Pictuers from Sipadan two weeks ago

[Sweden78]

Here is an link with pictures from Sipadan two weeks ago.
The visibillity was not so very good, average about 10-15m.
The best viz about 25m, and the worst about 5m.

The barracudas are still there, and the turtels and the white tips.

I really love Sipadan, its the best place I ever have dived on.
But it is not like the Red Sea if you are looking for viz and nice corals.

http://www.eagledivers.com/trips/2003-08-21/

 

[blackice]

Some nice images there, I'm going to Sipadan in January for a week... should be cool .. need the holiday

 

[reefwreck]

Some nice pix.
Thanks for sharing.

Blackice (or anyone else),
Any idea what the conditions at Sipadan are like in January ?
Thanks.

 

[ssra30]

I was in Sipadan earlier this year. A local diveguide there told me that as far as visibility goes, March-May is the best.
I think January is the end of Monsoon season there so visibility tends to be less.
From most account I heard from people who had been there this year, especially the second half the year, visibility has been poorer than average. When I was there in July, certain sites, the viz was about 20m, some sites especially around Mabul and Kapalai, the viz were 10-12m. I think we had one dive where viz was 5m.
I hope visibility there will start to improve again soon!

 

[torbaydiver]

nice pics, those turtles look like they have been smoking pot with their droopy eyes

 

[ScubaKai]

I just got back from Sipidan (10/1/04 - 16/1/04) and the conditions were fantastic. I was worried initially about the timing as to when I went. Based on all the recommendations it spelled 'stay out'. BOY am I glad that idea was wrong.

Visibility always seems to be an issue, however in Sipidan I really don't understand why people plan their trips around it. Regardless of when you go, the visibility may be challenging based on the conditions at that time. Yes, EVEN during the recommended April/May season. Just quoting the divemasters. The monsoon season isn't ideal, but it's still very good there. I know that on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia it gets so bad that operators shut down, but that just isn't the case in Sipidan.

In my 1 week stay there, it showered once and during our surface interval too! For those not in the know, Vis will always be a problem based on the tides (receding tides pull silt, thus reducing the visibility). The visibility varied from 2m to 30m while I was there. Note that the depth of where you are does play a factor, and infact the best vis I got was during a Deep dive (while the worst was during a shallow night dive).

If you can, time your diving with what I call 'Ulli season'. Ulli is a German recreational diver lady that frequents Sipidan, and is legendery in her own right. She's done 1000+ dives there, and is the bottom feeder of bottom feeders. I'm a slow breather, yet she's about 30% more effiecient then I am! Anyhow, she really knows how to find just about anything there.

If you go, don't miss out on the Turtle Cavern dive (with a dive guide). It's amazing. Inside are flash fish which are the underwater equivelant of fire flies. The deepest dive I did was rewarded with a sighting of a Hammerhead shark(courtesy of Ulli). Rare around this time of year. Be wary of them jellyfish though... there are some nasties there that some people had a bad allergy reaction to while I was there. I even saw 2 Portuguese man o war jellyfish, rarely seen on the island. So cover your skins!

By the way consider your dive operators carefully as some are so much better then others. I REALLY enjoy walking 10m to a shore dive after suiting up. (others you have to walk a bit further and some even time their dives around high tides so they can get their boats to their resorts).

I'm going back!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Conce]

Hi ScubaKai!

I´m going to Sipadan in April and I´m going stay with Sipadan Dive Centre. I don´t know anyone who ever went to Sipadan. So, it is always nice to hear good things about the place.

Have you heard anything about the Sipadan Dive Centre? Where did you stay?

Thank you

 

[ScubaKai]

Hi ScubaKai!

Have you heard anything about the Sipadan Dive Centre? Where did you stay?

Thank you

Hi there

I'm jealous that you're going! Sipadan Dive Centre is one of 3 places I would consider staying with on the island. They're next to Borneo Divers (still my favourite), which has the prime location on the island. While I haven't stayed there, other divers that I met loved their experience there too, and on one particular evening, they even had a 12 man band doing Kareoke for the divers. So they can party. I've heard their accomadation is good too. If I'm not mistaken, they're also the only ones that have kayaks on the island (I saw them there while on a walk). Just make sure you're getting a good deal too. Some operators give you better deals the longer you stay, and most of the people I met on the island extended their stay by at least 1 day. SDC is located towards the east of the island, so don't expect good sunsets on that side. I'm uncertain as to whether SDC has Asian divers on package deals, but from my experience, those divers have very very bad ethics underwater. I don't think it's SDC, most likely the operators further south on the island. Anyhow, enjoy your time there. Hope that helps!

 

[Conce]

Thank you very much for the information.

I´m going stay 10 nigths and I will have 9 full days of diving! From the research I did I was with the impression that Borneo Divers is the best. But it is hard to go to Sipadan from Portugal with a limited budget. So, I´m going with a english operator that was recommended by a friend, I think people in this operator are diver lovers, so their opinion counts.

My major concern is that I don´t want to dive deeper than 30 meters (planning to do at least 4 dives a day), so if the divemaster go deeper, I will not follow him (I´m travelling alone!).

 

[thyuen]

Thank you very much for the information.

I´m going stay 10 nigths and I will have 9 full days of diving! From the research I did I was with the impression that Borneo Divers is the best. But it is hard to go to Sipadan from Portugal with a limited budget. So, I´m going with a english operator that was recommended by a friend, I think people in this operator are diver lovers, so their opinion counts.

My major concern is that I don´t want to dive deeper than 30 meters (planning to do at least 4 dives a day), so if the divemaster go deeper, I will not follow him (I´m travelling alone!).

Conce, me and my friends have signed up with SDC in April as well. Probably I'll meet you there.

By the way we are a group of environmental friendly Asian Divers.