Is Technical Diving Also for Women? Meet the Women at Oceans 5

The stereotype: muscles, ego and deeper dives

Picture a technical diver. Does a muscular man appear in your mind? Someone surrounded by cylinders, convinced he knows everything better, with an arrogant attitude and one ambition: to go deeper and deeper?

That stereotype can make technical diving look like an exclusive club. And if that is the picture we present, where does a woman fit in?

Is technical diving also for women? Absolutely. The stereotype says very little about the skills and attitude a good technical diver needs. At Oceans 5 Gili Air, Esmee is one of our technical diving instructors. Women already belong in this part of diving.

Technical diving instructor Esmee surrounded by batfish around the Gili Islands.

Good technical diving starts with the right attitude

Careful preparation, honest communication and a willingness to keep learning matter on every technical dive. So does listening to your teammates and accepting feedback.

A diver who thinks they know everything can miss something important. A diver focused only on reaching a target depth can overlook reasons to change the plan. Knowing when to turn a dive is part of good judgement.

Your gender does not decide whether you can develop these skills. Your training, readiness, experience and approach to diving do.

Meet Esmee, a technical diving instructor at Oceans 5

For women considering their next step, seeing another woman involved can make technical diving feel more approachable. At Oceans 5, Esmee is part of that picture: a technical diving instructor who shows that women belong both in training and in teaching.

You do not need to copy someone else’s personality or ambitions to explore the same path. You can bring your own questions, choose your own goals and build your skills progressively.

Oceans 5 instructor Irene taking a technical diving course in Indonesia — Instructor Irene developing her skills during a technical diving course at Oceans 5 Gili Air.

What about the equipment and physical demands?

Multiple cylinders can look intimidating. Physical capability matters, and every diver needs to manage the demands of their equipment and planned dives. Those demands should be assessed individually.

Equipment fit deserves attention too. Harness adjustment, cylinder positioning and access to valves and clips affect how comfortably you can operate your setup. Discuss these with your instructor rather than assuming one configuration suits everyone.

Sidemount training offers an opportunity to learn a different cylinder configuration. It is used in recreational and technical diving; the configuration alone does not qualify you for decompression dives or greater depths.

Instructors Esmee and Irene practising sidemount in the pool at Oceans 5 Gili Air — Esmee and Irene in the pool with their sidemount equipment at Oceans 5 Gili Air.

You can start without chasing depth

Curiosity about technical diving does not mean you need an ambition to reach extreme depths. Your first goal might be better control, more precise teamwork or a deeper understanding of your equipment.

The TDI Intro to Tech course at Oceans 5 develops foundations such as buoyancy, trim, propulsion and team procedures. It gives you space to discover whether you enjoy this style of diving before pursuing further training.

Technical diving instructor Esmee with multiple cylinders at Oceans 5 Gili Air — When two tanks are not enough: Esmee with a multiple-cylinder technical diving setup. Equipment is chosen to suit the dive plan.

Technical diving courses at Oceans 5 Gili Air

Through Oceans 5 Dive Tech , we offer TDI courses on Gili Air, Indonesia. Your starting point depends on your qualifications, experience and goals.

TDI Intro to Tech

Develop equipment familiarity, buoyancy, trim, propulsion and team skills.

Explore Intro to Tech

TDI Sidemount

Learn cylinder setup, handling and gas management with cylinders carried at your sides.

Explore Sidemount

TDI Nitrox

Learn enriched-air theory, gas analysis and nitrox dive planning. This course is offered without dives.

Explore Nitrox

TDI Advanced Nitrox

Develop oxygen management and gas-planning skills. The standalone course does not qualify you for staged decompression.

Explore Advanced Nitrox

TDI Decompression Procedures

Learn the planning and procedures involved in staged decompression diving.

Explore Decompression Procedures

TDI Extended Range

Continue your development with deeper technical dive planning, gas management and decompression skills.

Explore Extended Range

TDI Gas Blender

Explore the knowledge and practical procedures involved in preparing nitrox mixtures.

Explore Gas Blender

Combined training packages

Explore Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures , or the Sidemount, Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures package .

Each course has its own entry requirements and certification limits. Our team can help you choose a suitable starting point.

Is technical diving for you?

If you enjoy learning, practising skills and working as part of a team, technical diving may be a rewarding direction to explore.

Esmee is already part of the technical diving community at Oceans 5. If you are curious about joining it, tell us about your diving experience and what you would like to learn.

Discover Oceans 5 Dive Tech Discuss your next course