deeper thoughts
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Thnx for the heads up
Sipadan - Don't Waste Your Time
- Thread starter SnappyTheDiver
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Bali Diver
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@ Snappy !
Thanks for info as i always like to be prepared and you have given me more info.
Good to know Mabul dive times,looks like it's 5.30am for Sipadan,hope i wake up
Very surprised regarding the state of macro around Mabul especially at this time of the season around Mabul but to be honest if there is so many divers and the bottom is being kicked up so much these precious things don't have a hope in hell.looks like my eyes will have to be really sharp
There is know way that i will be wanting to go to Sipadan only to be turned back so my plans are in order.
@ Scuba Susie you have saved my breath and what you have said is sad but perfect and in conclusion,yes the idea of kicking everybody off Sipadan has back fired as far as a conservation is concerned because the demand as grown which is natural and dive operations wanting to make money has grown but not being able to keep their promises.
What should of happened was for those dive Op's who got kicked off Sipadan and moved to Mabul ( NOT ALL DID)and those already on Mabul should just have inclusive rights which is only fair,no liveaboards,no Op's from mainland and no expansion allowed on Mabul to resorts,to me the only conservation made on Sipadan is that the turtles have the island to themselves at night and the marine life have no flashing lights at night.
Also heard that there is lot of touching by divers,
really don't like to see this.makes me crazy 
and the rule is if caught you will be made to sit out next dive SORRY ! but to me if caught banned from diving for rest of trip that's what i call conservation.
Happy diving !
Thanks for info as i always like to be prepared and you have given me more info.
Good to know Mabul dive times,looks like it's 5.30am for Sipadan,hope i wake up
Very surprised regarding the state of macro around Mabul especially at this time of the season around Mabul but to be honest if there is so many divers and the bottom is being kicked up so much these precious things don't have a hope in hell.looks like my eyes will have to be really sharp
There is know way that i will be wanting to go to Sipadan only to be turned back so my plans are in order.
@ Scuba Susie you have saved my breath and what you have said is sad but perfect and in conclusion,yes the idea of kicking everybody off Sipadan has back fired as far as a conservation is concerned because the demand as grown which is natural and dive operations wanting to make money has grown but not being able to keep their promises.
What should of happened was for those dive Op's who got kicked off Sipadan and moved to Mabul ( NOT ALL DID)and those already on Mabul should just have inclusive rights which is only fair,no liveaboards,no Op's from mainland and no expansion allowed on Mabul to resorts,to me the only conservation made on Sipadan is that the turtles have the island to themselves at night and the marine life have no flashing lights at night.
Also heard that there is lot of touching by divers,
really don't like to see this.makes me crazy and the rule is if caught you will be made to sit out next dive SORRY ! but to me if caught banned from diving for rest of trip that's what i call conservation.Happy diving !
<deep sigh>
Thank you very much for the heads up on the current situation.
Yes, ist is a grim situation for folks who were promised something by dive ops that could not deliver.
It's been this way for years. The permit system has been systematicly abused; it wasn't supposed to support a community of 400+; the local dive operations have found a way to cheat, and turned it into a regular, day-to-day proceedure so they can end up with more divers (and a better profit margin).
On our last trip there, we never used our real names at Sipadan once. Ever.
The original system is reinstated, and everyone is surprised and upset.
I'll agree the system isn't that great, it is odd that it is limited to number of divers per day, instead of number of dives per day, but it is their rules, after all.
Sipadan is a treasure. Yes this is agonizing for the guests who were lied to. My thanks to the OP for the update as to what's really going on.
All the best, James
Thank you very much for the heads up on the current situation.
Yes, ist is a grim situation for folks who were promised something by dive ops that could not deliver.
It's been this way for years. The permit system has been systematicly abused; it wasn't supposed to support a community of 400+; the local dive operations have found a way to cheat, and turned it into a regular, day-to-day proceedure so they can end up with more divers (and a better profit margin).
On our last trip there, we never used our real names at Sipadan once. Ever.
The original system is reinstated, and everyone is surprised and upset.
I'll agree the system isn't that great, it is odd that it is limited to number of divers per day, instead of number of dives per day, but it is their rules, after all.
Sipadan is a treasure. Yes this is agonizing for the guests who were lied to. My thanks to the OP for the update as to what's really going on.
All the best, James
MartianBeerPig
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SnappyTheDiver
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On my last day one set of divers went to Sipadan did three dives, returned for lunch, and went back for two more since they knew they had little chance of being able to return. This is a system that is not working. I might add that when the resorts were sending divers under "assumed" names they were still charging these divers for Sipadan permits even though they themselves were not paying for permits. I was never very happy about that business practice.
Actually, they probably were paying some or all of what they collected in fees but they didn't get a receipt for them. This was likely the money that got them past the marine police. Now they have an honest guy who isn't taking the bribes (or a really dishonest one who wants more that the shops can pay).
Hi every body...din't relize how the operation is done ? Why shall this hanpen...why not just follow the rules...protect our SIPADAN....money is not everything !!!! don't take too many customer provide better service...so every body happy....cheers
Kevster
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i was there in Aug. Got 2 dives at Sipadan in 4 days. 1 guy travelled from Oz and did not get any dives there.
yep i agree there are far to many divers and too few dive sites. I applaud the new restrictions.
The resorts are too big. Some may need to close. I could not believe how big the water village was.
I also saw a lot of touching going on.
IMHO travel to Sipadan is not worth the high $$$. Much better value in Indo. $300 per day to dive mabul was shocking.
yep i agree there are far to many divers and too few dive sites. I applaud the new restrictions.
The resorts are too big. Some may need to close. I could not believe how big the water village was.
I also saw a lot of touching going on.
IMHO travel to Sipadan is not worth the high $$$. Much better value in Indo. $300 per day to dive mabul was shocking.
I was in Sipadan last year. Three days diving with one of them in Sipadan. That was all right.
We were diving with Uncle Chang that runs a small very simple place on Mabul (we paid 50 MYR per night including transport to and from the island and three meals a day). Diving also was quite cheap, we paid around 350 MYR (about 75 USD) for the three dives in Sipadan and 30% less for diving in Mabul.
I won't shed a tear if the big resorts go out of business and accommodation/diving gets a bit more basic (I like to call it real) again... I fully support the 120 divers a day rule and hope they keep enforcing it.
At the same time I hope that somehow the operators get a bit more honest! At least the ********g expensive Resorts.
And I also can understand if you fly to Borneo from Europe or USA it's so much more annoying if you don't get the Sipadan dives than when it's a long weekend trip from Singapore
We were diving with Uncle Chang that runs a small very simple place on Mabul (we paid 50 MYR per night including transport to and from the island and three meals a day). Diving also was quite cheap, we paid around 350 MYR (about 75 USD) for the three dives in Sipadan and 30% less for diving in Mabul.
I won't shed a tear if the big resorts go out of business and accommodation/diving gets a bit more basic (I like to call it real) again... I fully support the 120 divers a day rule and hope they keep enforcing it.
At the same time I hope that somehow the operators get a bit more honest! At least the ********g expensive Resorts.
And I also can understand if you fly to Borneo from Europe or USA it's so much more annoying if you don't get the Sipadan dives than when it's a long weekend trip from Singapore
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