Sipadan - Weather September vs. October vs. November

[leo]

For my Sipadan trip later this year, I have some scheduling variables which are out of my control. I prefer to do the trip after some work events, but that would have me diving about the first week of November (give or take a week in either direction). The other option is to dive in late September, but with the work events I prefer this less.

Is early November weather risky enough that I have to adjust my plans, or is it odds-on similar enough to September so not to have the weather and dive conditions influence my decision?

Thanks!

 

[Quero]

November is statistically quite a lot rainier than September, with about twice as many days experiencing rain. It doesn't rain all day, though, and the sun should be shining for parts of the day, even in November.

There are advantages to diving the Sipadan area during the low season... you have a better chance of actually diving Sipadan Island more than once during a typcial 4-5 day stay since there are fewer guests at the resorts competing for daily park permits.

 

[leo]

Quero, thanks, but...

So, you're saying the lower number of guests and offsets the weather, and even then it's not like the weather will be bad, just increased odds of some rain for parts of some days?

Or, while November does allow for increased odds of an extra permit day, better to play it safe regarding weather and do September?

 

[Quero]

If it were me and I was going there specifically to dive at Sipadan Island, I'd go during low season. There are strict limits to the number of divers allowed at that island every day, and the largest number of permits any one operator gets is 14 a day. Yes, 14. Imagine that even a small resort can accommodate 60 divers or so and all of them want to dive at Sipadan. If the resort is full up, that allows every diver to get one permit every 4-5 days. Logically, if there are only a third or half as many divers in residence during low season, every diver gets two or three times more dives at Sipadan. Having said that, the diving at Mabul island is very good in its own way. It's not what the place became famous for though.

 

[The Wolf]

Weather had been AWFUL since November up to about 5 days ago in Sabah for diving. The wet season lasted well beyond the norm and we didn't see the dry season. I was out at Sipadan in January and February and it was "diveable" but visibility wasn't so great on some days, excellent on other days.

It appears the rains have stopped now. Don't know how predictable the weather will be for the rest of the year so be aware it's not been "normal" of late.

Have a good trip.