Which dive to book
Scuba diving Gili: try dive, fun dive or course
Discover Scuba, certified fun dives or an Open Water course in the Gili Islands: what each is, who can book it, and what the Discover Scuba booking includes.
See Gili Islands diving on GetYourGuide ↗Quick answer
Book Discover Scuba if you have never dived. It needs no certification, only basic swimming skills, and it does not certify you. The booking covers a briefing, a pool session and one guided ocean dive to depths of 12 metres, in a group of up to four, over about five hours. If you are already certified, book a fun dive instead. If you want to dive without an instructor later, book an Open Water course.
Three ways to dive on the Gilis
| Discover Scuba | Fun dive | Open Water course | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certification needed | None | Yes | None |
| Certifies you | No | Not applicable | Yes |
| Typical length | About five hours | Separate booking | Three to four days |
| Best for | Trying it once | Certified divers | Diving on later |
What you're booking
The booking is a Discover Scuba Diving programme run by Manta Dive Gili Trawangan. It is for beginners: it asks for no prior diving, only basic swimming skills. You start at the dive centre with a safety briefing and a class on the equipment and basic dive theory, then practise basic skills in a pool session. A boat then takes you to a dive site in the Gili Islands for one ocean dive with your instructor, to depths of 12 metres. The group is limited to four participants, and the programme takes about five hours. The booking calendar shows the start times.
Read next: Gili Islands Marine Life: Turtles, Reefs & Dive Sites
Three kinds of dive: which one are you?
Most diving sold on the Gilis falls into three types, and the type decides what you can book. A Discover Scuba programme is a first try with an instructor. PADI describes it as an introduction to the basics of scuba diving that does not certify you as a diver. A fun dive is for people who already hold a certification. An Open Water Diver course is the training that leads to one, and PADI says a certified diver can dive independently with a certified buddy. The same dive centre lists certified fun dives, a refresher and an Open Water course as separate bookings.
- Never dived: book Discover Scuba
- Already certified: book a fun dive
- Certified but rusty: look for a refresher
- Want to dive without an instructor later: book a course
Discover Scuba, fun dive or course at a glance
The table sets the three side by side. The key difference is the certification. Discover Scuba and the other tasters give you a first dive, not a licence. SSI's Try Scuba page says you earn a recognition card at the end, which is not a certification. A course takes more time, and it is the only one of the three that ends with you qualified to dive without an instructor. Length for the course is PADI's typical figure; the dive centre sets its own schedule, so confirm it before you book a course.
What the Discover Scuba booking includes and leaves out
The booking lists a certified professional instructor, one pool session and one ocean dive, all equipment rental, the boat, and a wetsuit. Several things are not included, and they are the usual surprise at the dive centre. You pay a marine park fee on site, separate from the booking. You also need to bring your own towel and swimwear, and arrange your own insurance and meals.
- Included: instructor, pool session, ocean dive, equipment, boat, wetsuit
- Not included: towel and swimwear, meals and drinks, hotel pickup, accommodation, insurance
- Paid on site: the marine park fee
- Needed on arrival: a completed medical statement
How the five hours are laid out
The itinerary lists a classroom safety briefing, a scuba class, a second short briefing, the ocean dive and a boat transfer, all starting and ending at the Manta Dive centre on Gili Trawangan. It is marked as for reference only and can change, so treat the order as a guide rather than a promise. The point of the sequence is that you meet the sea only after the briefing and the pool session. The booking calendar shows the start time for your date, and your confirmation repeats it.
Health, age and swimming
The booking is only suitable for ages 10 and older. It is not suitable for pregnant women, non-swimmers, people with a cold or people with pre-existing medical conditions. You complete a medical statement on arrival, and the booking asks you to contact the dive centre before your date if you have a pre-existing condition. PADI says you should feel comfortable in the water and be able to keep yourself at the surface, and that a medical condition means a doctor's statement. PADI's FAQ also says you should have at least an average level of fitness. This guide gives no medical advice: the dive centre and a doctor decide.
From a try dive to a course
You don't need a Discover Scuba dive before a course. PADI says you can sign up for the Open Water Diver course without completing any prerequisites. PADI describes the course as typically three to four full days, in three parts: knowledge development, confined water dives in a pool or pool-like setting, and open water dives. Its Open Water page says you can learn to dive in as little as two to four days, and that the dive centre schedules the in-water steps. If you try a dive first and want to continue, ask whether it can count toward a course; each agency sets its own rules.
What an Open Water course involves
PADI breaks the Open Water Diver course into three parts. Knowledge development covers video lessons, knowledge reviews, quizzes and a final exam. Confined water dives take place in a pool or a pool-like setting. Open water dives take place in the sea. PADI's course page describes three steps and says the dive centre helps you buy the eLearning and schedules the in-water steps. Because PADI sells the knowledge part as eLearning, ask the dive centre what it expects you to finish before you arrive and how many days it keeps for the dives.
PADI, SSI and choosing a dive centre
Wikivoyage's guide to the islands says dive shops are PADI and SSI licensed, and that licensed operators exist on all three islands, with Gili Trawangan having the most. Both agencies run their own taster programmes: SSI's version ends with a recognition card, not a certification. So the label matters less than the details you can check: group size, the instructor's language, what is included and whether the centre will answer your questions before you book. This listing states a group limit of four and lists the instructor languages.
Booking here or contacting the dive centre
You can also contact a dive centre directly, which suits you if you have a medical question or a special request to settle first. Booked through GetYourGuide, this programme has free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start and a reserve now, pay later option. If you book direct, the cancellation and payment terms are the dive centre's own, so read them before you pay. Whichever route you take, do the medical questions honestly.
Who this isn't for
Skip this booking if you are already certified, because a fun dive is the right product and this one is a beginner programme. Skip it if you cannot swim, are under 10, are pregnant, have a cold or have a pre-existing medical condition that your dive centre hasn't cleared. It also isn't for anyone who wants a certification card in a day: it does not certify you. And if you need a guaranteed wildlife sighting, know that sightings vary and can't be promised on any dive.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certification to dive in the Gili Islands?
Not for Discover Scuba. The booking asks for no prior diving, only basic swimming skills. A fun dive for certified divers is a separate booking and does need a certification.
Is Discover Scuba the same as an Open Water course?
No. PADI describes Discover Scuba as an introduction that doesn't certify you. The Open Water Diver course is typically three to four full days and ends in a certification.
Can I do Discover Scuba if I can't swim?
No. The booking says it isn't suitable for non-swimmers. PADI also says you should feel comfortable in the water and be able to keep yourself at the surface.
What is the minimum age?
The booking is only suitable for ages 10 and older, and children under 10 can't take part. Other agencies set their own taster rules, so follow the age limit on the booking.
How deep does the dive go?
The ocean dive goes to depths of 12 metres, with your instructor. The group is limited to four participants, and the whole programme takes about five hours.
What do I pay for on the day?
The booking says a marine park fee is paid on site. Towel, swimwear, meals, insurance and accommodation are not included, and neither is hotel pickup.
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