Gili Air Divers
West coast, Gili Air
The main centre — lively, social, the heart of our SSI Scuba, freediving and daily fun dives.
Open 08:00 – 20:00
Map
Gili Air Divers
The Gili Islands · Indonesia
Diving the Gilis, all year round.
Daily scuba and freediving from our centre on Gili Air. Vibrant reefs, warm water year-round, and instructors who slow down with you. From a half-day intro to diving course up to SSI Instructor course — and half-day Apnea trial to SSI Advanced Freediver Level 2 — we shape every course to who you are and what you came here to see.
Certified · Recognised
Since 2011
ITC Pro Center
Freediving Centre
20+
Dive sites
4:1
Diver / guide
PADI + SSI trained instructors · EN · FR · ES · ID
In one paragraph
Gili Air Divers is a family-run SSI Instructor Training Center (ITC) and Pro Center on Gili Air, Lombok — running since 2011, capped at 4 students per instructor (half the WRSTC industry standard of 8), teaching in English, French, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia, with 20+ reef and wreck sites inside a 15-minute boat ride. Founder Bibi has been an SSI Instructor Trainer since 2013 after years as a PADI IDC Staff — the team is dual-rated, the certifications are cross-recognised, and the water is 28°C year-round.
Most popular
For your first day in the water
If you're not sure where to start.
SSI Basic Diver
Your very first breath underwater
half day IDR 1,350,000
SSI Open Water Diver
Your worldwide diving licence — earned in three days
3 days IDR 6,900,000
Freediving Trial
Half a day, one breath, one new way to see the ocean
half day IDR 1,900,000
Scuba Refresher
Knock the rust off before your first dive
half day IDR 1,350,000
SSI Scuba
From Basic Diver to Divemaster
SSI Basic Diver
Your very first breath underwater
half day IDR 1,350,000
Dive After Intro
One more dive — no theory, no certification, just the reef again
1 dive IDR 800,000
SSI Scuba Explorer (ages 8–10)
A half-day underwater playground for ages 8–10
half day IDR 1,350,000
SSI Scuba Diver
A shorter route to certification — perfect if you're tight on time
2 days IDR 4,900,000
SSI Open Water Diver
Your worldwide diving licence — earned in three days
3 days IDR 6,900,000
Scuba Refresher
Knock the rust off before your first dive
half day IDR 1,350,000
SSI Advanced Open Water Diver
Five dives, five new skills, deep water unlocked
2 days IDR 5,900,000
Adventure Dive (Deep or Night)
One specialty dive, certified, on your way to Advanced
1 dive IDR 1,240,000
SSI Specialty Programs
Pick your interest — go deeper into it
1 day IDR 2,900,000
SSI Diver Stress & Rescue
The course every diver remembers as their favourite
3–4 days IDR 6,900,000
SSI Freediving
From trial to Level 2 + coaching
Freediving Trial
Half a day, one breath, one new way to see the ocean
half day IDR 1,900,000
SSI Freediving Level 1
Your first freediving certification — to 20 metres
2 days IDR 4,900,000
SSI Freediving Level 2
To 30 metres — and the start of the diving reflex
3 days IDR 6,900,000
Freediving Coaching Session
One-on-one with your instructor — pick what to work on
1 session IDR 900,000
Line Training (Safety Buddy)
For certified freedivers — supervised practice on the line
1 session IDR 450,000
Multi-Day Freediving Pass
Block-book coaching, line training, or both — better per-session rate
2–10 days On request
See for yourself
A week with us, in 90 seconds
Dives, briefings, the sea, the light — our divers made the video. The bubbles, however, are ours.
2 islands · 1 team
Two centres, one ocean
Gili Meno Divers
Kontiki Cottages, Gili Meno
Our quieter sister island — fewer divers, smaller groups, the macro photographer's favourite.
Open 09:00 – 17:00
Map
Why us
Choosing attention over volume.
At Gili Air Divers, a few fewer divers per boat — all the difference for you, the reef, and the instructor.
4
max / guide
20+
dive sites
4
languages
SSI
centre
28°C
year-round
20-30m
visibility
From our divers
Verified Google + TripAdvisor reviews.
Highly recommend this place to learn to dive - everyone who works there is so lovely and welcoming and they put you at ease straight away.…
Ashlee N.
Highly recommend to do scubadive or freedive with these guys! I completed the AOW course with Alex as my instructor. He help me improve my…
chesa
Absolutely the best experience I could have imagined – felt like family I came to Gili Air looking for relaxation and maybe a bit of…
Mari N.
I had an incredible time completing my Open Water course here. Instructor Alex was professional, patient, and made the whole process…
Jannik
This must be the best dive center on Gili Air. I’ve been diving since 1988, but I have rarely – if ever – experienced such a wonderful team…
745germars
I had the best time learning to freedive with Choky he is the best instructor! The classes were structured very well and it was easy to…
Charlotte T.
Friendly, professional, relaxed but attentive staff who provided open water training for our boys (11&14). We were able to dive with them…
Serendipity29
Incredibly experienced dive instructors, master divers and staff catering from beginners, advanced and beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed my…
live_4_fine_food
Had five amazing dives with the Gili Air Diving team with my 18 year old daughter - equipment, boats and set up are very professional, very…
Manx_72_sq
Ivan was great, three fun dives in one day. Possibly the most beautiful dive location I have been. The turtles were something to behold
GPNWaddington
My partner and I signed up with our 13 yr old daughter for our first diving experience with this school because it was highly recommended…
154meerak
Had 4 perfect dives with Gili Air Divers together with my daughter an her boyfried who just got certified a week before. All staff was…
skotti112
It was the best decision to get my diving license here. Never regreted great team! Good equipment. Patient teachers. Absolute recommendation
Freedom23213864696
I did a free dive intro course with teacher Cass and my partner and I did some line dives afterwards in the beautiful waters of Gili air.…
DomTe
BEST DIVE CENTRE - amazing people, so knowledgeable, kind, fun and tailored to you. 15/10 recommend - especially for people a little…
KatMJ93
Yayyy! I've done it. I finally completed my free diving course. I'm the longest running student in the history at this free diving school.…
988barbaras
Frequently asked
What divers ask us
Do I need to know how to swim?
Yes — a basic comfort with water is required. For the Basic Diver intro dive you need to be comfortable in a pool. For the Open Water course you must be able to swim 200 m unaided and float for 10 minutes. We adapt the pace for beginners and the team teaches in English, French, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia.
What is the water temperature on Gili Air?
Between 27 °C and 30 °C year-round. October to May is the warmest stretch (29–30 °C). A 3 mm shorty wetsuit is enough for most divers; the school provides it free with every course.
PADI or SSI — does the certification matter?
Both certifications are recognised by every major dive operation worldwide and the training standards are essentially identical (WRSTC-aligned). Gili Air Divers certifies under SSI as an SSI Instructor Training Center (ITC) and Pro Center. Instructors are dual-rated PADI + SSI — a course taken here transfers cleanly to either ecosystem.
When is the best time to dive Gili Air?
April to November is the calmest weather window — flat seas, daily boat trips, peak visibility (20–30 m). December to March is the rainy season but underwater conditions stay good; manta and mola sightings increase November to March when plankton-rich water moves south.
How long is the Open Water course?
Three days for most divers, with a half-day extension if you want extra confined-water time before the open-water dives. We cap each group at 4 students per instructor — small-group pacing means most students finish on schedule without the rushed feel of larger schools.
How do I get to Gili Air from Bali?
Daily fast-boats from Padangbai or Serangan (2.5 hours, around IDR 600,000 one-way) drop you directly at Gili Air harbour. Slower options via Bangsal (Lombok) cost half as much but add ferry time. We can arrange a hotel pickup in Bali for an extra fee and a horse-cart from the harbour to the centre.
Can complete beginners dive on the first day?
Yes — the SSI Basic Diver / Try Scuba programme is built for that. A half-day session covers the safety briefing, a confined-water skill check, and one open-water dive at a shallow easy site (Air Slope or Hans Reef). No commitment to a full certification; many of our Open Water students start this way and roll into the course the next morning.
In one question
Ask us anything
The Gili Air Divers team replies — within 30 minutes
One sentence is enough. We reply within 30 minutes, in your language.
10% off online
Book online, save 10%.
WhatsApp us or fill in the form. Reply within 30 minutes, in your language.
Online discount applies to scuba course bookings. Freediving sessions are at list price. A small deposit secures your spot at the online rate — balance settled on arrival.