Gili Trawangan (north-east, quieter strip)
★ 4.9(687 reviews)
Gili Divers is a small boutique operator on Gili Trawangan that combines PADI scuba with AIDA and Molchanovs freediving courses under one roof. Daily intake is capped at around 16 divers across both disciplines, meaning you'll get attention you won't find at the larger shops. Book at least 10 days ahead — they sell out faster than capacity suggests.
# Gili Divers: The Honest Review
Gili Divers occupies a renovated villa on the quieter north-east edge of Gili Trawangan, away from the main strip's nightlife churn. The shop opened in 2014 as one of the few combined scuba and freediving operations on the island, and that hybrid identity still defines them.
The owners are a French-Italian couple, both former competitive freedivers who later added scuba to the offering. The shop runs PADI scuba certifications alongside AIDA and Molchanovs freediving courses, and the small staff includes specialists in both disciplines. Daily intake is capped at around 16 students total — usually 8–10 scuba divers and 4–6 freedivers — which is a deliberate ceiling rather than a logistics constraint.
This isn't a shop trying to maximize daily turnover. The pricing reflects that, and so does the experience.
The PADI Open Water course runs over 3 days with the standard 5 dives, but with smaller groups (typically 2–3 students per instructor) the pacing feels noticeably more individualized. The classroom sessions happen in the villa's garden room with proper teaching materials rather than rushed beach briefings.
Where Gili Divers really stands apart is the freediving program. AIDA 2 (the entry-level course) runs over 2.5 days and includes pool/confined sessions plus open water depth dives to 16 metres. AIDA 3 builds to 24 metres with proper safety protocols. Molchanovs Wave 1 and Wave 2 are also offered for divers who prefer that certification path.
The freedive instructors are the differentiator. They focus heavily on relaxation technique, mouthfill equalization, and proper safety procedures — the kind of foundation that prevents you from quietly developing bad habits that show up later as ear injuries or shallow water blackouts.
One custom dive boat, departing at 8:30am and 1pm. Site selection follows the standard Gili rotation — Shark Point, Deep Halik, Meno Wall, Bounty Wreck, Hans Reef — but with a smaller boat (max 8 divers) the experience feels less crowded than larger operators.
Freedive sessions don't use the boat. The shop maintains a permanent line and platform off Trawangan's north reef in 25–35 metre water, accessed by a 5-minute swim from shore. This means freedive students can do unlimited shore-access training between supervised sessions if they're certified.
Rental gear is newer than the Gili T average. Scuba BCDs and regs are in the 1–3 year age range. Freedive equipment (long-blade fins, low-volume masks, neoprene 3mm and 5mm wetsuits) is freedive-specific rather than borrowed scuba gear, which makes a meaningful difference for technique development.
The shop sells but doesn't push gear. If you're interested in buying your own freediving fins or a dive computer, they'll give honest model recommendations based on your level rather than pushing the highest-margin options.
A two-tank fun dive runs 1.2 million IDR (≈$76). Open Water is 5.8 million IDR. AIDA 2 freediving is 3.2 million IDR. AIDA 3 is 4 million IDR. Discover Freediving (the half-day intro session) is 950,000 IDR.
Combo packages exist if you want to do scuba and freediving in the same trip — typically a 10–15% discount on the combined price. This is the most cost-effective way to access both programs since few shops offer them together.
Gili Divers' strength is technique-focused instruction in small groups, in a calm setting that respects the actual learning process. The combined scuba + freediving offering is genuinely rare and valuable for divers exploring both disciplines.
The weak spots are price and limited flexibility. You pay 15–20% more than mid-market Gili T scuba shops, and you have to commit ahead — they're frequently sold out, and walk-ins in July–September are almost always turned away. If you want spontaneity, look elsewhere.
Book Gili Divers if you're serious about freediving as a discipline rather than a one-off experience. Book them if you want to combine scuba and freediving in a single trip with consistent instructors. Book them if you prefer a calm, considered learning environment over party-vibe dive shops. Book them if you're at intermediate-to-advanced freediving level and want technique refinement.
Skip Gili Divers if you're on a tight backpacker budget — there are cheaper Gili T options for basic certification. Skip them if you want extensive boat-based diving with multiple departure options. And skip them if you only want scuba and don't care about freediving — Blue Marlin or Trawangan Dive will give you better scuba-specific value at this price point.
The website booking system shows real-time availability, which is useful since they sell out faster than the small daily cap suggests. WhatsApp (+62 821 4577 8123) for combo packages or special requests. Deposits are 50% at booking via bank transfer; balance in cash on arrival.