just for the Oceans 5 team—it’s for everyone who walked through the doors of the dive shop. To the divers who took their first breath underwater, the professionals who started their careers here, the guests who came back year after year, and the local families who trusted and supported Oceans 5: thank you.
To all the instructors, divemasters, interns, students, and friends from around the world—you made this possible.
Without you, there would be no Oceans 5.
Est. 16 April 2010 – A Legacy That Continues
Waz Leads His First PADI IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air In the world of scuba diving, becoming a PADI Course Director is a pinnacle achievement—one that signifies years of dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to education, safety, and the underwater world. And for every …