Steps from Lotus Gangga Island is Indonesia’s hidden marine world, with dramatic drop-offs, coral masterpieces, and diverse marine species. Lotus Divers leads diving and snorkelling adventures to over 60 dive sites around North Sulawesi, like Bangka Archipelago, Bunaken National Marine Park, and Lembeh Strait.
Lotus Divers’ PADI 5 Star Dive Resort & Centre in North Sulawesi invites divers of all levels to explore this rich marine world, keeping our groups small and personal. Our team of professional dive instructors and guides follow the Green Fins no-touch and eco-friendly approach to protect our vibrant reefs. Whether you join us to complete a PADI diving course or simply jump off a boat with a snorkel in hand, this is where your diving adventure begins.
Complimentary Nitrox fills are available to every enriched-air-certified diver.
Free 15-litre tanks are available to any diver who wants them
Our dive boats are fitted with two or three 200HP engines, complete with an inside cabin, sundeck, and onboard toilet.
An air-conditioned camera room offers charging and storage space, along with a high-pressure air gun for drying and cleaning your camera equipment.
Our small dive groups come with full-service diving support, including equipment washing and set-up.
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Dive Courses in Bali
Core Courses
Learn to dive in North Sulawesi with Lotus Divers, based at Lotus Gangga Island in the heart of the Coral Triangle. Our Open Water Diver course is one of the world’s most popular beginner scuba programs, teaching you the core principles of diving before putting them into practice across four training dives in North Sulawesi. Complete your PADI eLearning before you arrive so all that’s left is the diving itself. After this course you’ll be qualified to dive to a maximum of 18 metres (59 feet), or 12 metres (39 feet) for junior divers.
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Package options
Build your confidence and expand your depth limit with the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course. Complete five Adventure Dives around North Sulawesi, including the mandatory Deep and Underwater Navigation dives plus three electives of your choice. By the end of this course, you’ll be qualified to dive up to 30 metres (98 feet), or 21 metres (69 feet) for 12–14 year olds. The course is mostly in the water, with knowledge reviews to complete but no final exam.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes Equipment rental, with certification and PADI eLearning included in the Premium and VIP packages.
This course is available in three packages: Basic, Premium, and VIP. Contact us for more information about each.
Learn to anticipate and manage problems as a diver before they happen with Lotus Divers’ Rescue Diver course. Sharpen your self-rescue skills and abilities to help others, developing more confidence in the water.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes Equipment rental, with certification and PADI eLearning included in the Premium and VIP packages.
Available in Basic, Premium, and VIP packages. Reach out to our team for more information.
Specialty Courses
Get more out of every dive with the PADI Enriched Air Diver course at Lotus Divers. Diving with enriched air (Nitrox) reduces the nitrogen your body absorbs, extending your bottom time, shortening surface intervals, and making repetitive dives safer throughout your stay in North Sulawesi.
Course structure
Package options
Prerequisites
Want to get started now but haven’t decided when to book your trip? Begin your eLearning directly with PADI and book the practical session with us when you’re ready.
Explore deeper waters with Lotus Divers’ PADI Deep Diver course, certifying you to 40 metres (130 feet) and opening access to deep wrecks, walls, and unique marine life around Gangga Island. You’ll learn how to plan deep dives, manage your gas supply, and recognise and manage narcosis.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning, certification fee, and a full set of rental equipment.
Not sure of your travel dates but want to start your eLearning now? Get started with PADI and complete the practical part with us whenever you’re ready.
North Sulawesi’s currents can carry you effortlessly along a reef, if you know how to navigate them. The PADI Drift Diver Specialty teaches you to do exactly that, sharpening your buoyancy control, navigation, use of surface signaling equipment, and buddy communication with guidance from an experienced instructor.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning, certification fee, and a full set of rental equipment.
Even if you aren’t sure of your travel dates, you can start learning now. Get the PADI eLearning portion and book your practical session with us when your trip is planned.
Whether you’re stepping off a small inflatable or a full-size liveaboard, the PADI Boat Diver Specialty prepares you to dive from boats. You’ll learn proper water entries and exits, how to use current lines, and practical tips for managing seasickness.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning, certification fee, and a full set of rental equipment.
Want to get started now but haven’t decided when to book your trip? Begin your eLearning directly with PADI and book the practical session with us when you’re ready.
Switch on your torch and experience the ocean in a way most divers never see. The PADI Night Diver Specialty teaches you to navigate confidently in the dark, communicate using specialised dive lights and hand signals, and track down the nocturnal creatures that only emerge after hours.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning, certification fee, and a full set of rental equipment.
Not sure of your travel dates but want to start your eLearning now? Get started with PADI and complete the practical part with us whenever you’re ready.
With the PADI Search and Recovery course, learn how to find lost objects underwater. Because inevitably someone (or yourself!) will lose something while diving. In this course, learn the different types of underwater search patterns and how to use a lift bag. You’ll plan and execute mock search operations over four dives.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning, certification fee, and a full set of rental equipment.
Even if you aren’t sure of your travel dates, you can start learning now. Get the PADI eLearning portion and book your practical session with us when your trip is planned.
Buoyancy is what separates a diver who fights the water from one who moves through it effortlessly. Over two dives with Lotus Divers, you’ll learn precise weight distribution, fine-tune your trim, and hover with control, using less air while protecting the reefs and fragile marine life in the area.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning, certification fee, and a full set of rental equipment.
Want to get started now but haven’t decided when to book your trip? Begin your eLearning directly with PADI and book the practical session with us when you’re ready.
Knowing how and when to give emergency oxygen could make all the difference in a dive emergency. The PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course prepares you to recognise scuba-related injuries and illnesses requiring emergency oxygen and respond with confidence to offer the right aid.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning and certification fee.
Not sure of your travel dates but want to start your eLearning now? Get started with PADI and complete the practical part with us whenever you’re ready.
Emergencies don’t wait for a diving qualification, in or out of the water. Over one day with Lotus Divers, you’ll learn Primary Care (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) for adults, children, and infants, earning your CPR and first aid certification. This is a prerequisite for the PADI Rescue Diver Course.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes eLearning and certification fee.
A valid EFR certificate within the last 24 months is required for the PADI Rescue Diver course — pair the two if yours has expired or you’ve never completed one.
Even if you aren’t sure of your travel dates, you can start learning now. Get the PADI eLearning portion and book your practical session with us when your trip is planned.
Dive Experiences & Refresher Programs
Get your kids started diving young with this introductory scuba diving experience in North Sulawesi. Learn under the direct supervision of a PADI professional. Designed for kids age 8 and older it lets them use scuba gear and learn to safely breathe underwater in our pool, to a maximum depth of 2 metres (6 feet).
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Prerequisites
Course includes Rental dive equipment and a Bubblemaker completion certificate.
Not ready to commit to the open ocean just yet? The PADI Discover Scuba Diving pool experience is your gentle, no-pressure invitation to try scuba diving in the safety of our pool.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning. This is not a certification course, but an introductory experience.
Ease into scuba diving with the PADI Discover Scuba course, starting off your learning with a controlled pool experience. Then apply what you’ve learned with two ocean dives in the North Sulawesi area.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning. This is not a certification course, but an introductory experience.
Short on time but ready to get certified? The PADI Scuba Diver course is a subset of the full Open Water Diver certification, qualifying you to dive to a maximum depth of 12 metres (40 feet) under the direct supervision of a PADI professional — a stepping stone you can later build into your full Open Water certification.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes PADI eLearning, certification fee, and a full set of rental equipment.
PADI Scuba Refresher/ReActivate
Haven’t been diving in a while? Our refresher program is the perfect way to shake off the rust and refresh your knowledge and skills in our purpose-built diver training pool before you head back into the water.
Course structure
Prerequisites
Course includes Equipment rental.
Some medical conditions may affect safe scuba diving. Please review the PADI Scuba Diving Medical questionnaire and, if required, visit your doctor to obtain a signed and stamped medical clearance before your dive in with Lotus Divers.
Snorkelling in North Sulawesi
Snorkel your way through the heart of the Coral Triangle with Lotus Divers, based out of Lotus Gangga Island in North Sulawesi. Explore colourful reefs and dramatic coral walls of Gangga, Bangka, Bunaken and the mainland, home to an array of marine biodiversity — sea turtles, rays, cuttlefish, octopuses, multiple types of reef fish, and sometimes even dugongs (the gentle “sea cows” much like manatees).
Snorkelers of all levels are welcome! Led by an expert guide, most of our snorkeling excursions are added onto our scuba diving safaris (although separate snorkel trips can often be arranged). We provide all equipment, including children’s sizes. Warm water year-round makes for a pleasant experience, with the best visibility between March and October (ranging 20-35 metres). No matter when you snorkel with us, discover and protect our vibrant waters with our no-touch Green Fins Code of Conduct.
Safety Standards
Your safety on every dive is our top priority
Coltri compressors and a Renner Nitrox Membrane system.
Our boats are equipped with emergency oxygen, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, life jackets, and a marine radio.
In addition to onboard emergency oxygen and first aid kits, our staff are rescue trained and have a Dive Emergency Plan in place. The nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Manado. Dive insurance is mandatory for all divers. As a DAN Partner, Lotus Gangga Island can help arrange daily dive insurance.
All of our equipment is regularly serviced and maintained annually by our in-house technician, with spare equipment carried on board every boat. Free Nitrox is available to Nitrox-certified divers. Nitrox analysers are brought on every trip, and tanks are analysed in front of each diver. Tank hydrostatic pressure testing is carried out in line with manufacturer and local laws and recommendations.
Our standard ratio is a maximum of 4 divers per guide, keeping groups small so guides can give attentive supervision. Small groups also help guides adapt to each guest’s experience levels and maintain high safety and environmental standards. Private guides and private dive trips are available based on request and availability.
All divers are required to complete a health self-declaration through a PADI medical questionnaire before diving. Given the resort’s remote location, this helps ensure the highest safety and wellbeing of every guest, guide, and dive group.
Reserve your diving adventure in North Sulawesi
