.jpeg){kind=link}
Allow the full course, arrival time and a no-dive interval
A Gili Islands Open Water course is a beginner certification programme with theory, confined-water practice and four ocean training dives. The named courses below span three calendar days or more. Arrive before the teaching starts and plan onward flights around the final dive, not around a “three-day holiday” label.
Manta Trawangan and Gili Divers both publish IDR 6,900,000 for their SSI course, but their first-day schedules differ. Manta Air offers a three-to-four-day SSI programme with a stated four-student limit. Choose the actual teaching arrangement and overnight island before paying.
Three Open Water course options on Trawangan and Air
- Compare complete teaching days, not just the advertised duration.
- Identify the certification agency, student limit and total payable.
- Stay on the teaching island rather than relying on a passenger-boat commute.
What the three days actually contain
At Manta Trawangan, the example first day runs from 08:30 to 16:00 and includes the swim assessment, equipment setup, theory and pool skills. Days two and three each have two ocean dives, with theory and an exam integrated into the programme. Completing online learning beforehand can reduce the study load on the island; the operator says it is recommended rather than compulsory.
Gili Divers starts its example at 11:30 on day one, with a first ocean dive that afternoon. Day two adds pool work and the second dive. Day three includes dives three and four, theory and the exam, with the final debrief at 16:30. That earlier first sea dive is a programme difference, not evidence that the course is better for every nervous beginner.
Manta Trawangan: SSI Open Water schedule, prerequisites and priceSwimming and medical requirements come before the booking
No previous scuba qualification is required for these beginner courses. That does not mean no swimming ability is required. Manta Trawangan lists a 200-metre swim, or 300 metres with mask, fins and snorkel, plus a ten-minute float or tread. Read the medical questionnaire before travel; answers involving some conditions or medications may require a doctor’s clearance before participation.
The operators advertise entry from age ten, but children receive junior training with age-dependent restrictions. Manta’s own page gives inconsistent junior-depth wording, so do not use its general 18-metre description as a child’s permitted depth. Obtain the child-specific supervision and depth limits in writing before booking. A guide or booking agent cannot provide medical clearance.
Manta Trawangan: SSI Open Water schedule, prerequisites and priceSSI, PADI and a one-day introduction are different booking labels
All three shortlisted detailed pages describe SSI Open Water training. “Getting your PADI” is sometimes used as a casual name for learning to dive, including on a page that actually issues SSI certification. If you specifically need PADI, ask for a PADI course confirmation rather than relying on that phrase.
An introductory scuba experience is a different product and does not substitute for the full certification course. Open Water is recreational training, not a Divemaster qualification or permission to teach. If you only want to try scuba once, use the main diving guide to compare the shorter supervised experience.
Gili Divers: SSI Open Water course and three-day timetableRead the price as a course price, not a complete stay
The prices above were checked on 25 October 2026. Manta Trawangan expressly includes training materials, scuba equipment and certification processing, and separately states an IDR 100,000 marine-park charge. This is its advertised extra, not an independently established universal legal tariff. Gili Divers lists equipment and certification in its course inclusions; do not assume that settles every possible local extra.
Keep accommodation, meals, passenger boats, optional photography and any required medical appointment separate from the teaching fee. Obtain the policy for extra teaching days, an interrupted course or a referral before paying. A lower daily figure is not useful if it leaves out certification or the days needed to finish.
Manta Trawangan: SSI Open Water schedule, prerequisites and priceBase yourself on the island where you study
For a Trawangan course, compare accommodation near the east-side teaching centres with a quieter stay that requires a morning walk or cycle. For Manta Air, use the Air coast guide to choose a room and the route to the centre. Staying on Meno while learning on Trawangan or Air adds passenger transfers to a schedule already containing pool work and boat dives.
These operators train around the Gilis; choosing Air does not mean every training dive must take place beside Air. Choose your base for the teaching schedule and evenings, not for a guaranteed turtle sighting or a promised reef. Arriving on a fast boat is a travel day, not a guaranteed on-time course start.
Leave the final dive clear of flights and altitude plans
For multiple dives in a day or diving over multiple days, DAN recommends a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours under its stated conditions for asymptomatic recreational air divers making no-decompression dives. Longer intervals reduce risk further; the recommendation does not guarantee avoidance of decompression sickness.
Work back from the actual last dive and your flight, allowing spare time rather than treating the minimum as a target. Tell the instructor about any Rinjani or other altitude plans as well. The flight guidance is not a clearance timetable for a mountain trek. Anyone with possible decompression symptoms should seek medical advice and avoid flying.
DAN: flying-after-diving guidance and limitations