WARNING on Going to Sipadan

[guamrider]

I've just returned with a group of 15 other divers from Mabul/Sipadan and this is my 3rd trip there. If you are going there to dive Sipadan there is a strict limitation imposed by the Malaysian Govt on how many "spaces" each dive operator is allocated daily, and this translates into your actual diving on Sipadan will probably be only one day, and it's also possible that you might not be able to dive there at all.

The dive operators are very reluctant to tell you this until you get there, and this happened to our group and two other groups. Instead, some of them have posted a general statement on the restrictions on their websites, but nothing specific. Make sure you get written confirmation from the dive operator on how many dives you will get on Sipadan (not Mabul) BEFORE you go there.

The consequences of this is that the diving around Mabul (which has no restrictions) is very congested and the quality of marine life is greatly reduced when compared to the last few years.

Sorry for the bad news.

 

[philip2711]

I've just returned with a group of 15 other divers from Mabul/Sipadan and this is my 3rd trip there. If you are going there to dive Sipadan there is a strict limitation imposed by the Malaysian Govt on how many "spaces" each dive operator is allocated daily, and this translates into your actual diving on Sipadan will probably be only one day, and it's also possible that you might not be able to dive there at all.

The dive operators are very reluctant to tell you this until you get there, and this happened to our group and two other groups. Instead, some of them have posted a general statement on the restrictions on their websites, but nothing specific. Make sure you get written confirmation from the dive operator on how many dives you will get on Sipadan (not Mabul) BEFORE you go there.

The consequences of this is that the diving around Mabul (which has no restrictions) is very congested and the quality of marine life is greatly reduced when compared to the last few years.

Sorry for the bad news.

Guamrider - this has been the case for some time now - as far as I know ever since the govt stopped overnight stays on Sipadan itself. What you don't say is whether you were diving from land based dive operators or from the resorts such as Kapalai dive Resort/ Mabul Water Bungalows, or Sipadan Mabul Resort. These island resorts close by to Sipadan itself tend to have the first option on the daily quota and my own experience of two years ago (March 2007) was that we got two morning dives to Sipadan every day of the week that I was there; this was followed by afternoon 'muck' dives in and around Mabul and / or house reef dives (I stayed on Kapalai).
So I think that unless things have changed, your headline is a little OTT. Perhaps.....

 

[pazz]

For what I experienced at a land based operation this March, see my post below, Borneo; better late than never? Getting something in writing may not mean you will get it.

 

[guamrider]

Guamrider - These island resorts close by to Sipadan itself tend to have the first option on the daily quota and my own experience of two years ago (March 2007) was that we got two morning dives to Sipadan every day of the week that I was there; this was followed by afternoon 'muck' dives in and around Mabul and / or house reef dives (I stayed on Kapalai).
So I think that unless things have changed, your headline is a little OTT. Perhaps.....

Yes, that's the case I had for the previous two years, and we stayed on Mabul then and now. But the govt has changed the rule to once a boat goes there they can't go back and return for an afternoon trip. Before all the resorts were "swapping divers" in the am and pm, but now the boat has to stay out there all day, an this really limits tohe amt of diver from a resort each day. Ours (Borneo Divers) was ilimited to 13 each day.

 

[fdog]

Thanks for the confirmation of the situation. This has been reported before over the last several months, but it's nice to have more evidence for those of us planning a return to Sipadan.

My understanding is that the rules have NOT changed - just that a new minister is in charge who is actually enforcing those rules. If I recall correctly, that rule limits diving on Sipadan to 120 divers per day.

The resorts quickly found they could raise their numbers of paying customers staying at their resort by shuttling multiple boatloads of divers to the island. Our last trip, we dove Sipadan every day, and NEVER used our real names.

The resorts were built up "cheating the rules", and now that the rules are again being enforced, they are hurting. Thus it sucks for the paying diver (you) lured in with the false promise of diving Sipadan.

All the best, James

 

[saltynay]

Sipadan is worth it though absolutely gorgeous diversity of life imo. I did 2 dives there every morning for 2 weeks in 2007 and loved it.

 

[DevonDiver]

I worked in Sipidan last year...and warning customers about the need to pre-book boat spaces for Sipidan was the first thing we ever did. It is also plastered over many of the dive operators websites.

A total of 120 permits are issued daily for Sipidan...and those are spread amongst the dive operators there. If you visit, it pays to book those trips at least one month in advance.

 

[logic8482]

I wanted to give a quick update based on my trip two weeks ago. I booked about three weeks ahead with Seaventures for 7 days and was able to complete 8 dives over three days in Sipidan with the rest at Mabul and Kapali. They seemed to receive 9-11 permits everyday.

I wasn't sure how permits were allocated, they claimed that the government made the decision each day but several of the tour groups seemed to get priority and they might have demanded that they dive Sipidan a number of times before booking.

There were about 15-17 dive shops on the Sipidan permit board each day and each were getting around 8 - 17 permits a day for a total of 120.

As other threads have mentioned, I would not go to Sipidan without previous confirmation on how often you can dive in the park. The diving around Mabul and Kapali is good as well especially for macro but not quite Sipidan for diversity and pelagics (except turtles).

A couple divers who came during the week were not able to dive Sipidan at all.

If anyone is considering diving with Seaventures are you are a more advanced divers, I would probably recommend looking elsewhere as you are liable not to be as satisfied as you might be elsewhere. PM to discuss.

I also dived Palau last year and would probably go back there before Sipidan although it is hard to tell given the limited number of dives I did and the slight reluctance of the Seaventures dive masters to be more proactive and diving when the currents where the best for seeing the Barracuda etc.

I still had a world class dive at Barracuda Point but imagine there is better to be found with the right DM and timing.

For some pictures: Sipidan Pictures April 2009

 

[tstormdiver]

Just got back from Malaysia (stayed at Borneo Divers Mabul Resort) about 4 weeks ago. We were a group of 13 (6 to a boat, 2 boats, with our head instructor moving back & forth between boats to do video taping of the trip). In 10 days of diving we all went to Sipadan 4 days for a total of 16 dives. Usually one boat went one day & the other boat the next. The head instructor of our group went 2 days with one boat & 2 days with the other & there was some mixing of boat passengers between boats, but no big deal. we all got our 16 dives. That was some of the most phenomenal diving I have ever done. Sipadan is to the Caribbean, what the Caribbean is to the quarry I normally dive. Personally, I didn't think the diving around Mabul was all that bad. It wasn't Sipadan, but it wasn't bad either. The Boat Captain & Dive Master were excellent at taking us to areas where other divers weren't. The house reef was also an excellent dive every time I dove it. I dove the resort's house reef 8- 9 times & saw something new & cool every time. I was so impressed with the diving I did 42 dives in the 10 diving days we had.

 

[xariatay]

We went with Scuba Junkies in the beginning of May, as we had booked early, we could get 2 days of diving (6 dives) at Sipadan. Sipadan is nice for turtles, large schooling barracudas, white-tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks & schooling jacks (trevallies).