glamourpuss
Contributor
Does anyone have experience with www.billabongscuba.com/?
Billabong Scuba, Mabul
- Thread starter glamourpuss
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I have been last year in Sipadan.
Initially I booked with Billabong but I canceled and choose Borneo Divers after a less positive experience of a friend.
Billabong is very basic ( rooms + dive equipment). I won't recommend them at this moment due to the limited dive permits for Sipadan. Most of the permits are for the bigger operators (Borneo Divers, SMART..)
Initially I booked with Billabong but I canceled and choose Borneo Divers after a less positive experience of a friend.
Billabong is very basic ( rooms + dive equipment). I won't recommend them at this moment due to the limited dive permits for Sipadan. Most of the permits are for the bigger operators (Borneo Divers, SMART..)
Tassie_Rohan
Contributor
Been to Mabul many times, but this is the first I've heard of a Billabong Scuba.
Both Borneo Divers and SMART are great operations.
Both Borneo Divers and SMART are great operations.
gee13
Contributor
They operate as Bharman Scuba. Usually allocated only 6 divers/ Day at Sipadan. homestay would be extremely basic amongst the village. Not sure where the dive centre is located. When I walked around the island I only saw SMART, Borneo divers (apart form SWV and Mabul WATER BUNGALOWS) though I did spot some new accom buildings next to Borneo Divers.
Permits are relative to the size of resorts also, the larger ones get 14, but also have more divers per resort. Its really down to who is at your resort at the time.
Permits are relative to the size of resorts also, the larger ones get 14, but also have more divers per resort. Its really down to who is at your resort at the time.
Last edited:
If you dont want to be bothered with permits and want great viz try Mataking island instead great diving and lots of macro and not over crowded.
I dove with Billabong Scuba back in September. To see pictures of the accommodations/divemasters/equipment/diveboat, you can visit my picasa page. I'm not allowed to post a link to a website because this is my first posting, but I'll try to write it out longhand: picasaweb(dot)google(dot)com(forward slash)kassler(forward slash)borneo
You can see from the pictures that the rooms and bathrooms are VERY basic. You'll probably have cockroaches in your room--I did! The decent accommodations are on a different part of the island, but you'll get a more authentic Mabul experience staying here. The crew is mostly Malaysian.
I booked my dives with Billabong only a couple weeks in advance. I was able to get two full days of diving in a row (6 dives Sipadan). This is the cheapest place to dive Sipadan. As long as you're not expecting western accommodations, you'll be fine.
Finding the Billabong office in Semporna is VERY difficult. When you email or call them, have them give you specific directions to get there. You can also ask around at other dive shops and they can direct you.
You can see from the pictures that the rooms and bathrooms are VERY basic. You'll probably have cockroaches in your room--I did! The decent accommodations are on a different part of the island, but you'll get a more authentic Mabul experience staying here. The crew is mostly Malaysian.
I booked my dives with Billabong only a couple weeks in advance. I was able to get two full days of diving in a row (6 dives Sipadan). This is the cheapest place to dive Sipadan. As long as you're not expecting western accommodations, you'll be fine.
Finding the Billabong office in Semporna is VERY difficult. When you email or call them, have them give you specific directions to get there. You can also ask around at other dive shops and they can direct you.
-SCUBADAVE-
Registered
I arrived in Semporna in 2008 with no real itinarary other than wanting to dive Sipidan.
The moment I stepped off the bus, there were 3 people from different dive operations wanting my business. The most friendly seemed to be from Billabongscuba, so I followed him to the dive office in Semporna for more info. Luckily 4 other westerners on the bus ended up in the same place and we all became best of dive-buddies.
The accomadation is very basic consisting of 5-6 double/trple rooms that you may be sharing with someone of the same sex, that is if you arrive travelling solo. At least you dont have to pay a single-supplement. All the buildings are interconnected by wooden planks and sit on stilts dangling over the water. They are connected to the island on one side, and cute children seem to outnumber adults on the island. The villagers all want you to take thier picture, then look at the image on your digital screen. The location is soooo beautiful. You can watch the 'Bajo' people carrying on thier lifes on the sea right from the resturant area.
Prices were very resonable. I remember paying aprox. $15Can/night with 3 meals a day and snacks included. I had my own equipment, so with multiple dives it worked out to aprox. $20Can./Tank. Transfer from Semporna-Mabul-Semporna were included.
There was always enough food. Just as you started getting hungry, something was brought out of the kitchen to nibble on.
This resort seemed to cater to maybe more mature backpackers on a budget. Supposedly, 'Uncle Changs' is the party operation. Most people at Billabong just read books and socialized a bit after dinner berore settling down for the night.
Back in 2008, Billabong was only issued 6-8 Sipidan permits/day. I was still able to dive 6 out of 7 days.
The local divemasters were knowledgeable, and every dive went well except for one. Before diving along a wall, I was told they were to point out the mouth of the 'TurtleTomb'. I followed our divemaster into a large opening that got more and more narrow. Suddenly I found myself in a pitch black cave where a dolfin carcus resided. We only had one small flashlight between the 3 of us, that barely lite anything. I actually had thoughts for those 2 minutes that I might die there. That was my 100th dive!
Other than that, I would diffinately recommend it to budget minded people who arent fussy about eating fish everyday and sleeping on bad mattresses.
billabongscubaDOTcom
The moment I stepped off the bus, there were 3 people from different dive operations wanting my business. The most friendly seemed to be from Billabongscuba, so I followed him to the dive office in Semporna for more info. Luckily 4 other westerners on the bus ended up in the same place and we all became best of dive-buddies.
The accomadation is very basic consisting of 5-6 double/trple rooms that you may be sharing with someone of the same sex, that is if you arrive travelling solo. At least you dont have to pay a single-supplement. All the buildings are interconnected by wooden planks and sit on stilts dangling over the water. They are connected to the island on one side, and cute children seem to outnumber adults on the island. The villagers all want you to take thier picture, then look at the image on your digital screen. The location is soooo beautiful. You can watch the 'Bajo' people carrying on thier lifes on the sea right from the resturant area.
Prices were very resonable. I remember paying aprox. $15Can/night with 3 meals a day and snacks included. I had my own equipment, so with multiple dives it worked out to aprox. $20Can./Tank. Transfer from Semporna-Mabul-Semporna were included.
There was always enough food. Just as you started getting hungry, something was brought out of the kitchen to nibble on.
This resort seemed to cater to maybe more mature backpackers on a budget. Supposedly, 'Uncle Changs' is the party operation. Most people at Billabong just read books and socialized a bit after dinner berore settling down for the night.
Back in 2008, Billabong was only issued 6-8 Sipidan permits/day. I was still able to dive 6 out of 7 days.
The local divemasters were knowledgeable, and every dive went well except for one. Before diving along a wall, I was told they were to point out the mouth of the 'TurtleTomb'. I followed our divemaster into a large opening that got more and more narrow. Suddenly I found myself in a pitch black cave where a dolfin carcus resided. We only had one small flashlight between the 3 of us, that barely lite anything. I actually had thoughts for those 2 minutes that I might die there. That was my 100th dive!
Other than that, I would diffinately recommend it to budget minded people who arent fussy about eating fish everyday and sleeping on bad mattresses.
billabongscubaDOTcom
Wisnu
Contributor
More recent report about billabong is here:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/malaysia-singapore/358067-mt-kinabalu-sipadan-family-trip-report-oct-2010-a.html
We stayed with them on October 2010. Compared with scubadave experience in 2008, sure there's some improvement. Their new room, although still pretty basic but has air con and clean.
The menu is not always fish - there's variation of fish, chicken and beef.
We've stayed in more luxury resorts too but my three ladies does not complain and they have no objection to stay again in Billabong given the choices diving Sipadan with Billabong or No dive trip at all.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/malaysia-singapore/358067-mt-kinabalu-sipadan-family-trip-report-oct-2010-a.html
We stayed with them on October 2010. Compared with scubadave experience in 2008, sure there's some improvement. Their new room, although still pretty basic but has air con and clean.
The menu is not always fish - there's variation of fish, chicken and beef.
We've stayed in more luxury resorts too but my three ladies does not complain and they have no objection to stay again in Billabong given the choices diving Sipadan with Billabong or No dive trip at all.
-SCUBADAVE-
Registered
Thanx WISNU for the latest report on Billabongscuba. Im thinking of going back mid Feburary after a couple weeks in N. Sulawesi. I actually enjoyed the rustic accomodations. It let me experience how the locals in the area probably have lived for hundreds of years. I had a nice time.
New air-conditioned units? Funny, Canadian's always complain about how cold it is, then when we travel to the tropics, we still want air-conditioning. Figure that one out!
New air-conditioned units? Funny, Canadian's always complain about how cold it is, then when we travel to the tropics, we still want air-conditioning. Figure that one out!
Similar threads
