SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
SSI ITC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
10 Things to Check Before Booking Choosing a dive center can have a much bigger influence on your diving experience than choosing the dive site itself. When people plan a diving holiday, they often compare three things first: location, reviews and price. They search Google, …
A Complete Guide to Learning to Dive in the Gili Islands If you have never scuba dived before, choosing where to take your first breaths underwater is an important decision. You want warm water, interesting marine life, professional instructors, good training facilities and, most importantly, …
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.
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.
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 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No. The SSI Open Water Diver course is an entry-level certification designed for beginners.[1][2]
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]
SSI lists 10 years old as the minimum age for the Open Water Diver program, with additional restrictions for younger students.[2]
The SSI Open Water Diver program requires four open-water training dives, in addition to academic and confined-water training.[1]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
[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.
Where Every Tourist Is Valentino Rossi There was a time, not so long ago, when Gili Air was famous for something rather unusual in the modern world: there were no motorized vehicles. No cars. No motorbikes. No traffic jams. Just bicycles, cidomos, people walking barefoot along …
Turn Your Passion for Diving Into a Professional Career Are you an Indonesian citizen with a Rescue Diver certification who dreams of becoming a professional Divemaster? Perhaps you want to guide divers around Indonesia’s incredible reefs. Maybe you dream about working in Raja Ampat, Komodo, …
Already a dive instructor with another training agency and thinking about adding SSI to your professional qualifications? This August, Oceans 5 Gili Air is offering a special opportunity.
Starting 20 August 2026, Oceans 5 Gili Air will organize a special 10-day SSI Instructor Crossover Course, specifically designed for certified dive instructors from other recognized training organizations who would like to become SSI professionals.
The course will take place at Oceans 5 Gili Air, an SSI Instructor Training Center with more than 16 years of experience in scuba diving education on the Gili Islands. The program will be guided by SSI Instructor Trainer Warren “Waz” Beyers.
For instructors planning to work in Indonesia—and particularly around the Gili Islands—crossing over to SSI can be much more than adding another certification to your professional portfolio. It can increase your employment opportunities, introduce you to a modern digital training system and give you access to SSI’s professional recognition and reward structure.[1][2]
Most dive instructors begin their professional careers with one training organization. There is nothing wrong with that. However, the international diving industry is constantly changing.
Dive centers generally want instructors who can teach through the training organization used by their business. Being qualified with more than one recognized training agency can therefore make an instructor more flexible when looking for employment.
This is particularly relevant on Gili Air.
SSI has developed a strong presence on the island, with several established dive centers operating as SSI Training Centers. For an instructor who wants to find work on Gili Air or elsewhere in the Gili Islands, holding an SSI professional qualification can therefore create additional opportunities.
Instead of being restricted to businesses operating with your existing training organization, you can potentially work with SSI Training Centers as well, provided you meet SSI’s active-status and professional requirements.[1]
In a competitive international diving industry, having more options can make a real difference.
One of the biggest reasons to complete an SSI crossover is simple: employability.
Imagine two instructors applying for the same position. Both have similar diving experience, teaching experience and references. One is qualified to teach through only one organization, while the other holds active professional qualifications with multiple recognized training organizations.
For a dive center operating through SSI, the instructor already qualified within the SSI system has an obvious practical advantage.
This does not mean that belonging to one particular training agency automatically makes somebody a better instructor.
Good instructors are created through experience, professionalism, attitude, teaching ability, diving skills, student control and a willingness to continue learning.
However, additional professional qualifications can make it easier for a dive center to employ you within its existing training system.
For instructors traveling through Southeast Asia or looking for seasonal or long-term diving employment, this flexibility can be extremely valuable.
Another reason instructors are attracted to SSI is its digital approach to diver education.
SSI provides digital learning materials and online resources through its digital ecosystem and MySSI platform.[2]
For today’s traveling instructor, this is a major advantage.
Students can access educational materials digitally, while instructors and Training Centers can use SSI’s systems to support administration, training and certification processes.[1][2]
It means less dependence on traditional printed teaching materials and allows students to complete much of their academic preparation independently.
The instructor can then spend valuable face-to-face training time discussing important concepts, answering questions and—most importantly—developing comfortable and competent divers.
For instructors who have spent years working with a more traditional educational system, crossing over can therefore introduce a different approach to teaching.
The 10-day crossover at Oceans 5 Gili Air is not simply about learning how to use another app or finding out where to click on a website.
It is about understanding the SSI educational philosophy, standards, training structure and professional system.
One of the interesting aspects of SSI for active diving professionals is its professional recognition structure.
Being a professional dive instructor involves annual costs. Maintaining active teaching status, professional membership, insurance where applicable, continuing education and equipment all form part of working within the diving industry.
SSI provides professional recognition based on training activity and achievements within its system.[1]
For instructors working full-time in a busy diving destination such as the Gili Islands, this can be particularly interesting.
An instructor teaching regularly throughout the year may be able to qualify for benefits or rewards that help offset professional costs, depending on the applicable SSI program, eligibility requirements and current terms.
For a busy instructor working on the Gili Islands, reaching meaningful recognition levels can be a realistic objective rather than something that feels completely disconnected from normal day-to-day teaching.
Of course, instructors should always check the current SSI professional conditions because membership, recognition and reward programs can change.[1]
But the philosophy behind rewarding active professionals is one of the aspects that makes SSI attractive to instructors considering a crossover.
There are many places around the world where you can develop your career as a dive professional. So why choose Gili Air?
Because Gili Air isn’t simply somewhere to complete a course.
It is an island where diving is part of everyday life.
The three Gili Islands—Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan—are surrounded by tropical diving environments and form part of the Gili Matra marine protected area.[3]
Diving takes place throughout the year, attracting complete beginners, experienced recreational divers, Divemaster candidates and diving professionals.
This creates an excellent environment for professional-level training.
During your time on Gili Air, you are surrounded by the diving industry. You can see how dive centers operate, meet Divemasters and instructors from around the world and experience what working in a busy Indonesian diving destination actually feels like.
For somebody considering finding a diving job in Indonesia after completing the crossover, that experience can be extremely valuable.
Professional development is important, but there is another advantage to completing the course here: you get to spend 10 days on Gili Air.
Gili Air combines a well-established tourism and diving industry with the atmosphere of a small tropical island.
After training, you can explore the island, go diving or snorkeling, visit restaurants, watch the sunset or simply meet other diving professionals.
There is also something special about doing an instructor-level course in an environment where almost every conversation eventually seems to come back to diving.
You are not driving through a city every morning to attend a classroom course.
You wake up on an island surrounded by the ocean.
For 10 days, diving becomes your environment.
Oceans 5 Gili Air has been involved in scuba diving education for more than 16 years.
The dive center opened in 2010 and has since trained recreational divers, Divemasters and dive instructors from around the world.
Today, Oceans 5 operates as an SSI Instructor Training Center, continuing its long history of professional scuba education through the SSI system.[4]
Professional training is an important part of the identity of Oceans 5.
The center has dedicated classroom facilities, two large swimming pools for confined-water training and direct access to the diving around Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
But facilities alone do not create good instructors.
The philosophy at Oceans 5 is that professional education should prepare instructors for the real diving industry, not simply teach somebody how to pass an evaluation.
That means professionalism, organization, student control, environmental responsibility, dive planning, communication, neutral buoyancy and the everyday realities of working inside a busy dive operation all matter.
The August crossover will be guided by SSI Instructor Trainer Warren “Waz” Beyers.
Instructor-level education is very different from recreational diver training.
Candidates joining this special program are already instructors. They already know how to dive and they already have teaching experience.
The purpose of the crossover is therefore not to pretend that candidates are starting their professional education again.
Instead, the objective is to take their existing knowledge and experience and show them how to apply it correctly within the SSI system.
During the program, candidates become familiar with SSI standards, teaching philosophy, digital systems, course structures and professional expectations.[1]
Your previous instructor experience does not disappear when you cross over.
It becomes the foundation for adding another professional teaching system.
One of the biggest advantages of this August edition is its format.
The program takes 10 days and starts on 20 August 2026.
Because participants are already qualified dive instructors, the program can focus on the knowledge and skills required to transition experienced professionals into the SSI system.
This makes the crossover particularly attractive for working instructors who may not have several weeks available to complete another full instructor-development program.
Ten focused days on Gili Air can significantly expand your professional options.
It is easy to look at an instructor crossover as simply collecting another certification card.
But that misses the real purpose.
The biggest advantage is professional flexibility.
By adding SSI to your professional qualifications, you can potentially increase the number of dive centers where your teaching credentials match the training system being used.
You also learn another educational philosophy.
You become familiar with another digital training system.
You expand your professional network.
And you experience professional training from a different perspective.
That can make you a more rounded instructor.
Maybe you are already an instructor but want more employment opportunities.
Maybe you are planning to travel through Indonesia.
Maybe you have always wanted to work on the Gili Islands.
Or perhaps you simply want to continue developing as a diving professional rather than standing still.
The 10-day SSI Instructor Crossover at Oceans 5 Gili Air, starting 20 August 2026, provides an opportunity to take that next step.
You arrive as an experienced instructor from another organization.
You bring your existing knowledge, teaching experience and diving skills with you.
Then you learn how to apply that experience within the SSI system under the guidance of Instructor Trainer Waz.
The result is not about replacing your previous training.
It is about adding another professional opportunity to your diving career.
And you get to do it on Gili Air—one of Indonesia’s best-known diving destinations.
Course: SSI Instructor Crossover – Special Edition
Start date: 20 August 2026
Duration: 10 days
Location: Oceans 5 Gili Air, Indonesia
Instructor Trainer: Warren “Waz” Beyers
Designed for: Certified dive instructors from other recognized training organizations wishing to cross over to SSI
For information about prerequisites, costs, accommodation and availability, contact Oceans 5 Gili Air.
WhatsApp: +62 853 3339 7823
Email: [email protected]
An SSI Instructor Crossover is a professional training pathway for already-qualified dive instructors from another recognized training organization who want to become SSI professionals. Rather than starting their instructor education completely from the beginning, candidates learn how their existing teaching experience fits into SSI standards, philosophy, programs and systems.[1]
The special SSI Instructor Crossover at Oceans 5 Gili Air starts on 20 August 2026 and runs for 10 days.
The program is intended for certified dive instructors from other recognized scuba training organizations. Exact eligibility depends on your existing professional certification and whether you meet current SSI crossover requirements.[1] Contact Oceans 5 before booking so your qualifications can be checked.
The August 2026 program is guided by SSI Instructor Trainer Warren “Waz” Beyers at Oceans 5 Gili Air.
Adding SSI can increase your professional flexibility. If you want to work at an SSI Training Center, having the appropriate SSI professional qualification can make you a more suitable candidate. It also introduces you to SSI’s digital learning environment, standards and educational philosophy.[1][2]
It can improve your opportunities. SSI has a strong presence among dive centers on Gili Air, so instructors who are able to work within the SSI system have access to additional potential employers. Employment, however, always depends on vacancies, experience, languages, professionalism and Indonesian immigration and employment requirements.
No. Crossing over to SSI does not mean that you have to forget or replace the training and experience you gained through another organization. You are adding another professional qualification, subject to the membership and active-status requirements of the respective training organizations.
Yes. SSI provides digital educational materials and uses its MySSI digital ecosystem for divers and professionals.[2] This makes SSI particularly convenient for traveling instructors and international students.
SSI recognizes professional achievements and training activity within its system.[1] For instructors teaching regularly in a busy destination such as the Gili Islands, reaching useful recognition levels may be realistic. The exact benefits and eligibility conditions can change, so candidates should always check the current SSI professional information rather than relying on historical reward structures.
Oceans 5 has more than 16 years of experience in scuba education and is an SSI Instructor Training Center. Candidates train in a professional diving environment with classrooms, two training pools and access to the dive sites surrounding the Gili Islands.
Gili Air has a large and active diving community, year-round diving and numerous dive centers. You are completing your professional training in an environment where the dive industry is operating around you every day. It is also an opportunity to network and learn more about employment possibilities in the area.
Contact Oceans 5 Gili Air directly on WhatsApp +62 853 3339 7823 or email [email protected] for availability, prerequisites, course costs and accommodation information.
[1] Scuba Schools International (SSI) – Official SSI information regarding professional education, Training Centers, instructor programs, standards, professional recognition and crossover pathways. Current professional standards and eligibility requirements should always be confirmed through SSI and the conducting SSI Training Center.
[2] Scuba Schools International (SSI) / MySSI – Official SSI digital learning and MySSI platform information regarding digital educational materials and resources available to SSI divers and professionals.
[3] Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia / BKKPN Kupang – Information concerning the Gili Matra marine protected area, covering the waters surrounding Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
[4] Oceans 5 Gili Air – Oceans 5 Gili Air operational and training information, including its history, professional training facilities and status as an SSI Instructor Training Center.
Important note: SSI professional standards, membership fees, crossover requirements, recognition levels and reward programs can be updated. Candidates should verify the current SSI requirements and benefits applicable at the time of enrollment.
If you are already a dive instructor, you have invested a lot of time, energy and passion into reaching the professional level.
The next step doesn’t always have to be another level higher.
Sometimes the smartest step is to become more flexible, more knowledgeable and more employable.
Join the special 10-day SSI Instructor Crossover at Oceans 5 Gili Air starting 20 August 2026, train with Instructor Trainer Waz and add another opportunity to your professional diving career.
WhatsApp: +62 853 3339 7823
Email: [email protected]
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. …