The Last PADI IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air
The Last PADI IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air — A 20-Day Journey to Becoming a Confident, Modern Dive Instructor
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| PADI IDC Indonesia with Oceans 5 Gili Air |
This Wednesday marks a historic moment for Oceans 5 Gili Air. We open the doors to our final PADI Instructor Development Course of the year — and the last PADI IDC ever conducted at Oceans 5 Gili Air. After more than a decade as a leading PADI Career Development Centre, shaping hundreds of professional divers, we now begin the final chapter of our PADI instructor training journey.
Led by PADI Course Director Waz, this final 20-day IDC is more than just a program; it is a transformation. For our divemaster candidates stepping into instructor-level training, the coming weeks will define not only how they teach but how they dive, how they think, and how they contribute to the ocean they love.
Before we formally step into a new era of training in 2026, we celebrate this last IDC as a reflection of everything Oceans 5 stands for: quality over quantity, environmental awareness, personal attention, and a deep respect for real teaching — not just ticking boxes.
Why Gili Air Is the Best Place to Begin Your PADI IDC
The Gili Islands are well-known in the dive world, but each island has its own personality — and those differences matter when choosing the right environment for an instructor development course. While Gili Trawangan is busier and more chaotic, Gili Air offers something uniquely suited to the mindset of an instructor candidate: focus, calm, and a supportive island community.
1. A Peaceful Environment That Allows You to Learn
Gili Air is the perfect blend of quiet island life and vibrant atmosphere. You’re close to great food, beautiful beaches, and social life, but without the intense noise and nightlife that often make studying difficult on Gili Trawangan. On Gili Air, you sleep better, you concentrate better, and you stay mentally clearer — all crucial for an IDC.
2. Easier Access to Dive Sites
From Gili Air, many training sites sit just minutes away. Calm conditions, beautiful visibility, and accessible depths create a perfect teaching environment for IDC candidates practicing open water presentations, rescue scenarios, and skill evaluations.
3. A Strong Sense of Community
Gili Air might be small, but its sense of community is powerful. The island supports its dive shops, encourages conservation, and celebrates new professionals. Being part of this small but passionate community during your IDC helps build confidence and motivation. You’re not just another diver passing through — you become part of the island’s fabric.
4. A More Relaxed Island for a High-Intensity Program
IDCs are demanding. A quieter and calmer environment like Gili Air allows candidates to decompress, study, and stay focused. You don’t waste time on long transport, loud neighbors, or distractions. Everything you need — food, cafés, gyms, beaches — is within a few minute’s walk.
Why Oceans 5 Gili Air Stands Above Other IDC Centers
On an island with several instructor training options, Oceans 5 has always been unique — and intentionally so. From the very beginning, Oceans 5 set out to be different: smaller groups, real teaching, environmental responsibility, and a deep personal investment in every candidate.
1. Small Groups for Personal Attention
Many IDC centers increase group size as a way to maximize income. At Oceans 5, we do the opposite. We limit every IDC to a maximum of six candidates — even though our facilities could easily handle more.
Why?
Because six candidates is the maximum number we can mentor properly without sacrificing quality. Every candidate receives personal time, individual coaching, and real feedback. No one gets lost in the crowd.
2. A 20-Day Instructor Program — Not a Shortened or Compressed IDC
While many centers reduce the IDC to 12–14 days to fit more courses into their calendar, Oceans 5 refuses to compromise the most important thing: education.
Our IDC takes 20 full days, allowing candidates to:
Learn and practice skills without pressure
Repeat and refine presentations
Work on weaknesses
Learn true instructor-level control
Study without rushing
Understand standards deeply
Become safer, more confident teachers
This extended format is one of the reasons our graduates stand out worldwide.
3. A Dive Center Built for Teaching — Not for Volume
Oceans 5 is spacious, calm, and organized. We have:
A large dedicated IDC classroom
Two training pools
Private briefing areas
Comfortable spaces to study and debrief
A quiet and serious environment for professional training
IDC candidates do not fight for space or share facilities with large student groups. The entire dive center is designed to support professional-level learning.
4. A Culture of Conservation
For over 15 years, Oceans 5 has integrated conservation into every step of our professional training.
Our candidates learn:
Neutral buoyancy teaching techniques
Reef protection strategies
How to brief and guide responsibly
How to act as ocean ambassadors
The reality of Gili Air’s changing reef ecosystem
We expect instructors to protect what they teach in — and our candidates leave understanding that teaching scuba diving means protecting it, too.
5. Real Teaching — Not Just Preparing for the IE
A major difference between Oceans 5 and many IDC centers is simple: we don’t train candidates just to pass the exam.
We train them to be real instructors.
The Instructor Examination takes only a few days. A career lasts decades. At Oceans 5, we focus on the skills IDC graduates will apply for the rest of their lives — not what the examiner expects for two days.
Why PADI Course Director Waz Is the Course Director on Gili Air
There are many Course Directors in Indonesia… but very few like Waz.
Waz is well-known across the Gili Islands — and especially on Gili Air — for his teaching philosophy, dedication, and unique ability to transform candidates into confident instructors.
1. A Teaching Style That Builds True Confidence
Waz is not interested in fast certifications or “just passing the IE.” His entire teaching style is based on:
Realistic training
Modern teaching techniques
Environmental awareness
Professional behavior
Safety and student control
Understanding standards deeply
Transforming weaknesses into strengths
He sees potential in every candidate and finds the teaching style that works best for each of them.
2. A Deep Connection to Gili Air
Waz is not a visiting Course Director. He is part of the Oceans 5 family and a daily part of island life. He understands local conditions, local dive sites, the marine park rules, and how to train instructors specifically for the Gili environment.
3. A Calm, Positive Presence
During an IDC, stress levels can rise quickly. A Course Director who stays calm, organized, and patient is essential. Waz is known for creating a relaxed, friendly, and supportive learning atmosphere — without losing professionalism or quality.
4. A Passion for Shaping Modern, Ethical Instructors
Waz believes strongly in forming instructors who:
Respect standards
Prioritize safety
Protect the reefs
Teach with honesty and transparency
Avoid shortcuts
Maintain long-term passion for teaching
His goal is to prepare instructors for a changing world — one where conservation matters, where quality is everything, and where the role of an instructor is more important than ever.
This Wednesday: The Final PADI IDC Begins
As we welcome our final group of PADI IDC candidates this Wednesday, we celebrate everything that has made Oceans 5 Gili Air one of Indonesia’s leading professional training centers.
This IDC represents:
The end of an era
The last generation of PADI instructors trained at Oceans 5
The transition toward a new training organization starting January 2026
The continuation of our long tradition of high-quality instructor training
The pride we take in every instructor who leaves our doors
These candidates will experience the full 20-day program under Waz’s guidance. They will grow, learn, struggle, succeed, and finally — step forward as confident, ethical, environmentally aware instructors ready for the real diving world.
And when they finish, they will join a family of Oceans 5 professionals spread across the globe — all trained with the same philosophy, the same dedication, and the same standard of excellence.
A Final Message
The last PADI IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air is more than a course. It is a moment of reflection, celebration, and gratitude. For 15 years we have taught professional divers on this island. Hundreds of passionate individuals have passed through our doors and built their careers around the world.
This Wednesday, we begin the last chapter — proudly, confidently, and with the same passion we started with in 2010.
To our candidates: welcome.
To our instructors: thank you.
To the ocean: we continue.
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