Sipadan red tape!

[fdog]

Vladimir is referring to the time when there were dive operations on Sipidan Island. These operations were removed after the kidnapings in 2001.

...You know the nice sandy beach on Sipidan where you have lunch? The buildings around it used to be dive operations.


All the best, James

 

[tangfish]

I'm right there with ya Vladimir. I now look back and appreciate even more the time I spent on Sipadan itself. 5-6 dives a day without even so much as a thought as to when I'd want to splash next. Just walk ten feet, grab a tank and hit the dropoff. Though, I understand the reasoning behind limiting the environmental impact from divers these days.

 

[frogfish]

I really do.

Duration of flights apart (flights are only a minor problem for me :cool2, it's a very good solution for intensive high class diving on short holidays. Sipadan sounds like a LOB but it doesn't have the drawbacks so we can have family holidays with my non diving wife and daughter, and still great diving quality.

I like the way SEA blends in there : Filipino style dive guides, Indonesia dive quality, Malaysian level of accomodation... Singapore and Hongkong customers. (I'd only miss Thai food and massages... )

Your non diving family are very accomodating... There is not much to do there if you are not diving !

And this is the first time that I here someone liking HK and Singapore divers

 

[frogfish]

I'm right there with ya Vladimir. I now look back and appreciate even more the time I spent on Sipadan itself. 5-6 dives a day without even so much as a thought as to when I'd want to splash next. Just walk ten feet, grab a tank and hit the dropoff. Though, I understand the reasoning behind limiting the environmental impact from divers these days.

Same here ! Really loved my two stays on Sipadan a few years back - But Mabul and Kapalai are dive destinations in their own right, with the added bonus of diving Sipadan !

 

[walterheck]

Stayed with Seaventures earlier this year in July and went to Sipadan all dives during 4 days, except for one (video here: YouTube - Diving Sipadan, Malaysia 2010). It really depends on the other guests and the number of permits an operator has.

 

[DevonDiver]

A dive operator will either accept advance bookings or not. If they won't reserve Sipidan permits for you, then find an operator who will. I can understand if they are already full... or only offer limited permits per customer, to give other customers a chance to get there. But if they won't offer anything... or make any conditions about having to take dives at other sites.... then screw them. That's not how it works in business.

 

[walterheck]

@DevonDiver: it is when Demand is higher then Supply (unfortunately). None of the operators there will guarantee anything beyond wat TS already posted. Sipadan is popular enough to pull that off (and it's worth it too ).

 

[Luko]

Your non diving family are very accomodating... There is not much to do there if you are not diving !

Well it depends where you are from, snorkeling, enjoying Sipadan's beach & talking with BD's numerous staff can book the full day. Coming from Paris we're not always traveling for museums or fashion shopping ...

And this is the first time that I here someone liking HK and Singapore divers

I suppose you noticed the smiley just after this statement.
Nah kidding, I get along very well with S'pore and HKG resident divers as long as they're not within a group of divers, I tend to avoid my countryfellow divers tho. ( I suppose you've never been surrounded with a crowd of south european customers)

...Sipidan...
...Sipidan...
...Sipidan...
...Sipidan...

Who'll sign with me a petition that bans any other spelling than the correct SipAdan.

 

[frogfish]

I suppose you noticed the smiley just after this statement.
Nah kidding, I get along very well with S'pore and HKG resident divers as long as they're not within a group of divers, I tend to avoid my countryfellow divers tho. ( I suppose you've never been surrounded with a crowd of south european customers)


/QUOTE]

Seems we should avoid diving together then (I am French living in Singapore)

 

[Luko]

Seems we should avoid diving together then (I am French living in Singapore)

Depends on whether you introduce yourself as french or s'porean.

...At least I wouldn't have to spend my holidaytime as an english/french translator.