any diving near kuching, malaysia?

[scottfiji]

is there any diving near kuching, malaysia (in sarawak)? how does it compare to other places in malaysia/indonesia? I'll probably be in kuching from monday - friday. I'm not looking to go up to the sipadan area. Thanks!

scott

 

[malaysia-islands]

Probably 1-2 dive sites in Bako National Park, a few hours away from Kuching. Nonetheless, the dive profiles are not properly documented and I have the feeling the visibility isn't too great because the Rejang River estuary is not known for prolific coral growth.

If you don't mind catching a 2-hour flight to Miri, then it'll be a different story. A few travel articles have touched about the newly discovered offshore shoals which boast prolific marine life. A friend of mine who used to work in Miri dived almost every other weekend until he got transfered to Kuala Lumpur.

 

[Quero]

There is some diving around Sematan, which is driving distance from Kuching. You might contact a dive op in Kuching for specifics:
Kuching Scuba Centre www.kuchingscuba.com
kuchingscuba@myjaring.net

 

[woceht]

Hi all,

Just happened here while I was searching for information about diving in Miri. Will be stopping by there from 5-8 June, visiting relatives with my family in Sarawak, and was hoping to be able to take a day out to do some diving on my own. I've read most of the older posts about dive operators in Miri, and spoke to Voo at Adex when it was here in Singapore last week.

He quoted me a price of that adds up to RM$350 for 2 dives inclusive lunch and gear rental. This is, to be frank, pretty exorbitant. I'm a student and every penny counts. And anyway I can easily get a similar day trip in Singapore for less than half that price.

Was wondering if anyone can hook me up with or suggest a cheaper, no-frills option. Appreciate any help at all.

Cheers,
Wai

 

[malaysia-islands]

woceht,
I paid RM350 for 3 dives in Sipadan from Semporna with packed lunch. I guess it is somewhat similar with Miri because the boat journey does take about 1 hour or so. One cannot compare with real island diving because the cost of boat diesel does add up. Last week I did 2 dives in Tioman for only RM170 because the boat trip was like 10 minutes, so it was quite minimal.

Good luck with your search.

 

[woceht]

woceht,
I paid RM350 for 3 dives in Sipadan from Semporna with packed lunch. I guess it is somewhat similar with Miri because the boat journey does take about 1 hour or so. One cannot compare with real island diving because the cost of boat diesel does add up. Last week I did 2 dives in Tioman for only RM170 because the boat trip was like 10 minutes, so it was quite minimal.

Good luck with your search.

I was under the impression that the dive sites off Miri were about 20-30 minutes by boat. My bad. Still shouldn't add up to so much, though. But thanks for your input.

 

[scottfiji]

after doing some research, it seemed like the diving around sarawak wasn't that great, in sabah it seems much better. I could be wrong, but that's just the impression I got. I had an awesome time in Kuching, what a great city!

scott