Residents living the Seribu Islands feel happy and helped by the free open water diving certification training initiated by the Seribu Islanda Regency administration in collaboration with the Panggang Island Urban Village Community Consultative Body (LMK) and PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ).

One of the Panggang Island residents, Alfa (20) admitted that he is grateful and thankful for being able to attend free scuba diving training held in the waters of Pramuka Island, Panggang Isladnd Urban Village, North Seribu Islands Sub-district.

According to him, taking diving training has been his dream for a long time because he aspires to explore the beauty of Indonesian seas.

"I'm very happy and touched to have the opportunity to participate in a diving training, and it's free. Because, if done independently, the cost would be very expensive," he expressed, Wednesday (10/29).

During training, he gained a lot of knowledge, such as physics lessons in diving, introduction to scuba equipment, skills underwater, and the use of sign language underwater.

"Very exciting and extraordinary. Thank you to everyone who made this free training possible," he stated.

The training received appreciation from North Jakarta Seribu Islands Sub-district Vice Head, Yulihardi.

With the increasing number of diving guides, the potential for underwater tourism in Seribu Islands will keep developing and impacting the community's economy.

"Training like this is very much needed by the youth of Seribu Islands. Hopefully, it will provide great benefits for them because diving is also an important part of the tourism sector," he hoped.

Community Self-Reliance Institute (LKM) Panggang Bahari Tourism Chairman, Ahmad Haerudin explained, this training is an annual routine program aimed at introducing and providing basic diving skills to Seribu Islands residents.

"This also serves as a provision for residents to find employment or start a business, while also fostering love for the sea and preserving the underwater ecosystem," he explained.

He added the scuba diving training held from October 28 to 30, 2025, was attended by ten youths from six sub-districts in Seribu Islands.

During training, participants receive basic material in the classroom and hands-on practice in open waters. The material covered includes an introduction and familiarization with the use of scuba equipment, hand signals, buoyancy, mask and regulator clearing, safety stops, navigation, and emergency handling in diving.

"Diving carries high risks, so the training provided is serious. The assessment results from this certification activity will be sent to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) to obtain the A1 certification," he stated.