Report: Borneo Divers/Sipadan

[finbob]

Here is a brief report on Borneo Divers/Sipadan

Dive your own profile: no
Any dive restrictions? Depth established for each dive; time enforced - 45 min.

The Journey
I came from Canada via India on a teaching trip, rested at Hyderabad Airport (excellent lounge) then on to KL and Tawau. Stayed at Heritage Hotel in Tawau (30 min from airport) - book a superior room that way you actually get windows! Borneo divers picked me up at 7:00AM from the hotel and transported me to Semporna harbor. A 45-minute boat ride followed before arriving at Mabul Island, Borneo Divers Resort. After a warm welcome and orientation tour you have 2-local check out dives the same day (buoyancy etc).

The Resort – Borneo Divers (Mabul island)
Excellent, helpful staff in both the resort and the DMs. Food was fine, very healthy – breakfast, lunch & dinner, snacks somewhat limited. The resort is fine and will return. The criticism regarding housekeeping (missed cleaning room twice) and condition of bathrooms is unfortunately valid and downgrades the resort. However, management are aware of this – improvements, I’m informed, are on the way.

The Dives
The dive boats hold around 16 divers but never had more than 10 divers at any time, usually less. Set up is done for you, as was the storage back at the resort. Nitrox is a strain for them as the mix varied from 30%-36% on any given tank, also some tanks had only around 2,900 psi. However, the DM’s have a great attitude, especially enjoyed Emily & Eric in particular. For an older guy (back issues), found the entry ‘back roll’ quite easy except for the configuration of one dive boat. Exit from the water was fine as BCD was removed prior to boarding the boat. All staff very helpful.

Sipadan Island (45 Min): I had 16 dives in total at Sipadan, 4 dives each day. There are only 120 divers/day permitted at Sipadan. Each dive centre has a quota. Borneo divers are permitted 14 divers/day. Lunch, snacks and washroom facilities are available on Sipadan Island between each dive. Best dive sites: Barracuda Point and Turtle lair. Here are some of the highlights: schools of Giant Bumpheads 30+ just floating near the surface and very approachable; the famous swirling Barracudas never disappoint, and schools of Jacks were amazing. I delighted myself when I finned alongside an Eagle Ray ‘eye ball to eye ball’ for about 3-minuites. Every dive saw plenty of sharks - Grey Reef and especially Whitetip – saw 12 sharks just circling on one occasion. Turtles on every dive, plenty of Bat fish, Puffer fish and Sweet Lips etc. Sipidan certainly lives up to its reputation and then some!

Mabul Island: Muck diving - Sea Adventures Point - easy diving, quite shallow. Morey eel, Clown fish, Giant Frog Fish etc. I’m not so interested in Nudibranch stuff but enjoyed fumbling around with my camera.

Kapalai Island (10 Min): Muck diving at Mandarin Alley, interesting configurations. I enjoyed the Clown fish, Mantis Shrimp, Ghost Pipe, Morey Eel etc. Here again the focus is primarily on the Nudibranch.

General: The DM led the way, both depth and time (45 min) were established on each dive. The deeper dive first then progressively shallower. Additional diving on the House Reef with a buddy is at your own discretion. Night dives available upon request at extra cost. Apart from one storm day, the water was exceptionally calm. However, the current can be strong at times, especially at Barracuda Point.

Summary: Sipadan is the best diving experience I’ve had so far. I would rather return to Sipadan than the Red Sea – which I also enjoyed.

UW Photography Comments: Wonderful large dedicated tank and room for cameras. However, no camera provision on dive boats.

 

[skipperharis]

Thanks for the great comments and rest assured we are improving in all the things that been commented

 

[vladimir]

I dived with Borneo Divers 16 years ago, when we stayed in huts on the beach of Sipadan Island itself. The diving was sublime. I was on the verge of booking a trip with them a couple of weeks ago, but they could only guarantee one day of my 5-day trip would be on Sipadan. I appreciate that they are conservative in predicting time on Sipadan, and I am strongly in favor of the quota system there, but it was difficult for me to make the trip under those circumstances. I just wish you other divers would leave the sport, I guess, so I can have my hut on the beach back. In the meantime, however, I wonder what times of year a diver is most likely to get extra dive slots at Sipadan?

 

[tstormdiver]

Vladimir, I was at Borneo Divers & Sipadan about 2 years ago. The resorts on Sipadan island are abandodned & most in ruin, with the exception of a few buildings kept standing as a military garrison. The Malaysian Gov't is letting the island reclaim what was the resorts. There is the Garrison, a check-in area on the pier, bathrooms & a sheltered picnic area on the island. That's about it. Borneo Divers is now located on the Island of Mabul.
That was some of the most phenominal diving I've ever done & would go back in a heartbeat (even enduring the 30 hrs of travel to get there & back), if I could. In 10 diving days we had, I did 42 dives (16 at Sipadan). Can't wait until I can get back there again.

 

[vladimir]

In 10 diving days we had, I did 42 dives (16 at Sipadan). Can't wait until I can get back there again.

Thanks, Tammy. 16 dives sounds like 4 or 5 days on Sipadan, is that about right? Certainly no fewer than 4, so, a good result--I'd be happy with that. What month was it? I'm trying to get a handle on Sipadan's "low season."

 

[Luko]

however, I wonder what times of year a diver is most likely to get extra dive slots at Sipadan?

Valdimir, just to give you an idea, here are my 3 last trips with Borneo Divers Mabul last year. I have always had at minimum 2/5 diving days in Sipadan, but they prefer to anounce conservative ratios, so you can always expect to get more days in the end :
End of feb/start of march 2010, 4 days diving, 3 days in Sipadan (only 4 divers on the boat) and asked for a change and a private boat on Mabul on the last day, otherwise that would have been Sipadan again :cool2: (best viz ever, flat seas, not even a raindrop, loads of animals, fantastic period)
August 2010, peak season. 7 Days diving, 3 days in Sipadan (boat full, 8 divers+snorkelers)
Week just before Xmas 2010 : 5 days diving, 2 days in Sipadan (6 divers on the boat) and asked for a change on the 3rd day, otherwise it would have been a minimum of 3 days on Sipadan.

 

[tstormdiver]

Thanks, Tammy. 16 dives sounds like 4 or 5 days on Sipadan, is that about right? Certainly no fewer than 4, so, a good result--I'd be happy with that. What month was it? I'm trying to get a handle on Sipadan's "low season."

Correct. Our group went 4 times. We had a group large enough (about 20 of us) that it was split up. Part of our group went one day & the other group went the next.We went in April 2009. I don't know if it was "low season" as we went during the time conditions are generally the best. Here is a 10 min video of our dives done by our instructor & group leader: YouTube - ‪Scuba Diving Around Sipadan, Malaysia in HD With Aquatech Scuba Center‬‏

 

[Luko]

Btw Bob, you don't mention at what dates you were staying on Mabul.
I've read reports from Sipadan operators stating that between May 27th and MAy 31th 2011, there were sightings of schools of hundreds (100++ !!!) hammerheads at South Point at a depth of 40m thanks to a drop down of water temperature.

Anyone can confirm?

There's even a photo on : that FaceBook page for instance.

 

[gee13]

Yes would like to know and confirm the validity of the sighting. Who runs the fb page anyway. Looks like a sipadan promoter?

Oh by the way I will be heading back to Sipadan, this time diving with Borneo Divers this coming September!

 

[gee13]

Actually just re-reading the OP report, finbob has stated at Borneo Divers they do 4 dives a day at Sipadan if you get a permit? I just read their sample itinerary on the Borneo Divers site that says only 3 boat dives per day - 2 dives in Sipadan, the 3rd in Kapalai or Mabul. Anyone care to shed light on this please? At SWV last time we did 3 dives at Sipadan per day.