Good to know
Good to Know
- Diving around Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno is genuinely easy — dive shops are on the islands and most sites are a short 5-20 minute boat ride away, making this a great area to learn or to dive casually without a liveaboard.
- Hammerhead sharks are not a Gili Islands species — if that's a bucket-list goal, you need a dedicated trip south to Belongas Bay's Magnet and Cathedral sites, which is a remote, multi-day undertaking, not a quick add-on.
- December-February/March is the rainy season across Lombok and typically brings reduced visibility, though it's also the best window for manta ray encounters at sites like Manta Point off Gili Trawangan.
- Belongas Bay diving (Magnet/Cathedral) is strictly for experienced/advanced divers comfortable with strong surge, downcurrents and open-ocean conditions — this is not beginner or casual diving.
- Water in south Lombok (Belongas Bay/Kuta) runs noticeably colder (roughly 25-26°C, with thermoclines) than the warmer Gili Islands waters (27-30°C), so pack accordingly if heading south.
- Most named dive and freediving operators are clustered on the Gili Islands (Trawangan, Air, Meno), not the Lombok mainland — factor in a short boat ride if you're staying in Senggigi or Kuta Lombok.
- PADI and SSI certifications are cross-recognized, so you can mix agencies — do your Open Water with one shop/agency and Advanced with another without issue.
- Courses can book up in peak season (July–August), so booking a week or two ahead is worth it if you have fixed dates.
- Gili Trawangan in particular has a genuine, established freediving scene (not just a token add-on) thanks to a nearby deep-water training site, alongside its scuba offerings.
- Divemaster and instructor-level (IDC) training is also available locally if you're looking to go professional, not just to entry-level certification.
Dive Sites And Conditions
- Access Summary
- Lombok diving is predominantly day-boat and shore-based, NOT liveaboard-dependent. The core Gili Islands (Trawangan, Air, Meno) diving is genuinely easy: dive centers are on the islands themselves and boat rides to sites are typically 5-20 minutes. Sekotong/South Gilis and mainland muck sites near Senggigi are also reachable as day trips from north/west Lombok bases. The exception is Belongas Bay in the far south (Magnet/Cathedral for hammerheads) — this is technically day-trippable by boat/car from Gili Trawangan, Senggigi or Kuta, but it is remote (roughly 2 hours by rough road from Senggigi, longer from the Gilis), has very limited accommodation and infrastructure, and is only run by a small number of specialist operators, so most visitors treat it as a dedicated multi-day trip rather than a casual add-on. Some regional liveaboards touring Nusa Tenggara/Komodo include Lombok stops, but liveaboards are optional here, not required.
Regions
- Access
- Shore/day-boat diving from dive centers based directly on the three islands; boat rides to sites generally 5-20 minutes. This is the easiest and most beginner-friendly diving area in Lombok.
- Region Name
- Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Gili Meno) — northwest Lombok
- General Notes
- Over 20 named sites are dived across the three islands, mostly sloping reefs/coral gardens turning to sand around 20-30m, with some deeper canyons, walls, pinnacles and one wreck. Hammerhead sharks are not a Gili Islands species — those are found further south at Belongas Bay, not here.
Sites
Shark Point
- Type
- sloping reef / drift with deeper canyons
- Location
- north/northwest side of Gili Trawangan
- Best Season
- year-round; best visibility in the morning; dry season (Apr-Nov) generally clearest
- Marine Life
- whitetip and blacktip reef sharks resting on sand/in canyons, large green and hawksbill turtles, cuttlefish, stingrays, trevally, barracuda, bumphead parrotfish schooling on full moon, occasional passing mantas
- Depth Range M
- 6-24m sloping reef, canyons to 50m+
- Notes
- One of the Gilis' most popular and famous sites; deeper sections and current suit intermediate/advanced divers.
Glen Nusa Wreck
- Type
- wreck
- Location
- between Halik and Shark Point, north Gili Trawangan
- Best Season
- year-round, current-dependent
- Marine Life
- oriental sweetlips, snappers, unicornfish, pipefish, nudibranchs; artificial reef growth
- Depth Range M
- 28m (sandy bottom)
- Notes
- A former tugboat purposely sunk in 2016. Advanced-level minimum due to depth.
Halik Reef
- Type
- sloping reef with drift current
- Location
- north side of Gili Trawangan
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- green and hawksbill turtles, whitetip and occasional blacktip reef sharks, humphead/bumphead parrotfish, eagle rays, giant trevally, lionfish, anemonefish, huge barrel sponges and gorgonian fans
- Depth Range M
- 5-30m+ (canyons to ~40m)
- Notes
- An all-rounder suitable for all levels in the shallows, with deeper canyons for more advanced divers; good drift dive.
Manta Point
- Type
- sloping reef, low current
- Location
- south side of Gili Trawangan
- Best Season
- mantas most likely in rainy season (roughly December-March/April) when plankton is abundant
- Marine Life
- manta and occasionally devil/eagle rays (seasonal), reef sharks, stingrays, cuttlefish, octopus, turtles, sweetlips, snapper, fusiliers, pink cabbage coral
- Depth Range M
- 10-22m
- Notes
- Gentle current makes it good for beginners; manta sightings are seasonal/not guaranteed.
Deep Turbo
- Type
- seamount / pinnacle
- Location
- north of Gili Trawangan, between Trawangan and Meno
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- spotted eagle rays, reef sharks, moray eels, cleaner shrimp, sweetlips, scorpionfish
- Depth Range M
- ~18-32m
- Notes
- Popular advanced-diver site due to current and depth.
Simon's Reef
- Type
- deep pinnacle/canyon site
- Location
- north of the Gili Islands
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- reef fish, occasional pelagics, nudibranchs
- Depth Range M
- 20-30m+
- Notes
- For more experienced divers due to depth and current.
Turtle Heaven / Turtle City
- Type
- sloping reef with coral pinnacle
- Location
- east of Gili Meno
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- very high density of turtles, moray eels, damselfish, nudibranchs
- Depth Range M
- moderate, multi-level
- Notes
- Known for losing count of turtles in a single dive.
Meno Wall
- Type
- wall
- Location
- west/northwest side of Gili Meno
- Best Season
- year-round; good night-dive site
- Marine Life
- lionfish, scorpionfish, moray eels, lobsters, crabs, clownfish, groupers, bumphead parrotfish, occasional sharks; some reports of pygmy seahorses and frogfish
- Depth Range M
- 5-30m
- Notes
- Current varies from calm to one of the strongest in the Gilis.
Meno Slope / "The Nest" (Bask Nest)
- Type
- sandy multi-level slope
- Location
- west of Gili Meno
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- macro life, turtles
- Depth Range M
- 5-30m
- Notes
- Home to an underwater sculpture installation of human-like figures by artist Jason DeCaires Taylor, arranged to represent the circle of life — a popular photo dive.
Hans Reef
- Type
- muck/macro site
- Location
- east coast of Gili Air
- Best Season
- year-round; mandarin fish best at dawn/dusk
- Marine Life
- seahorses, pipefish, nudibranchs, mandarin fish
- Depth Range M
- shallow-moderate
- Notes
- A macro-photography favorite, considered a muck-diving site.
Good Heart
- Type
- slope into wall, house reef
- Location
- east side of Gili Trawangan
- Best Season
- year-round; strong for night dives
- Marine Life
- macro critters, frogfish, turtles, reef sharks; at night octopus, dwarf cuttlefish, bobtail squid
- Depth Range M
- shallow to deep wall
- Notes
- Used as a house reef by some operators.
Sunset Reef
- Type
- gradual sloping reef
- Location
- southwest side of Gili Trawangan
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- snapper, sweetlips, sharks, turtles, occasional passing manta rays
- Depth Range M
- shallow-moderate
- Notes
- Suitable for all levels.
Coral Garden / Trawangan Slope / Coral Basket
- Type
- staghorn coral garden, gentle slope
- Location
- south side of Gili Trawangan
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- reef sharks, turtles, sweetlips, batfish, schools of reef fish
- Depth Range M
- 8-24m
- Notes
- Relaxed, slow-moving dive good for beginners and photography.
Hidden Reef
- Type
- sloping reef, drift
- Location
- east of Gili Meno
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- stingrays, triggerfish, clownfish, angelfish, pipefish
- Depth Range M
- 12-35m
- Notes
- Typically a north-to-south current site.
Air Wall
- Type
- wall
- Location
- eastern side of Gili Air
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- bumphead parrotfish, assorted macro species
- Depth Range M
- 5-30m
- Notes
- One of the larger wall sites in the area.
Linda's Reef
- Type
- deep technical wall
- Location
- north of the Gili Islands
- Best Season
- year-round, current-dependent
- Marine Life
- hammerhead sharks (rare here), oceanic blacktip sharks, grey reef sharks, eagle and marble rays, schooling tuna
- Depth Range M
- 43m dropping to 100m+
- Notes
- A technical-diver site, not for recreational depth limits.
Rainbow
- Type
- deep technical wall
- Location
- Gili Islands area
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- not well documented for recreational divers
- Depth Range M
- 40-100m
- Notes
- Technical-diver only site.
Belongas Bay — far south Lombok
- Access
- Day-trip possible by boat/road from Gili Trawangan, Senggigi or Kuta, but genuinely remote — roughly 2 hours by car from Senggigi over rough roads, with very limited accommodation (a small lodge), no reliable ATM/wifi/cell signal, and cash-only payments. Only a small number of specialist operators run these sites, and trips are frequently weather-cancelled. Best treated as a dedicated multi-day trip, not a casual add-on.
Sites
The Magnet (Batu Kapal)
- Type
- offshore pinnacle
- Location
- open water southwest of Belongas Bay
- Best Season
- hammerhead sightings most commonly reported roughly May/June through October, with some sources citing an August-November peak
- Marine Life
- schooling scalloped and great hammerhead sharks, barracuda, tuna, giant trevally, mobula rays, eagle rays, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks
- Depth Range M
- pinnacle rises from ~80m; diving typically done 15-38m
- Notes
- One of Lombok's most famous but most demanding sites — strong currents, surge and unpredictable downcurrents. Recommended for experienced/advanced divers only; some operators require a minimum dive count (e.g. around 100 logged dives).
The Cathedral
- Type
- cave / pinnacle
- Location
- east of the Magnet, Belongas Bay
- Best Season
- similar to the Magnet, roughly May/June-October
- Marine Life
- schooling pelagics, hammerhead sharks (occasionally), barracuda, reef sharks
- Depth Range M
- large cave around 40m
- Notes
- Advanced-diver site; also exposed to strong surge and current.
Gili Sarang & Coral Gardens
- Type
- coral reef
- Location
- near the entrance of Belongas Bay
- Best Season
- calmer conditions roughly March to early June and October-November
- Marine Life
- rich coral reef fish, nudibranchs, crabs, lobsters
- Depth Range M
- moderate
- Notes
- More moderate sites within the bay, suited to a wider range of diver levels than the Magnet/Cathedral.
Sekotong & the 'South Gilis' — southwest Lombok
- Access
- Day-boat accessible from the Sekotong peninsula in southwest Lombok; a separate area from the northwest Gili Islands, roughly 45 minutes by road from the Kuta/Sepi area.
Sites
Sekotong Bay, Southwest Lombok
- Name
- South Gilis reef sites (Gili Nanggu, Gili Gede, Gili Layar, Gili Asahan, Gili Renggit, Gili Kura-Kura)
- Type
- shallow sloping coral gardens
- Best Season
- dry season roughly May-October for best visibility
- Marine Life
- colorful reef fish, pygmy seahorses, frogfish, ghost pipefish and other critters — a noted muck/critter area
- Depth Range M
- shallow, generally under 20m
- Notes
- Good for beginners and macro/critter photographers.
Lighthouse & The Stairs to Medang
- Type
- reef sites
- Location
- South Gilis area (Gili Gede/Asahan/Layar), southwest Lombok
- Best Season
- dry season roughly May-October
- Marine Life
- not well documented
- Depth Range M
- not well documented
- Notes
- Named local sites; details are thin in available sources — good to verify current conditions with a Sekotong-based operator before booking.
- Access
- Short 15-25 minute boat ride from Gili Trawangan/Air/Meno dive centers; treated as an easy add-on day dive rather than requiring separate lodging.
- Region Name
- Mainland Lombok muck-diving sites — north/west coast near the Gilis
Sites
Seahorse Bay (Teluk Cheningan)
- Type
- muck / sandy slope
- Location
- Teluk Cheningan, Lombok mainland
- Best Season
- year-round, current-dependent
- Marine Life
- resident seahorse population, plus other muck critters
- Depth Range M
- sandy slope to 30m
- Notes
- One of the best-regarded macro sites near the Gilis.
Magic Pier
- Type
- muck / sandy site
- Location
- north Lombok, in the foothills of Mount Rinjani
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- macro/muck critters
- Depth Range M
- sandy, shallow-moderate
- Notes
- Named for its setting rather than an actual pier structure.
Mentigi Bay
- Type
- muck
- Location
- Lombok mainland, ~25 minutes by boat from the Gilis
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- muck/critter life
- Depth Range M
- shallow-moderate
- Notes
- Commonly paired with Teluk Nara as a muck-diving day trip.
Teluk Nara
- Type
- muck
- Location
- Lombok mainland, near Gili crossing point
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- muck/critter life
- Depth Range M
- shallow-moderate
- Notes
- Near the Bangsal/Teluk Nara harbour area used for Gili boat transfers.
Petagan Slope
- Type
- gently sloping reef
- Location
- off the mangrove island of Gili Petagan, ~20 minutes by boat from mainland Lombok
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- vibrant corals, tropical fish, turtles
- Depth Range M
- shallow reef at up to ~30m
- Notes
- Gentle currents; accessible day trip.
East Lombok Gilis (lesser-dived, mostly snorkel/day-trip)
- Access
- Reachable by local boat from Lombok's east coast; far less developed for scuba than the northwest Gilis, and mostly used for snorkeling rather than documented scuba dive sites.
Sites
East Coast of Lombok
- Name
- Gili Kondo, Gili Bidara, Gili Petagan, Gili Petelu, Gili Asahan (east coast cluster)
- Type
- fringing reef
- Best Season
- dry season roughly May-October
- Marine Life
- not well documented in scuba-specific sources
- Depth Range M
- not well documented
- Notes
- These are more established as snorkeling/beach-hopping destinations; named dive-specific site data was not found in available sources, so treat as lightly-documented for scuba.
Course Levels And Typical Prices
IDR
SSI Scuba Diver / one-day entry cert (valid to 12m)
- SSI Scuba Diver / One Day Entry Cert (Valid To 12m)
- IDR 4,600,000
- Course
- PADI/SSI Open Water Diver (3-4 days) — estimated typical range across Gili-area operators
- Price Range Low
- IDR 5,500,000
- Price Range High
- IDR 7,000,000
Advanced Open Water / Advanced Adventurer (2 days, 5 dives)
- Price Range Low
- IDR 4,000,000
- Price Range High
- IDR 5,000,000
Divemaster (full professional program)
- Divemaster (Full Professional Program)
- IDR 19,000,000
Operator Density
- Summary
- High density of named operators, concentrated on the Gili Islands (Trawangan, Air, Meno) with additional shops on the Lombok mainland in Senggigi and Kuta.
- Note
- PADI's own directory groups multiple official dive centers under Lombok/Gili Islands, and independent listings describe the area as having numerous well-organized dive centers rather than just one or two operators.
Named Operators Found
- Lombok Scuba Dive Center (Gili Islands)
- Blue Marlin Dive — locations in Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, Gili Air, Senggigi, and Kuta Lombok
- Terumbu Divers (Gili/Lombok, since 1999)
- Gili Divers (Gili Trawangan and Gili Air)
- Gili Air Divers (Gili Air, SSI Instructor Training Center)
- DPM Diving (Gili Air)
- Aquaddiction (Gili Trawangan)
- Oceans 5 Dive (Gili Air)
- Dive Zone Lombok (Senggigi/Belongas Bay)
- Tropic Islands Dive (Senggigi)
- Manta Dive (Gili Trawangan, also runs freediving courses)
Freediving Crossover
- Genuine Crossover Confirmed
- Yes
Details
- Gili Trawangan hosts a dedicated, long-running freediving school (Freedive Gili), described as Indonesia's first freediving center, and the island is used as a training ground for competitive freedivers due to a nearby deep-water site.
- Several primarily-scuba operators (e.g. Blue Marlin Dive, and reportedly Manta Dive) also offer AIDA-affiliated freediving courses alongside their scuba programs.
- Gili Air Divers and Pacific Freedive Academy both run scuba and freediving side by side on Gili Air, and Blue Marlin separately markets itself as a leading technical/tech-diving school in Indonesia.
- Typical freediving course pricing found: AIDA/Molchanovs Beginner course around IDR 1,900,000 (Gili Air); AIDA 2-star (~20m) roughly IDR 3,500,000–4,500,000 over 2 days; AIDA 3-star (~30m) roughly IDR 5,500,000–7,000,000 over 3-4 days; a half-day refresher for previously certified freedivers around IDR 1,500,000.
Freediving Prices
Beginner Freediver (Molchanovs/AIDA, Gili Air)
- Beginner Freediver (Molchanovs/AIDA, Gili Air)
- IDR 1,900,000
AIDA 2-star (entry, ~20m, 2 days) — range low
- AIDA 2 Star (Entry, ~20m, 2 Days) — Range Low
- IDR 3,500,000
AIDA 2-star (entry, ~20m, 2 days) — range high
- AIDA 2 Star (Entry, ~20m, 2 Days) — Range High
- IDR 4,500,000
AIDA 3-star (~30m, 3-4 days) — range low
- AIDA 3 Star (~30m, 3 4 Days) — Range Low
- IDR 5,500,000
AIDA 3-star (~30m, 3-4 days) — range high
- AIDA 3 Star (~30m, 3 4 Days) — Range High
- IDR 7,000,000
Refresher course (half day, previously certified)
- Refresher Course (Half Day, Previously Certified)
- IDR 1,500,000
Certifying Bodies Commonly Offered
Certifying Bodies Commonly Offered
- PADI
- SSI
- RAID (at least one operator)
- AIDA and Molchanovs (freediving-specific agencies, offered by dedicated freediving schools and some scuba shops)
Levels Available
Full pathway from Discover/Try Scuba (no certification) through Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster, and PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) / SSI Instructor Training Center (ITC) programs. At least one major operator (Blue Marlin) runs professional-level courses.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.