Diving East Coast Malaysia-Liveaboards/Resorts?

[tboxcar]

Any suggestions for liveaboards who sail the waters around Redang, Tenggol area? The boat I had in mind, just sunk (no injuries) and won't be ready again until August. If not a liveaboard, who can recommend a dive resort on one of the islands mentioned above? Have done the Perhentian thing before, but would like to try something different?

 

[tzeyap]

for Redang, I like Redand holiday resort. Nice and spacious accommodation on hill-side at the end of the beach. It is quiet and has great views as the bungalows are perched on the hill-side. It is further away from the noisier part of the beach.

I believe there is only one resort operating at Tenggol. Resort is simple but adequate. Tenggol at least for me is the most pretty dive destination on East coast of Malaysia. Beautiful cove and very nice beach. the dive sites are among the best on the East coast. Tanjong Api near the resort is an A1 site although current there can be fairly strong.

 

[davidlkh]

Here is an LOB for East Coast Malaysia

http://www.penetrationdivers.com/pages/25/index.htm

But not exactly for the areas you mentioned

This LOB is quite big and relatively luxurious. Went on it once for 2 nights.

 

[okidoki]

Hi Tboxcar,

Check out David's suggestion on the MV Grace you can extent your diving adventure and dive some real serious wrecks.

 

[Zippsy]

Unless chartered for the trip, I didn't think any dive boats were sailing those waters for more than a three day holiday weekend. Most LOB's in this area only do weekend trips because it's too hard filling the boats on weekdays. Of course, you can always try Penetration Divers or other boat and see if they have a charter that you can tag along on. Alternatively, bring along 15 of your best friends.

 

[Quero]

Here is an LOB for East Coast Malaysia

http://www.penetrationdivers.com/pages/25/index.htm

But not exactly for the areas you mentioned

This LOB is quite big and relatively luxurious. Went on it once for 2 nights.

Penetration Divers is a serious operation, but it's important to note that the trips they schedule on the Grace are almost exclusively focused on tech and wreck diving. If that's not what you're looking for, you might check out the out the Kaleebso http://www.kaleebso.com/

BTW, what boat were you planning to sail on that is not back in service until August?

Personally, my favorite east coast Malaysia dive destination is Tenggol Island. There's one resort on the island itself, or you can stay at the upscale Tonjung Jara Resort on the mainland, which does two-tank morning dives around Tenggol.

Q.

 

[davidlkh]

The trip I went on MV Grace was not wreck or tech, it was for photography.

MV Grace is equiped for the full tech and wreck, but it does not mean it only does those dives.

I have had friends go on MV Grace for recreational stuff too.

 

[Quero]

The trip I went on MV Grace was not wreck or tech, it was for photography.

MV Grace is equiped for the full tech and wreck, but it does not mean it only does those dives.

I have had friends go on MV Grace for recreational stuff too.

Take it easy David.... Yes, the Grace is a good boat by all accounts. No argument here

The Grace *does* offer some non-tech and/or wreck trips like your photo trip, but not very many compared to the tech and/or wreck ones (though it is true that the wreck dives are possible within the 40 m recreational limit). This season's schedule for the Grace includes just one dedicated photo trip (other than the research trips with the MRDG which include photographing the sites), and two non-wreck safari trips of a total of about 25 scheduled sailings from the month of May onwards. So when I said that the Grace offers tech and wreck "almost exclusively," there's a basis for the statement!

FWIW, the Kaleebso also does a bit of wreck/tech, but the proportions are slanted the other way, with only a few sailings scheduled for tech and wreck.

In the end, it just depends on what tboxcar feels like doing when the time comes.

Q.

 

[gxdoyle]

Take it easy David.... Yes, the Grace is a good boat by all accounts. No argument here

The Grace *does* offer some non-tech and/or wreck trips like your photo trip, but not very many compared to the tech and/or wreck ones (though it is true that the wreck dives are possible within the 40 m recreational limit). This season's schedule for the Grace includes just one dedicated photo trip (other than the research trips with the MRDG which include photographing the sites), and two non-wreck safari trips of a total of about 25 scheduled sailings from the month of May onwards. So when I said that the Grace offers tech and wreck "almost exclusively," there's a basis for the statement!

FWIW, the Kaleebso also does a bit of wreck/tech, but the proportions are slanted the other way, with only a few sailings scheduled for tech and wreck.

In the end, it just depends on what tboxcar feels like doing when the time comes.

Q.

The Grace is now offering lots of weekend recreational diving trips as well as a couple of trips to HMS Repulse for experienced recreational divers who will be accompanied by Technical Instructors and Divemaster to a max depth of 40 meters.

The MRDG (see www.mrdg.org) group is growing rapidly and as a result more photo trips to single dive sites are being added. However the MRDG also dives with other operators - you should get in touch with them Quero and make them an offer to use Kaleebso

They have also hired a full time PADI instructor to work on the boat to cater more fully to recreational divers.

BTW - it is appropriate to refer to MV Grace as a 'Dive Ship' as she is steel,120 feet long, has 11 twin share air conditioned cabins - many with ensuites and is the only dive boat in malaysia registered as a commercial vessel and meeting commercial shipping safety standards.

From July they will be operating weekend trips around Kuantan, Tenggol and Varella for recreational divers...

 

[Quero]

The Grace is now offering lots of weekend recreational diving trips as well as a couple of trips to HMS Repulse for experienced recreational divers who will be accompanied by Technical Instructors and Divemaster to a max depth of 40 meters.

The MRDG (see www.mrdg.org) group is growing rapidly and as a result more photo trips to single dive sites are being added. However the MRDG also dives with other operators - you should get in touch with them Quero and make them an offer to use Kaleebso

From July they will be operating weekend trips around Kuantan, Tenggol and Varella for recreational divers...

Greg, it's wonderful to see how busy the Grace has been! And also that come July there will be one more option for diving around Tenggol (my favorite east coast place to dive). As far as the Kaleebso goes, I'm not in a position to offer her for anything at all. My point in mentioning the Kaleebso in the first place was to give tboxcar one more option to explore. Then somebody got defensive about the Grace.... Gosh it feels like getting contact cement on one hand and trying to get it off with the other, just to spread the mess around and make things even more "sticky." Sooo....

"Dear tboxcar: there are currently two vessels running regular trips around Tioman and Tenggol off the east coast of Malaysia: the Grace http://www.penetrationdivers.com/pages/60/index.htm and the Kaleebso http://www.kaleebso.com/. You can check the trip dates and destinations at their websites (Tioman, Tenggol, Aur and Dayang are islands; Kuantan, Prince of Wales and Repulse are artificial reefs/wrecks). There are also many resorts, some of which have been mentioned in a few posts. Hope you have a wonderful dive experience in Malaysia, whatever you choose to do. Please post a trip report here afterwards so that SB members can see the richness that east coast Malaysia diving can offer."

Howzat :05: