The water of the Gili Islands, Lombok, provides rich rewards for technical divers. The 23 or so regular spots visited by recreational divers have been joined in the last few years by at least the same number of dive sites in deeper water, the vast majority of them within a fifteen minutes boat ride of the beach.
The diving is predominantly drift diving, although some sites have several hours window without current. Most sites are reefs, or wrecks from the second world war. Deep walls range from 45m to around 85-150m ( 450ft). A great number of these deeper reefs give relatively easy access to shallow water for decompression. On others, drifting open water decompression is normal.
Our area is swept by tidal currents keeping water clear and clean, and we have enjoyed a protected status from fishing for many years. The less visited deeper areas are consequently pristine, providing tremendous topography and fascinating marine life.
Our diving is customized to your needs and interests, and will follow the general guidelines found below. There will be no large mixed ability groups. Divers will be given the opportunity to enjoy their diving and develop at a level which is comfortable for them.
Best time to dive? All year is fine, March to October is very reliable weather, very warm both in and out of the water.
We always have some sites sheltered from prevailing seasonal weather conditions and typically lose only three or four days diving a year due to rough conditions. This makes anytime of year good for diving.
Temperatures in water range from about 25c ( 72F) in January and February to 30c ( 86F) from March till October.

Look in Blue Marlin pictures to see photos of our amazing technical diving sites

Blue Marlin - Guidelines and Policies for Safe Technical Diving

Outside of training activities, diving will be supervised in water (or from surface where deemed appropriate) by qualified Blue Marlin staff. Diving will take place at sites appropriate for the experience levels and certifications of the individuals involved. All decompression diving activities will be backed up by dedicated boat cover equipped with surface oxygen, additional decompression gases as required, and with mobile phones.

We require that all divers plan their dives to comply with the following guidelines:

• For any dive deeper than 40 metres, or any dive where decompression gases are used, a dive plan must be completed and approved by relevant Blue Marlin staff.
• All gas mixes MUST be analysed, correctly labeled for MOD and signed and dated by the user. Fill station log must be signed.
• Maximum bottom PO2 will be 1.5 ATA or lower.
• Maximum decompression PO2 will be 1.6 ATA or less.
• All divers must carry sufficient gas to complete their dives within rule of thirds, or as appropriate for the dive plan.
• On Trimix dives, maximum END will be 40m/130ft.
• Divers must be equipped with at least one reel and SMB/ lift bag, with two being strongly encouraged. A whistle and flashlight are highly recommended on all dives.

Divers must carry back up depth and time information.

• Blue Marlin staff will reserve final judgment on suitability and choice of the dive site and help you to plan your dives with computer programs.