Luconia - Malaysia

[kawabunga0]

In case you are coming by this way (SARs may be a dampener, though), Luconia is an option to Sipadan or other dive sites. Some info on the dive site:

Luconia Shoals are located approximately 150 nautical miles north of Miri, Malaysia. This is only a live-aboard trip, and the area is pristine, due to its inaccessibility to normal fishing vessels. A dive trip is only made once a year (two at the most), due to a small window of fine weather between months of April-May.

The reef is estimated to cover 100+ square miles and large pelagics including manta rays have been spotted. Blue fin Tunas and Black-tip sharks are not uncommon.

 

[seamonster]

Which liveaboard vessel ply these sites? Do you have any contacts?

 

[beserker_77]

Any recommendation for dive shops at the area?

 

[kawabunga0]

seamonster once bubbled...
Which liveaboard vessel ply these sites? Do you have any contacts?

.....which is a 32M LANDING CRAFT. Accommodation are porta-cabins, fully air-conditioned 24hrs, with hot showers and compressors onboard.

I help the operator friend to arrange for trips but you can also call them direct, on Malaysian tel. numbers:

Peter Ng: +6 0198551608
Tommy Foo: +6 0128733444

Email: p_layong@psd118.com

 

[kawabunga0]

beserker_77 once bubbled...
Any recommendation for dive shops at the area?

...understand your query. Luconia Shoals is just that....a coral outcrop in the middle of the sea and divers board the vessel from Miri, a small oil town in Sarawak. For Dive shops, I hear nothing beats S'pore....so since you are from there (which I suspect), I think you are already in the choiciest place for dive gear!! How I envy you!!.

 

[seamonster]

Thanks for the reply.

Do you know what is the duration of a typical trip, how long it takes to get to the Luconia Shoals, whether there is diving along the way and whether there are fixed departures or do you have to charter the entire vessel?

Thanks.

 

[beserker_77]

kawabunga0 once bubbled...


...understand your query. Luconia Shoals is just that....a coral outcrop in the middle of the sea and divers board the vessel from Miri, a small oil town in Sarawak. For Dive shops, I hear nothing beats S'pore....so since you are from there (which I suspect), I think you are already in the choiciest place for dive gear!! How I envy you!!.

Thanks for the reply kawabunga0.

If thats the case, any dive shop to recommend in MIRI. Since you said that the boat leaves from MIRI. I've been there before, quite a small town, nothing much over there. (but quite a good place to do trekking though) Don't really heard of any diveshop from my friends who stay there.

 

[ben arthur]

I used to live in Miri - spent 15 years living there from the age of 8 to 23

Did a fair bit of diving off Miri - did not make it to Luconia Shoal myself but my father did and he was pretty impressed

If you did go to Luconia and you also wanted something else to 'bolster' your trip into a truly adventurous one, you could always combine a trip to Luconia with a trip to the Mulu caves (the biggest caves in the world), which are relatively near to Miri - would definitely recommend this

Most people spend about 3 days exploring the caves - most exciting way of getting there is by river, takes about a day but is good fun and you'd get more out of it this way (you set out on a largeish boat to start with and then transfer to a canoe-type boat with an outboard for the final leg, great fun!)

The diving off Miri itself can be good but the main problem is the visibility which can be variable - the further out you go though the better. Vis in Luconia is supposed to be consistently excellent however as it's a long way out

Best diving I did in Miri was off some of the oil platforms but as this is forbidden you can't be sure that a dive operator would let you do this!

 

[beserker_77]

ben arthur once bubbled...
I used to live in Miri - spent 15 years living there from the age of 8 to 23

Did a fair bit of diving off Miri - did not make it to Luconia Shoal myself but my father did and he was pretty impressed

If you did go to Luconia and you also wanted something else to 'bolster' your trip into a truly adventurous one, you could always combine a trip to Luconia with a trip to the Mulu caves (the biggest caves in the world), which are relatively near to Miri - would definitely recommend this

Most people spend about 3 days exploring the caves - most exciting way of getting there is by river, takes about a day but is good fun and you'd get more out of it this way (you set out on a largeish boat to start with and then transfer to a canoe-type boat with an outboard for the final leg, great fun!)

The diving off Miri itself can be good but the main problem is the visibility which can be variable - the further out you go though the better. Vis in Luconia is supposed to be consistently excellent however as it's a long way out

Best diving I did in Miri was off some of the oil platforms but as this is forbidden you can't be sure that a dive operator would let you do this!

Thanks Arthur, will ask my good friends over there to check out for me. Must be exciting to dive off oil rigs, i envy you.

 

[kawabunga0]

Luconia trips are usually about 5D/4N, inclusive of travelling time. Diving time is about 3 full days and we always bring along a chef to do all the cooking...so this can be fun! Diving off oil rigs? I know the BSAC group across the border in Brunei goes diving off oil rigs LEGALLY....and they do trips over weekends during the dive season. What we have done in the past is make arrangements with either Bintulu BSAC divers or Brunei divers and reciprocate on our dives. We also make trips to Labuan, where there are about 3 good WWII wrecks to dive off. Visibility can be a problem at times....but marine life is good....nothing fancy but good!.
I am actually doing a trip to Luconia this 22nd April (to 27th), and hope to have some photographs to share with you all. With gathering interest in Luconia, I can put together another trip there...but we could be missing the small window of opportunity after April. As you say, the water out there is very clear...very blue generally.

Mulu Caves? Yes, an added attraction indeed and a good way to savour the local culture, tuak (rice wine!!) and art! So is the Brunei Fun Park (mini Disneyland) but less so now, after they started charging for the rides!!

Miri....small place indeed but quite a few things to do!!