tioman! Help

[Nalini]

Hi . Need some advice.

We are visiting malaysia 1st week of Oct.
Considering Tioman for a short dive break.
How's the weather and the sea? OK for diving?
And how is Tioman diving? Just to set the frame of reference.., I think Ko Tao and Ko Samui are lousy dives and Maldives was great ( though no corals) . Can we expect to see some big life - turtles, sharks, rays?

Also advice on who to dive with, rates would be great.
Thanks

Nalini

 

[travelem]

Diving around Tioman is so-so and October is also a bad season to dive around that region.

You may want to consider Cebu-Bohol area for diving. That area is pretty sheltered from monsoon.

www.seaquestdivecenter.com
www.divescotty.com/html/cebu_dive_vacations/cebu_dive.html
www.www.blueabyssdiving.com

 

[lanun]

been there 3 times - saw all 3 marine life you mentioned. never been there in oct, though. latest i've visited is mid sep.

here's a link http://www.tioman.com.my/ for accomodation, dive shop, etc.

corals, big life, small life (nudi, gobies, shrimps). viz late season i hear is better. i've had anywhere from 2meters to 15+ - doesn't bother me too much when viz is low as i like the small stuff. last visit trutle swam by while doing deco - hovering above a pinnacle watching a scorpionfish ut:

i've only done diving with B&J. past threads (do a search) are +ve on other shops as well.

 

[Zippsy]

The weather only starts getting bad there near the begining of November. Chances are good that you should have better viz than normal for the area and decent weather at the beginning of October although this is the tropics and it CAN rain anytime it damn well pleases.

Expect viz of at least 10 meters, pretty decent coral, tons of reef fish but infrequent sightings of sharks. They just have too much trouble surviving without their fins . You should see some turtles and that is the best time of the year to see mantas and whalesharks but count yourself very lucky if you do see them! Don't count on doing drift dives like in the Maldives but you will likely appreciate the great coral and abundant reef life compared to most other places in the world.

If you plan on staying at Berjaya - the best, most popular and expensive on the island (but cheap compared to other dive areas), you may want to dive with a different group than their inhouse place. The last time I dove with them, they looked at you really funny if you said "but I like diving more than twice a day".

 

[Nalini]

Thanks for your views. have decided to go. Most probably, will dive with Tioman dive Centre. If anyone has had bad experiences, pls scream.

Stay - Can't afford to stay at Berjaya. I'd rather spend the money on more dives. But thanks for the warning all the same. I never thought of checking about more than 2 dives a day- assumed everyone accommodates as many .

my fingers , toes and fins are crossed for whale sharks and mantas.

nalini

 

[Zippsy]

Of the operators that stay on the island, I have only been diving with Tioman Reef Divers (http://www.tiomanreefdivers.com/) in Tekek and B&J Dive Centre (http://www.divetioman.com/) in Salang. I can highly recommend both. I don't know anything good or bad about TDC although I assume it's probably a lot like TRD. FYI, Tekek, the village where you're staying is where the airport is and just over the hill from Berjaya. It's a sleepy little place with little nightlife - which you may like. The place that has the bars is Salang, further up north and a boat ride away. There are not that many roads or cars on the island. Have fun and let us know how it turns out.

 

[mleong]

Hi Nalini,
Tioman Dive Center is a good palce. I had dive with them since day 1. It use to be called Scuba Point, operated by a couple from Egypt. Now the Operator name is Julian and his Malaysian Wife. He is English. He offered free filtered water, tea and coffee. A few dive centers down the road is a good place for chinese food. The owner is a big chubby chineses guy. Prices is quite reasonable. If you go down further, there is another chinese restaurant, next to Balbura resort/dive center.
Enjoy your dive.


Michael

 

[geo]

Hiya Nalini,

Just came back from Tioman yesterday...
Viz there is not that fantastic... Was abt 3 - 8 metres...
But I do get to see some of the big ones there... Saw a black tip reef shark, saw a cuttlefish (abt 30 cm long), sting ray, turtle, bat fish, puffer fish, a slightly less than one metre long juvenile bumphead parrotfish, napolean wrasse...
Other than the viz... Everything's fine with me...

Cheers,
Geo