Freediving in Gili

[Chris119]

Hi,

My name is Chris and I'm currently living in London. I want to get the hell out of England for a few months and do some freediving! I'm basically looking for somewhere where i can live pretty cheap (like in a little beach hut) and freedive off of the beach (I know, I'm not asking for a lot!). I've been looking at the island of Gili off the coast of bali which seems pretty awesome. Just wondering if anyone has ever been or if there are other places people would recommend?

Thanks

Chris

 

[Kars]

It would be a very lonely person if he or she would share their secret hideout spot! LOL

 

[sebaqua]

Have not been to the Gilis ,but a new freedive schoo recently opened there:

Freedive Gili Trawangan - Free Diving Gili Trawangan Diving

I dont know about access from the beach ,but currents can be a bit violent there ,though...

 

[Elduderinio]

Hi Chris

The Gilis are a fantastic place to freedive, I've been there twice and I will go back, for sure. 28-31C water temp and a drop-off right off the beach, means you can dive along a vertical wall 25m off the islands. There are sometimes currents between the islands, for these are quite deep channels.

Those currents create some pretty nice surf breaks on the southern end of all three islands, just in case your friends need some more convincing input to join you :inlove

So what I can recommend: Contact Mike of "Freedive Gili" for sessions and courses. You'll find him on Gili Trawangan (the Gilis consist of three islands). He's an Apnea Total instructor, so that's a bit different from AIDA or AA.

It's still possible easy to find very cheap accommodation on Trawangan. Avoid peak season, take half a day to check out all the places on the island, stay away from the packed places and bargain for a good long-stay deal. We're talking <$8/night.

..and enjoy paradise!

Oli

 

[kevtron]

Gili T is awesome! I couldn't escape from that island! It's just paradise!

It's also where I learned about free diving. Mike does a great 2-day intro class. Lots of good info, practice with breathing, and then out into the water. He said ~80% get to 20+ meters by the 2nd day!

Oh, and look for the 'free dive' sign. But also just look for Manta Dive. That's where he was working last January (they have pretty good fresh fish at night at the connected restaurant as well.

I'd highly recommend a trip to Gili regardless. But the added bonus of a cool free diving class certainly doesn't hurt

 

[behslayer]

Paradise? Hardly. Unless you are looking to trip out on Mushrooms and get wasted. The Gili's are a good place if you don't know what good diving looks like and you can not tell when a place has been bombed out and cyanide fished. There are plenty of rstaurants and cheap accomodations, and there are heaps of good looking girls from all over the world.. But, there is much better diving in other places in Indonesia, and in the world. I guess I'm jaded having watched the Gillis go from a group of semi inhabited coconut islands with rich, pristine, marine reef.. to a Full moon party High spot for tourists, whose reefs were raped during the fall of Suharto. Paradise? Hardly.

 

[Elduderinio]

Hi behslayer
You're right, if you go with the main flow, that's what the Gilis feel like.
But still, for the reasons I described, it's a good place to start freediving, don't you think?

Oli

 

[Chris119]

Thanks for the replies, its good to get the different opinions of people who've spent some time there. Elduderino, cheers for your input. I've been in touch with Mike and he's been massively helpful. Behslayer...good to hear from someone with a different view of the islands. Can you recommend somewhere a bit more untouched in Indonesia (or anywhere really).

 

[jay cluskey]

id love to get out there and dive with mike ..he is a top man and a great diver i met him out in dahab in march when he broke the british free immersion record....
and for anyone else interested i would go to www.freedivegili.com

 

[RahelZemoi]

Hey all,

I'm going there for the first time.
2months starting December 3rd 2010.
I'm a freediving instructor looking for someone to train with...
I have my own buoy and 90m line.

Cheers,
Rahel

(rahel@freediving.biz)