Your first Open Water dive in the Gilis: a complete step-by-step guide

If you’ve been dreaming about learning to scuba dive, few places on earth compare to the Gili Islands — a trio of tropical reefs surrounded by crystal-clear water, gentle currents, and an underwater world filled with turtles, hard corals, and vibrant marine life.

Whether you're on Gili Trawangan, or Gili Air, the experience of taking your first Open Water dive is something you’ll never forget. But for many beginners, the unknown can feel intimidating: What happens during the course? How deep will I go? Is it difficult? Will I feel safe?

This guide breaks down every step of your SSI Open Water Course — from the moment you walk into the dive center to the moment you earn your full certification.

By the end, you’ll know exactly what to expect and feel fully prepared for the adventure waiting beneath the surface.

🐠 Why the Gili Islands are ideal for learning to dive

The first dive is always special — and the environment you learn in makes all the difference.
The Gilis are known worldwide as one of the best beginner diving destinations, thanks to:

• Warm water: 28–30°C year-round
• High visibility: often 20–30 meters
• Gentle sites: sandy slopes and coral gardens
• Calm conditions: ideal for building confidence
• Abundant marine life: turtles, clownfish, moray eels, cuttlefish
• Short boat rides: most sites are 5–10 minutes away

No cars, no stress, no chaos — just bicycles, beach clubs, and a relaxed island vibe that helps every new diver feel at ease.

Step 1: meet your dive instructor & start the theory

Your Open Water Course begins with a friendly introduction to your instructor — someone who will guide you through every part of the learning process. At Gili Divers, instructors are SSI-certified, patient, and trained to help nervous beginners feel comfortable from the very first moment.

What you’ll cover in the theory session

You’ll start with essential basics:

• How pressure works underwater
• Equalising your ears
• Breathing techniques
• Hand signals for communication
• Safety protocols
• Understanding equipment

SSI offers digital learning, so you can even begin your theory online before arriving, saving time and giving you flexibility.

Your instructor keeps things simple, visual, and interactive — no boring lecture, just real knowledge that prepares you for the underwater world.

Step 2: Confined water training (pool session)

Once you’re familiar with the basics, it’s time to get into the water — but before the ocean, you’ll practice in a pool. This session focuses on mastering key skills safely, slowly, and without pressure.

🧭 Skills you will learn in confined water

• Clearing water from your mask
• Recovering your regulator
• Finding neutral buoyancy
• Breathing calmly through the regulator
• Sharing air with a buddy
• Removing and replacing equipment underwater

By the time you finish the confined session, you’ll understand the equipment, feel comfortable underwater, and be ready for your first open water dive.

Most students are surprised by how quickly confidence kicks in — often within the first 5 minutes.

Step 3: your first Open Water dives (6–12 meters)

This is it — the moment you've been waiting for: your first real dive in the ocean.

🌴 The setting

Your instructor fits your gear, helps you aboard the dive boat, and gives a clear and calm briefing of everything you’ll see and do. Boat rides around the Gilis are short and scenic: turquoise water, views of Mount Rinjani, and an atmosphere of pure excitement.

🐢 What you’ll do underwater

Your first two training dives (called Open Water Dive 1 and 2) take place at depths of 6 to 12 meters. You’ll repeat a few easy skills from the pool, then start exploring:

• Coral gardens full of fish
• Sleeping turtles resting on ledges
• Triggerfish, angelfish, lionfish
• Soft corals and sandy slopes ideal for beginners
• Slow, gentle currents that carry you effortlessly

Your instructor stays close, constantly monitoring your buoyancy, air, and comfort. Most students describe this first dive as “otherworldly,” “peaceful,” and “life-changing.” You’ll surface with a smile so big it’s impossible to hide.

Step 4: Building skills and confidence (12–18 meters)

Day 2 or Day 3 of your course focuses on deeper diving and more advanced skills, but always adapted to your pace.

🌊 Open Water Dives 3 & 4

These final two training dives take you between 12 and 18 meters, where you’ll:

• Improve your buoyancy
• Learn underwater navigation
• Practice slow, controlled ascents
• Perfect your trim
• Experience thermoclines and slight current variations
• Discover new species at deeper depths

Some dive sites may include:

• Halik Reef – shallow coral garden for practicing buoyancy
• Meno Wall – stunning soft corals and turtles
• Bounty Wreck – beginner-friendly sunken platform full of life

By the end of Dive 4, you’ll truly feel like a diver — moving gracefully, understanding your surroundings, and managing your equipment with ease.

Step 5: Certification & celebrating your achievement

Once all components are completed — theory, confined water practice, and four open water dives — you’ll officially become a SSI Open Water Diver!

Your new certification:

• Never expires
• Is recognised worldwide
• Allows you to dive to 18 meters
• Opens the door to advanced dives everywhere you travel

It’s a moment worth celebrating — and on the Gilis, there’s no shortage of sunset bars, beachfront cafés, and oceanfront lounges where you can toast to your achievement. One of the most popular beach club highly recommended for the sunsets is Papaya on Gili Air.

Most students continue their journey with:

• Advanced Adventurer Course
• Nitrox Certification
• Deep or Night diving
• Underwater photography sessions

Because once you start diving, it’s hard to stop.

How to prepare for your first Open Water dive

Here are a few tips to make your course smooth, enjoyable, and stress-free:

✔️ Sleep well

Diving requires energy and focus — start your day rested.

✔️ Stay hydrated

Bring a reusable water bottle (eco-friendly and necessary in the tropics).

✔️ Use reef-safe sunscreen

Protect your skin and the corals.

✔️ Eat light before diving

Avoid heavy or oily foods right before the dive.

✔️ Ask questions

Your instructor is there to help you feel confident.

✔️ Relax and breathe

Slow, controlled breathing is the secret to calm diving.

Responsible diving in the Gilis

The Gili Islands are home to delicate marine ecosystems. As a new diver, you’ll learn how to protect them:

• Maintain good buoyancy
• Don’t touch corals
• Avoid standing on the reef
• Choose eco-friendly sunscreens
• Keep plastic waste to a minimum

Dive centers like Gili Divers work closely with local conservation groups such as Gili Eco Trust to ensure the reefs stay healthy for future generations.

🧭 Your first dive: what you’ll really feel

Most divers describe their first open water dive as a mix of:

• Excitement: discovering a new world
• Peace: hearing only your breath
• Weightlessness: floating without effort
• Wonder: seeing marine life up close

It’s a moment that changes the way you see the ocean forever.

Your underwater journey starts with Gili Divers

Your first Open Water dive in the Gilis is more than a training step — it’s the beginning of a lifelong passion. With warm water, rich marine life, calm conditions, and world-class instructors, the Gili Islands create the perfect environment to learn scuba diving safely and joyfully. Whether you’re traveling solo, with a partner, or with friends, your time underwater will be the highlight of your trip... guaranteed!

👉 Ready to discover the underwater world?

Join Gili Divers for your SSI Open Water Course and take your first underwater breaths in one of Indonesia’s most beautiful marine playgrounds.

🌊 Small groups, experienced instructors, and a relaxed island vibe, the perfect combination for new divers.
📩 Contact us today to reserve your course dates and start your underwater adventure!

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