Best dive shops in Gili Islands
8 shops scored on six published criteria. No shop can pay to move up. Top of the list right now: Blue Marlin Dive with 69 of 100.
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Founded 1992, the largest operator on Trawangan with full PADI 5-star CDC status and IDC capability.
- Verified reviews 21/30 Google 4.7 from 1,420 reviews (adjusted 4.70)
- Safety & quality signals 25/25 max 4 per instructor · 34 yrs operating · multi-agency · instructor-level centre · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 8/15 Open Water 4% above destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 7 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 5/10 Conservation activity mentioned, not verified
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
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Backpacker-friendly PADI 5-star centre on Trawangan with a budget course pricing and eco-leaning ethos.
- Verified reviews 16/30 Google 4.5 from 540 reviews (adjusted 4.53)
- Safety & quality signals 22/25 max 4 per instructor · 16 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 15/15 Open Water 10% below destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 4 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 5/10 Conservation activity mentioned, not verified
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
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Established 1995, long-running PADI 5-star centre with an active BioRock reef restoration programme.
- Verified reviews 18/30 Google 4.6 from 980 reviews (adjusted 4.61)
- Safety & quality signals 22/25 max 4 per instructor · 31 yrs operating · multi-agency · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water at destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 5 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 5/10 Conservation activity mentioned, not verified
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
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Founded 2008, the largest operator on Gili Air with full PADI 5-star IDC status and bundled accommodation.
- Verified reviews 24/30 Google 4.8 from 1,380 reviews (adjusted 4.79)
- Safety & quality signals 25/25 max 4 per instructor · 18 yrs operating · multi-agency · instructor-level centre · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 8/15 Open Water 8% above destination median
- Offering breadth 10/10 PADI/SSI · 5 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
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Boutique PADI 5-star centre on Trawangan with smaller groups and a slower-paced course flow.
- Verified reviews 24/30 Google 4.8 from 620 reviews (adjusted 4.78)
- Safety & quality signals 19/25 max 3 per instructor · 22 yrs operating · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water at destination median
- Offering breadth 8/10 PADI · 3 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
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Smaller-scale PADI 5-star centre on Gili Air with a quieter atmosphere and personalised course flow.
- Verified reviews 21/30 Google 4.7 from 460 reviews (adjusted 4.70)
- Safety & quality signals 19/25 max 3 per instructor · 15 yrs operating · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water at destination median
- Offering breadth 8/10 PADI · 4 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
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The only major dive operator on Gili Meno, the smallest and most isolated of the three Gilis.
- Verified reviews 23/30 Google 4.8 from 280 reviews (adjusted 4.77)
- Safety & quality signals 19/25 max 3 per instructor · 17 yrs operating · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 8/15 Open Water 2% above destination median
- Offering breadth 8/10 PADI · 3 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
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Founded 2002, mid-range PADI 5-star centre with on-site accommodation and a social atmosphere.
- Verified reviews 18/30 Google 4.6 from 1,180 reviews (adjusted 4.61)
- Safety & quality signals 19/25 max 4 per instructor · 24 yrs operating · nitrox on site
- Price transparency & value 12/15 Open Water 4% below destination median
- Offering breadth 8/10 PADI · 5 languages · 5 offering types · tech / liveaboard / nitrox
- Sustainability 0/10 No sustainability programme reported
- Editorial visit 0/10 Not yet visited or confirmed
How we rank
Every shop gets a score out of 100 from six criteria. The weights and the data behind each score are shown on every entry, and the full table can be downloaded as CSV. Scores are recalculated whenever the data changes; this page was last updated on 13 May 2026.
| Criterion | Weight | What we measure |
|---|---|---|
| Verified reviews | 30 | Google rating and review count, shrunk toward the destination average so a 4.9 with 30 reviews does not beat a 4.8 with 1,500. |
| Safety & quality signals | 25 | Maximum students per instructor (the single biggest safety lever on a course), years in operation, multi-agency status, instructor-level training centre, nitrox on site. |
| Price transparency & value | 15 | Published Open Water price (or fun-dive price where courses are not the main product) against the destination median. Cheapest is not always best; transparency is rewarded, hidden fees are not. |
| Offering breadth | 10 | Agencies offered, languages spoken, range of products, and whether technical, liveaboard or nitrox diving is available. |
| Sustainability | 10 | Green Fins membership or a documented conservation programme scores full; a mention without evidence scores half. |
| Editorial visit | 10 | Full marks when our team has visited the shop and verified boats, gear room and classroom in person. Half when the shop has confirmed its data with us. |
Rules
- Paid listings and partnerships never affect the score, and are labelled where they appear.
- Missing data scores zero. It is the shop's data to provide; we do not guess.
- A shop can dispute any data point. Corrections are applied and dated.
- Review data is pulled from Google and dated; we do not collect our own reviews yet.
Cite as: "Best dive shops in Gili Islands 2026", topdiveshops.com, updated 2026-05-13. Scores CSV: best-dive-shops.csv.