Hi Hmoffatt,
First of all let me mention that I work for Borneo Dream - a Dive Operator in Kota Kinabalu. My aim, here is to share information on dive sites you might consider when you're in KK (not to promote our trips).
Sipadan is a world class dive site - often listed in the top 10 dive destinations in the world. So, it's fair to say that diving from Kota Kinabalu will not be as good as diving at Sipadan (it's not in the top 10 list
. Having said that, if the conditions are good (sea state, weather, tidal) there is some nice diving to be enjoyed along the west coast of Sabah, accessible from Kota Kinabalu (KK). If you're in KK for a few days and want to get as many dives in on holiday as possible then it's a nice way to end your holiday.
The most popular diving destination from KK is to Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Here there are > 20 different sites. All generally involve diving along shallow coral reefs (5m - 25m) with typically little current and vis ranges between 5m - 25m (depending on conditions and dive site). The better quality coral reefs are on the westward facing side of the islands (Sulug, Manukan, Sapi & Gaya). Good sites include Clements Reef, Edgell Patches, Sulug North, Ron's Reef and Soft Coral Garden. There is also some good muck diving too (not as fantastic as Mabul, but still pretty good being so close to a city) - a good variety of nudbranches, Ghost Pipefish, Frogfish, Seahorses, Blue Ringed Octopus etc. You just need to go with a Dive Guide who knows the dives sites well.
If you fancy somewhere a bit different, with typically better quality reefs and little / no other divers in the water then consider Pulau Tiga, Mayne Rock or Mantanani. Pulau Tiga and Mayne Rock are 30nm (nautical miles) from KK, Mantanani is approx. 45nm from KK. Go with a Dive Operator who knows these sites well as you need to know where the best dive sites are at these locations. Tiga and Mantanani have lovely coral reefs. Mayne Rocj involves diving round large boulders fringed by coral reefs. All three are suitable for PADI Open Water Divers. You can get mid - strong currents at these dive sites so I'd recommend them for confident divers with experience diving in currents or drift diving. I'm guessing you'll have this experience from diving at Sipadan :cool2:
Hope this helps. Enjoy diving at Sipadan and I hope you enjoy diving from Kota Kinabalu.
Thanks,
DG