SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
How Far Can Scuba Diving Take You? For many people, scuba diving begins with one simple idea: I want to see what is underwater. Maybe it starts with an introduction dive while travelling through Indonesia. Maybe it is an Open Water Diver course on Gili Air. …
A Guide for Responsible Divers The Gili Islands are famous for scuba diving. Every year, divers travel to Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan to explore warm tropical waters, coral reefs, walls, wrecks and dive sites where encounters with sea turtles are part of …
Scuba diving on Gili Air does not have to mean spending the entire day on a crowded boat. At Oceans 5 Gili Air, each dive is a separate trip. Our boats leave three times a day, and after every dive we return to the dive centre.
This gives you the freedom to make diving part of your holiday instead of allowing it to take over your complete day. You can join one dive, book all three, relax beside the pool between dives or meet friends and family for breakfast or lunch.
If you are wondering what scuba diving on Gili Air is really like, here is what you can expect from a typical day with Oceans 5.
Your diving experience begins before you step onto the boat.
When you arrive at Oceans 5, our team will check your certification, number of logged dives and the date of your most recent dive. We may also ask about your experience with currents, your usual air consumption and the kind of diving you enjoy.
These questions help us place you in a suitable group. A recently certified diver may want a calm and relaxed dive, while an experienced underwater photographer may prefer to move slowly and search for smaller marine life. Divers with similar experience, confidence and interests generally have a safer and more enjoyable dive together.
At Oceans 5, we take a maximum of four certified divers per guide. Small groups give the guide more time to monitor each diver, adjust the route when necessary and help everyone enjoy the dive.
If you have not dived for six months or longer, we normally recommend completing a Scuba Skills Update before joining regular fun dives. A short refresher can rebuild confidence and allow you to practise important skills in one of our training pools before returning to open water.
If you are using rental equipment, our team will help you choose the correct sizes. Take the time to check that your mask, fins, wetsuit and BCD fit comfortably.
Your guide will explain where to prepare your equipment and will be available if you need assistance. However, certified divers should remain involved in assembling and checking their own equipment. This is an important part of being a responsible and independent diver.
Before departure, you and your buddy should complete a pre-dive safety check. Even experienced divers can overlook a closed cylinder, an incorrectly connected inflator hose or a loose weight-pocket handle. A careful check takes only a few moments and can prevent problems later.
A dive briefing is not simply a description of the fish you might see. It should give you the information needed to understand and safely participate in the dive.
Your guide will normally explain:
Conditions around the Gili Islands can change. The best route, entry point or even choice of dive site depends on the current, tide, visibility and experience of the group. For that reason, the briefing you receive on the day is more important than a generic description found online.
Listen carefully, even if you have visited the dive site before.
Oceans 5 is located beside the harbour of Gili Air, so reaching the boats is quick and easy. The dive sites around Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan are generally only a short boat journey away.
Our boats have more than a captain. Boat crew help load and handle equipment, assist divers when entering and leaving the water, serve refreshments after the dive and help the boat travel safely between the islands.
Your guide remains responsible for the dive, but safe and comfortable boat diving is a team effort. Please follow instructions about where to sit, when to prepare and when to enter the water. Keep masks, computers and other small items secure so they cannot fall overboard or create a trip hazard.
Depending on the boat, dive site and conditions, divers will normally enter using a backward roll or another method explained during the briefing.
Once in the water, signal that you are okay and move away from the entry area when instructed. The group will meet at the surface before beginning the descent.
Do not rush. Equalise early and often, stay close to your buddy and communicate immediately if you have difficulty descending. Reaching the bottom is never more important than remaining comfortable and in control.
The Gili Islands are well known for turtles, but every dive offers something different. Depending on the site and season, you may encounter green and hawksbill turtles, reef sharks, rays, moray eels, cuttlefish, octopuses and large schools of reef fish.
Smaller marine life can be just as interesting. Nudibranchs, pipefish, frogfish, crustaceans and other macro species reward divers who slow down and look carefully.
Many dives around the Gili Islands involve some current. This does not automatically make a dive difficult. A well-planned drift dive can be wonderfully relaxing: you maintain good buoyancy, stay with the group and allow the current to carry you along the reef.
Currents can vary, however, and occasionally change during a dive. That is why local knowledge, good group control and clear communication matter. Follow the guide’s route and avoid swimming far away from the group to chase a turtle or take a photograph.
Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan are surrounded by the Gili Matra Marine Protected Area. Divers are visitors in this environment and should behave accordingly.
Oceans 5 has a strict no-touching policy. Divers should not touch coral, hold turtles, chase sharks, feed fish or collect anything from the reef. All skills should be performed while neutrally buoyant rather than kneeling on the seabed.
Good buoyancy is not only about looking like an experienced diver. It protects coral, prevents sediment from being kicked up and allows you to remain safely in control of your depth.
If you are struggling with buoyancy, tell your guide. Asking for help is responsible diving—not something to be embarrassed about.
As the group approaches the agreed minimum pressure or maximum dive time, your guide will begin the ascent. In drift-diving conditions, the guide may deploy a surface marker buoy so the boat crew can follow the group’s position.
Ascend slowly, monitor your computer and complete the planned safety stop. Stay close to your buddy and guide until everyone is safely back aboard the boat.
The crew will help with equipment where needed. Once seated, secure your cylinder and equipment before relaxing with water or a snack.
After the dive, the boat returns to Oceans 5. You are not required to remain aboard for a second dive or spend the full day at sea.
This separate-departure system gives you several options:
It is particularly convenient for couples and families when not everyone wants to dive. You can enjoy an underwater adventure and still share much of the day together.
Once back at the dive centre, you can rinse your equipment, complete your logbook and talk about what the group encountered. If you are making another dive, your guide will explain when to meet and whether any equipment changes are needed.
Remember to drink water and allow enough surface interval before the next dive. Avoid excessive alcohol, heavy exercise and anything else that may negatively affect your fitness to dive.
If you experienced discomfort, unusual fatigue, breathing difficulty or any other concern during the dive, tell the guide immediately. Small problems are easier to manage when they are communicated early.
Yes. You do not need to be a certified diver to discover scuba diving on Gili Air.
Complete beginners can start in the pool, where an instructor introduces the equipment and basic skills in a controlled environment. Depending on the programme you choose, you may continue with an open-water introductory dive or begin the SSI Open Water Diver course.
Already-certified divers who feel nervous or out of practice can complete a refresher before joining a regular dive. There is no prize for pretending to feel more confident than you do. The best diving experiences begin with honest communication and suitable preparation.
A typical dive day at Oceans 5 is designed to be flexible. Some guests want to dive as much as possible. Others prefer one morning dive followed by breakfast, cycling around Gili Air or relaxing by the pool.
Both are possible.
Our regular boats depart at 08:30, 11:30 and 14:30, with a different schedule on Fridays. Night dives can also be arranged on request. Because we return to the dive centre after every dive, you can choose a schedule that fits your holiday.
The dive site is important, but it is only one part of a good diving day. The group, guide, briefing, equipment, boat crew and decisions made according to the conditions all influence your experience.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, our goal is simple: small groups, responsible diving and a safe, relaxed experience—both above and below the surface.
Oceans 5 normally offers three daytime boat departures at 08:30, 11:30 and 14:30. On Fridays, the schedule is different. Contact us for the current timetable and available dive sites.
Yes. The boat returns to Oceans 5 after each dive, so you can relax at the dive centre, return to your room or have something to eat before your next departure.
Oceans 5 takes a maximum of four certified divers per guide. We also try to match divers according to experience, certification, air consumption and interests.
Yes. Each departure is a separate trip, so certified divers can book one dive or combine several departures.
If your last dive was six months or longer ago, Oceans 5 normally recommends a Scuba Skills Update. This allows you to review essential knowledge and practise important skills before returning to open water.
Complete recreational rental equipment is available for guests diving with Oceans 5. Ask the team about any optional extras, including Nitrox or a larger cylinder.
Not necessarily. Your guide will consider your experience and current conditions when selecting the dive site and organizing the group. Always tell the team honestly if you are unfamiliar with drift diving or do not feel confident in stronger currents.
Yes. Oceans 5 offers introductory options for complete beginners as well as the full SSI Open Water Diver course.
Would you like to join us for one dive, a complete day of diving or your first-ever underwater experience?
Contact Oceans 5 Gili Air on WhatsApp at +62 853 3339 978 or email [email protected]. Tell us your certification level, number of logged dives and the date of your most recent dive, and our team will help you plan the right experience.
Responsible Divers Nine Indonesian university students have begun their Conservation Internship at Oceans 5 Gili Air. Over the coming months, they will collect underwater data inside the Gili Matra Marine Protected Area and gain practical experience that can help prepare them for careers in marine …
The Main Legal Framework The protection, management and responsible use of Gili Matra are supported by several layers of Indonesian law. Together, these regulations govern conservation zoning, coastal development, environmental protection, wastewater and pollution, business activities, public access and the use of small islands. Among …
When comparing scuba-diving prices, it is tempting to choose the lowest number.
A fun dive is a fun dive, right? You receive a tank, join a boat, go underwater and return to shore. Why pay more when another dive centre appears to offer exactly the same experience for less?
The reality is that two dives at the same dive site can be completely different experiences. The advertised price does not tell you how large your group will be, who will guide you, how the equipment is maintained or what safety procedures are followed.
You are not only paying for your time underwater. You are paying for everything that makes that time safe, comfortable, enjoyable and environmentally responsible.
Before comparing prices, check what each dive centre includes.
A low advertised price may not include:
A slightly higher price may already include several of these services. Once all additional charges are added, the difference between two dive centres may be much smaller than it first appeared.
Ask for the complete price before booking. A professional dive centre should be able to explain clearly what is included and which optional charges may apply.
Group size is one of the biggest differences between an inexpensive dive and a high-quality diving experience.
A guide supervising eight divers cannot offer the same level of attention as a guide responsible for four. In a large group, divers can become separated, photographers may feel rushed and less-experienced divers may struggle to keep up.
Smaller groups allow the guide to:
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we take a maximum of four certified divers per guide. We also try to match divers according to their experience, certification, air consumption and interests. A new Open Water Diver may want a different type of dive from an experienced underwater photographer—and both deserve an enjoyable experience.
The personality and experience of your guide can have more influence on your dive than the name of the dive site.
A good guide does much more than swim in front of the group. Your guide should understand the currents, know suitable entry and exit points, monitor the group’s air consumption and adjust the route when conditions change.
The guide should also recognize signs of stress before they become serious.
Local knowledge is especially important around the Gili Islands, where currents can vary between dive sites and may change during the dive. An experienced local Divemaster knows where turtles often rest, where reef sharks may be found and which smaller creatures are easily overlooked.
Oceans 5 works with certified local SSI Divemasters who know the Gili Islands and their changing conditions. Supporting trained local dive professionals also ensures that tourism creates meaningful employment within the community.
Imagine joining a group in which one diver has completed six dives, another has completed 600, one wants to photograph nudibranchs and another wants to cover as much distance as possible.
Nobody is necessarily doing anything wrong, but it is unlikely that everyone will enjoy the same dive.
A quality dive centre spends time asking about:
This preparation requires more organization, but it helps create safer and more enjoyable groups.
The cheapest operator may simply place everyone who has booked the same departure together. That keeps costs low, but it does not necessarily provide the best experience.
Rental equipment is another cost that is largely invisible to customers.
Regulators, buoyancy compensators, cylinders, valves, masks, wetsuits and dive computers all require inspection, cleaning, servicing and eventual replacement. A centre that maintains its equipment properly has continuing operational expenses.
Before diving, your equipment should fit correctly and function as expected. You should also receive enough time to check it before leaving the dive centre.
A cheaper dive becomes poor value very quickly when an uncomfortable mask, leaking regulator or badly fitting BCD affects the entire experience.
Do not be afraid to inspect the equipment or ask when it was last serviced. Responsible dive centres understand why these questions matter.
You may never need emergency oxygen, first aid or an emergency action plan. That does not mean they are unimportant.
Dive safety includes much more than having a certified guide. It involves:
Divers Alert Network recommends confirming that sufficient emergency oxygen is available and stresses the importance of a clear emergency action plan. These systems cost money to establish, maintain and practise, even though guests may never see them being used.[1]
At Oceans 5, our dive boats carry oxygen, first-aid equipment, communication equipment and emergency signalling devices. Before departure, we complete a roll call, and divers perform a pre-dive safety check before entering the water.
Safety should never be the hidden discount behind a cheap dive.
Some dive operations mainly offer two-dive or full-day packages. These can be convenient for divers who want to complete several dives, but they are not ideal for everyone.
You may only have time for one dive. You might want to rest between dives, spend time with your family or decide how you feel after the first dive.
Oceans 5 offers separate scheduled departures during the day. Divers can book one dive or join more than one departure without automatically committing to a full-day package.
Value is not only about paying less per dive. It is also about paying for the experience you actually want.
Every dive operation depends on a healthy marine environment. However, not every operator invests the same amount of time, training or money in protecting it.
Responsible diving includes:
Green Fins explains that environmental briefings can improve diver behaviour and reduce damage to coral reefs. Dive guides also influence guests by demonstrating responsible behaviour underwater.[2]
Oceans 5 has organized weekly beach clean-ups on Gili Air since 2010. We are an SSI Blue Oceans centre and the first Reef Check centre established on Gili Air. We support marine research, university students and conservation activities within the Gili Matra Marine Protected Area.
These efforts are not separate from diving. Protecting the environment is part of operating responsibly in a marine park.
A low price does not necessarily mean that a dive centre is unsafe or unprofessional. Some operators keep their prices competitive because they have efficient systems, own their equipment or operate in locations with lower expenses.
Likewise, a high price does not automatically guarantee excellent service.
The important question is not simply, “Which dive is cheapest?”
Ask instead:
What am I receiving for the price, and what might be missing?
Read recent reviews, visit the dive centre, look at the equipment and speak with the team. Ask about group sizes, safety equipment, dive planning and additional charges. A reputable operator should welcome informed questions.
At Oceans 5 Gili Air, good value means providing more than a boat ride and a tank.
It means:
We may not always be the cheapest option on the Gili Islands—and being the cheapest is not our goal.
Our goal is to provide a safe, personal and well-organized diving experience that divers consider worth returning for.
Scuba diving requires trust. Once you enter the water, you depend on your equipment, your guide, the boat crew and the systems operating behind the scenes.
A small saving may appear attractive when you book. But the cheapest dive offers poor value if the group is too large, the equipment is uncomfortable, the briefing is rushed or the experience does not meet your expectations.
Compare prices, but also compare what matters:
Group size. Professionalism. Equipment. Safety. Flexibility. Local knowledge. Environmental responsibility.
The best-value dive is not necessarily the one with the lowest price. It is the one that leaves you feeling safe, relaxed and excited to enter the water again.
Prices reflect differences in group sizes, staff experience, equipment maintenance, boat operations, safety provisions, environmental programmes and what is included in the advertised rate.
Complete recreational scuba equipment is included for guests diving with Oceans 5. Optional upgrades or extras, such as Nitrox or a 15-litre cylinder, may carry an additional charge.
Oceans 5 takes a maximum of four certified divers per guide. Groups are also matched as closely as possible according to experience, certification and diving interests.
Yes. Oceans 5 operates separate dive departures, allowing you to book one dive or select several departures according to your plans.
Ask about group size, equipment rental, additional fees, guide qualifications, boat safety equipment, emergency oxygen, dive times and how groups are organized.
No. Price alone does not guarantee quality. Look at what is included, speak with the staff, inspect the facilities and equipment, and read recent reviews before deciding.
Cannot Control Their Buoyancy A scuba certification gives someone permission to dive within the limits of their training. But does a certification card automatically prove that the diver is currently capable of diving safely? The honest answer is no. Some certified divers return to the …
Using Air Faster Than Your Buddy? You finish a beautiful dive around the Gili Islands and look at your pressure gauge. You have 50 bar remaining. Your buddy still has 90 bar, and the Divemaster appears to have barely used any air. Does that mean …
Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan are not simply three popular holiday islands. Together with their surrounding waters, they form Gili Matra, a nationally protected marine conservation area.
That distinction matters. A marine park is not only the water below the high-tide line. What happens on the beach and along the coast can directly affect water quality, coral reefs, seagrass, turtles and the natural movement of sand. Development on land and protection underwater cannot be treated as two separate issues.
According to information shared with local stakeholders, on 27 and 28 August a national environmental law-enforcement team was scheduled to conduct a field survey connected to the pollution and environmental concerns involving PT Tiara Citra Nirwana (TCN) on Gili Trawangan. The company’s seawater-reverse-osmosis project and the installation of offshore pipes have been the subject of official action and public concern since 2024.[1][2]
The visit is important, but its results have not yet been published. It is therefore too early to say what the investigators found, who may be legally responsible or what action will follow. The investigation must be allowed to establish the facts. Hopefully, it will not only identify possible violations but also help define how damaged areas can be repaired and how similar harm can be prevented.
Gili Matra has had protected status since 1993 and was designated as a national Marine Tourism Park under a ministerial decision in 2009. The conservation area covers approximately 2,954 hectares and includes Gili Air, Gili Meno, Gili Trawangan and their surrounding marine ecosystems.[3]
Its national importance was reinforced in 2017. Decision of the Director General of Marine Spatial Management No. 7/KEP-DJPRL/2017 classified ten National Marine Conservation Areas for nature-based marine tourism. The Marine Tourism Park of Gili Ayer (Gili Air), Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan appears as entry No. 3 and was awarded Category A, the highest category used in the decision.[4] This means Gili Matra was officially included among ten nationally classified conservation areas for marine nature tourism; the list itself was not a ranking from first to tenth.
Its importance extends beyond North Lombok. Gili Matra is part of a National Tourism Destination and lies within the Lesser Sunda seascape, a priority area under the Coral Triangle Initiative.[5] In 2024, the International Maritime Organization also designated Gili Matra and Nusa Penida as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area.[6]
These titles should mean something in practice. A protected area needs clear rules, effective monitoring and consistent enforcement. Without those, conservation status risks becoming little more than a label used to promote tourism.
Rules governing construction, coastal use, wastewater, conservation zoning and business permits have existed for years. Yet enforcement on the Gili Islands has often appeared inconsistent. Some businesses may lack knowledge of the regulations, but others seem to have calculated that the commercial benefit of building first is greater than the risk of being stopped later.
That gamble becomes attractive when illegal or non-compliant structures remain in place for years, penalties are limited, and enforcement happens only occasionally. Responsible businesses then face an unfair choice: respect the rules while competitors gain more beachfront space, or copy the behaviour and hope there will be no consequences.
This is how isolated violations can gradually become normalised.
There are now signs that the climate may be changing. The 27–28 August TCN survey brings national environmental law enforcement back to Gili Trawangan. The North Lombok Government has also announced another beach-clearance operation for next month, recalling the large removal of structures from public coastal land that began in 2017.[7]
Together, these developments suggest that the authorities may be losing patience with continued violations. However, a two-day investigation and a one-time clearance will not be enough.
Buildings and infrastructure on the shoreline can have consequences far beyond the footprint of a business.
Beach walls and other hard structures can interrupt the natural movement of sand. Although a wall may protect one property temporarily, it can shift wave energy and erosion to another part of the coast. Illegal boat-landing cuts or channels can disturb shallow reef and seagrass habitat and alter the shoreline. Excessive artificial light and noise near nesting beaches may discourage turtles from nesting or disorient hatchlings.
Poorly designed, leaking or overloaded septic systems are another serious concern on small coral islands. Nutrients and pathogens can move through porous ground into coastal water, reducing water quality and potentially encouraging algal growth. However, the causes of any particular algal bloom—including the recent Halimeda expansion—must be established through proper water-quality monitoring and scientific research. Changes in pH, nutrients, temperature, currents and other conditions should be measured rather than assumed.
That distinction is essential. Calling for accountability does not mean deciding the scientific or legal outcome before the evidence is available. It means demanding that the evidence is collected, published and acted upon.
Gili Matra has seen enforcement before. Authorities began clearing structures from the beaches in 2017.[7] Yet, over time, construction returned to parts of the coastline.
If authorities remove an unlawful structure but impose no meaningful consequence, rebuilding can become just another business expense. The message is effectively: build now, profit while possible and start again after the officials leave.
That approach does not protect a marine park. It rewards those prepared to take the biggest gamble and leaves the public—and the environment—to carry the cost.
Enforcement should therefore go beyond removing physical structures. Where violations and environmental damage are proven through a fair legal process, the response should be strong enough to prevent repetition. Depending on the law and the evidence, this could include substantial fines, restoration orders, recovery of clean-up costs, suspension or revocation of permits, and regular compliance inspections.
The principle should be simple: the polluter and the party responsible for proven damage should pay—not the local community, not responsible businesses and not future generations.
This is the question that can no longer be avoided.
If a business has illegally damaged reef habitat to install infrastructure or create a boat landing, who pays for ecological assessment and restoration? If a coastal wall contributes to erosion elsewhere, who pays to repair the beach? If wastewater from a property is proven to have polluted groundwater or the sea, who pays for monitoring and remediation? If nesting habitat is lost, how is that ecological damage addressed?
Removing the offending structure may stop part of the problem, but it does not automatically restore what was lost. Coral reefs grow slowly. Beaches can take years to recover. Once turtle nesting habitat disappears, bringing it back is far more difficult than protecting it in the first place.
Serious fines should not be viewed as hostility toward business. Fair and predictable enforcement protects responsible operators from unfair competition. It also protects the natural asset on which almost every business on the islands depends.
Tourists come to the Gili Islands for clear water, beaches, turtles, coral reefs and island character. Hotels, restaurants, dive centres, transport providers and local families all depend on that appeal.
If the coastline is hardened, the beaches disappear, water quality declines and the reefs continue to deteriorate, the tourism economy will eventually pay the price. Marketing cannot compensate indefinitely for environmental decline.
The 27–28 August survey should therefore be seen as more than an investigation into one company or one incident. It is a test of whether protected-area rules will finally be implemented consistently.
The announced beach clearance next month will be another test. Will it be a temporary clean-up followed by rebuilding, or the start of continuous monitoring and real accountability?
The way forward should include:
Businesses should be given clear information and a reasonable path to compliance. But once the rules and deadlines are clear, repeated violations should have serious consequences.
Gili Matra does not need another cycle of concern, clearance and rebuilding. It needs enforcement that lasts after the officials have left.
The future of tourism on Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan depends on a healthy marine park. Protecting it is not anti-development. It is the only form of development that can survive.
What Divers Should Know Before Entering the Water The equipment is ready. The tanks are on the boat. The water looks inviting, and everyone wants to start diving. Then the Divemaster begins the dive briefing. For some experienced divers, this can feel like information they …