Sipadan Permits - Situation Unchanged?

[alc16]

I'm planning a getaway in the next 2 weeks (last minute totally!) and was thinking about Sipidan. Based on what i've just read is this location unable to accomodate people who just turn up like I may intend to? I'm using the Koh Tao experiences as a guide and seems the following applies:

a) you need accomodation booked well in advance
b) you need to confirm the dates you want to dive in sipidan

I planning to book flights tomorrow (travel 3 Oct) but nothing sorted in terms of a) so guess b) will be partially out of the question.
What do you reckon? :depressed:

 

[scuba.baratta]

My wife and I went here: sipadan-kapalai.com

These are better pictures: adtschool.com/sipadan/

It was the best.

 

[scuba.baratta]

I guess they take care of all the permits and everything...cause we went to the island of sipadan twice, but really could have every day.

But that would have meant a getting up at 5AM more than twice, and for some reason my wife does not think 5AM wake up calls and vacation go together.

 

[sipadan.com]

Concerning permits, it's limited to 120 divers a day.
The current situation is that you can book with your resort of choice your permits in advance.
Depending when you go (quiet season or high season) and how many divers you are, you will have more or less availability.
There are always cancellations and you can also shop daily around when you arrive.
Snorkeling?

 

[Sib]

Solution:
Book my diving with someone who lets me book Sipadan in advance with them and book a non-diver rate at the resort. For this to work, you need to find someone that is willing to pick you up at Mabul Island daily.

Based on all the criteria, there is really only one dive center I found that met all the criteria above and there have been enough clues on this board to figure out who that is

So my trip is pretty much set now.

Russell, would love to hear how the solution works out! I have the same dilemma and am planning to go in April/May 2010 (out of monsoon and high season). I was thinking of splitting my time in the area to 3 nights on a resort and 3 nights in Semporna, but yours sounds like the perfect solution!

 

[Valthai]

Russell, would love to hear how the solution works out! I have the same dilemma and am planning to go in April/May 2010 (out of monsoon and high season). I was thinking of splitting my time in the area to 3 nights on a resort and 3 nights in Semporna, but yours sounds like the perfect solution!

Don't sleep in Semporna, this is an awful place to stay !
I've been diving in Mabul & Sipadan last month, was staying at Borneo Divers, SMART and Billabong. I've stay 7 days on Mabul Islands and dive 4 days in a row in Sipadan
You can be sure to dive with Billabong in Sipadan as they don't have many guests in the homestay and can have permit easily. In Smart & Borneo Divers is more difficult as they have lots of customers and mainly all of them wanna dive in Sipadan... These resorts have only 14 permits allowed per day...

If you choose to dive with Billabong, don't spend the night at the homestay... Rooms are very simple with no bathroom, only mandy in toilets, and food is not very good... I advice to book dives at Billabong (350 RM for 3 dives in Sipadan), the boat is brand new and fast. There is a homestay close to Billabong called Mabul Long House Arung hayat, the rooms are clean and more comfortable that Billabong ones. The price is the same (around 70RM per night)

Also diving around Mabul is great for macro marine life lovers, and share dives between Mabul & Sipadan sounds good.

 

[The Wolf]

.....I thought vacations were supposed to be fun ??? !!! ....why any sane diver would spend that kind of $ to put up with that level of abuse is beyond me ! ...somehow being involved in something of a death-match...hoping/praying the dive gods will smile upon you and you will muscle aside all the other competing divers to get in your precious dives is totally unacceptable as a vacation choice to me....I find it impossible to believe the diving there is that extraordinary !

Then don't go.

Sipadan is one of the best dive spots in the world.

Seriously, I don't understand the lack of understanding in ensuring the island and dive spots are protected. Its an environmentally sensitive issue and you would think divers would have some respect for what the local government in Sabah are trying to do, which is a hell of a lot better than many other top class diving spots around the world.

The fact remains its 120 divers per day, spread out over the half dozen or so dive spots around the island...

And most people who do book an adequate number of day's on mabul, seaventures or kapalai will get at least one day out at Sipadan with the option to go back again for a 4th and 5th dive in the afternoon at their cost so whats the big deal?

You forget the diving at Kapalai, Mabul and below the seaventures rig is also seriously under rated and deserves a lot more respect..


No pleasing some whoppers...lol

 

[Sib]

Just got back. Dived at Sipidan 3 days out of 6. Secret is definitely to book way in advance with one of the day operators - Scuba Junkies, Billabong, Uncle Changs. Each have accomodation on Mabul, which I definitely recommend. Semporna is infested by rats. Scuba Junkie's Mabul accomodation definitely looked the best of the day operators - western toilets, hot showers and A/C in some of the cabins - it is also in a great location with a lovely reef just off the jetty). Those use to the full scale resort will find it a bit lacking (eg variety of food, if you have your own gear, you will have to look after it, no pool) but at less than half the price of SMART etc, for diving and accomodation, I thought it was perfect.

Whilst we were there, a few of the other guests were getting permits with the other operators - it was just a matter of taking the 5 minute walk to the other side of the island and asking around.

Sipidan is amazing - lots of sharks, lots of turtles and the barracudas were incredible - but to be honest, I thought the muck diving around Mabul, Kapalai and Seamill was just as special, if not more so - it is definitely world class - where else to you see mandarin fish 5 metres from the resort jetty, or 3 frogfish all sitting on top of one another? Seamoths, robust ghost pipefish, the list of weird and wonderful keep going!

The other place to consider if you want big pelagics is Layang Layang in April - Schools of hammerhead sharks, manta rays, devil rays and miles of wall diving. Unless you are there for the turles, better than Sipidan - though be prepared to spend time in the deep blue.

 

[rogerp]

Hi

Here is the permit distribution board at the Sipadan park office when i went there in May. Looks pretty distributed. and although i was staying with SWV.. when i borrow the permit from my DM - it was from another resort..

I have been told.. just be nice to the person who is in charge of arranging the permit for you.. and be patient and smile. Seen some folks who tried to scream to get things done.. does not work either.

Roger