We are in a slightly unusual position: on Gili Air we teach both. Scuba with Gili Air Divers, freediving with the Freedive Gili Air team, from the same centre. So we have no reason to push you one way. Here is how the two really compare.
In short
- Scuba: long, slow dives (40 to 60 minutes) to explore the reef and its life.
- Freediving: one breath, a few dozen seconds to a few minutes, silence and a deep sense of calm.
- Both work on Gili Air, and many people end up doing the two.
How it feels
Scuba is exploration. You breathe from a tank, so you have time: you hover over a coral head, wait for a frogfish to move, follow a turtle along the reef. The sound is your own bubbles. It is a sport of observation.
Freediving is a journey inside as much as outside. You prepare at the surface, take one breath and go down along a line or over the reef. No bubbles, no noise, fish that come closer because you are silent. Each dive is short, but it feels intense and strangely peaceful. It is a sport of sensation and self-control.
Depth and time underwater
| Scuba | Freediving | |
|---|---|---|
| Time underwater | 40–60 min per dive | seconds to a few minutes per dive |
| First certification | SSI Open Water: to 18 m | SSI Freediving Level 1: to 20 m |
| Next level | Advanced: to 30 m | Level 2: to 30 m |
| Equipment | tank, regulator, BCD, computer | mask, snorkel, long fins, wetsuit, weights |
| What you train | buoyancy, air management | relaxation, breath-hold, equalisation |
Yes, a freediver on Level 1 can reach the same depth as an Open Water diver, on one breath. That surprises almost everyone.
Learning: first steps and prices on Gili Air
- Try scuba: the SSI Basic Diver (half a day, from age 10). One pool session, then one dive to a maximum of 12 metres.
- Try freediving: the Freediving Trial (half a day, IDR 1,900,000, from age 12). Breathing workshop, pool, then the ocean, to 10 metres maximum.
- Get certified in scuba: the SSI Open Water (3 days, IDR 6,900,000).
- Get certified in freediving: SSI Freediving Level 1 (2 days, IDR 4,900,000).
Freediving equipment is lighter and cheaper to own, which makes it easy to keep practising at home, in a pool or on any coast.
Who tends to love which
You will probably love scuba if you want to spend time with marine life, take photos, explore wrecks and walls, and you like the idea of a guided adventure.
You will probably love freediving if you like sport that is also meditation, enjoy measuring your progress, want freedom from heavy gear, or have always swum down to things on holiday.
Neither requires you to be an athlete. Both reward calm.
Can you do both?
Yes, and they help each other. Freedivers become calmer scuba divers with better air consumption; scuba divers who learn freediving often find their snorkelling transformed. One rule if you mix them on the same trip: freedive first, scuba after, and never the reverse on the same day, because breath-hold diving after a scuba dive is not recommended while your body still holds extra nitrogen. Tell both instructors your plan and we will organise the order.
Our honest advice
If you cannot decide, try both. A half-day scuba try dive and a half-day freediving trial on two different days give you the answer better than any comparison table. And if you already know that what you want is silence and one long breath, start with our complete guide to freediving on Gili Air.
Questions? Message us on WhatsApp: the scuba team and the freediving team share the same deck.
Keep reading
Is freediving for me? An honest answer
Your first freediving trial on Gili Air, step by step
Ears and freediving: why Frenzel changes everything
Freediving on Gili Air: the complete guide
Freediving in Indonesia: where to go, and for whom
Freediving safety: why you never dive alone
Your first time diving: what a try dive on Gili Air is really like
Before you dive again: be honest with yourself, be fair to your group
Diving Gili Air in the rainy season: is it worth it?
