Dive trips are available from Semporna every day and all year around as follows:
1. Sipadan and Mabul islands (every Tuesday):
2 dives - US$ 319 per diver
Snorkellers - US$ 277 per person
2. Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Mabul Island and Kapalai (every day):
2 dives - US$ 60 per diver
3 dives - US$ 70 per diver
Snorkellers - US$ 30 per person (US$ 15 for child below 12 years)
Sipadan dive trip prices normally include: Packed lunch, drinking water, dives, rental scuba equipment, Sipadan marine park fees, Semporna jetty fees, professionally qualified divemaster (max. 7 divers per guide), pick up at Mabul island (if required) and taxes.
All other dive trip prices normally include: Lunch on one of the islands, drinking water, dives, rental scuba equipment (own equipment discount: US$ 11), weights and weight-belts, tanks, professionally qualified divemaster (for diving daytrips) or snorkelling guide, and taxes.
All other dive trip prices exclude (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Tun Sakaran Marine Park fee US$ 2, Semporna jetty fee US$ 2. All the listed items need to be paid in cash on arrival.
Optional extras on Sipadan dive trips: Diving insurance, pick up at Kapalai (if required: US$ 21).
Optional extras on other dive trips: Dive computer, diving insurance.
Sipadan day trip notes: Dive experience: It is advisable that all divers have good buoyancy control.
All divers must bring their advanced diving license and passport with them, or a printed copy of it, for presentation at the Sipadan Island marine park office. The Sipadan authorities do not accept digital copies of diving licenses and divers that are unable to verify their qualification status will not be permitted to dive.
Dive computer, torch and surface maker buoy (SMB) are not available for rent. Guests should bring their own. If you dive without a computer, your depth will be limited to that of the dive guide.
Sipadan trips
The day starts with a pick up at 7:15-7:30 am for guests staying at Seafest Hotel, otherwise meet at the Semporna office at 7:45 am to try on equipment. The boat departs from the jetty at 8 am for a one hour trip out to Sipadan. If you are staying at a resort on Mabul Island or at the Seaventures Dive Rig, it's possible to be collected at 8:30 am. After registration on the island, it’s time for the first dive site of the day at 9:30 am. Dives usually last for 1 hour.
During the 1 hour surface interval, toast, biscuits, coffee and tea are served; then it’s time for dive 2 at 11:30 am. Lunch is served at 12:30 pm. Dive 3 then takes place at 2 pm at Mabul and afterwards the dive boat starts to cruise back to Semporna, arriving at 4:15 pm.
All other trips
The day starts by meeting at Scuba Junkie dive centre in Semporna at 07:30 for registration and to try on your equipment. The boat departs from the jetty next to the dive centre at 8 am for a one hour trip out to the islands and to the first dive site of the day. After your dive equipment has been set up, it is time for the dive (around 9:30 am) which usually lasts 45 minutes to one hour.
After your surface interval, dive 2 takes place at around 11:45 am and then it is time for lunch. Depending on the island you are visiting, you will enjoy your lunch either at Mabul Beach Resort or on the beach. You will have time to relax, enjoy the sun and stroll on the beach. If you are doing 3 dives, your 3rd dive will take place following lunch around 2:30 pm. Afterwards the dive the boat starts to cruise back to Semporna, arriving around 5 pm.
We work with day trip providers that are highly professional outfits and trusted names in scuba diving in Sabah. Our Sipadan dive trips are run by an experienced liveaboard operation with many years of experience of diving at Sipadan. All other dive trips are provided by an award-winning PADI 5 Star IDC Centre and they have a large international staff all of whom are trained in primary and secondary first aid. They operate daily diving and snorkelling trips all around the Semporna archipelago that comprise the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Mataking, Mabul and Kapalai.
All boats (taking up to 13 guests and with twin 115 HP engines) are fully licensed and insured and have life jackets, life rings, emergency O2 and GPS system.
There is no doubt that Sipadan is the Malaysian number 1 destination and a must dive for many scuba divers. You will soon find out why it is one of the big fish capitals of the world. Huge schools of barracuda, jacks and bumphead parrotfish are accompanied by innumerable sharks and turtles, who are the real stars of the show. Watch our Sipadan diving video.
The Tun Sakaran Marine Park holds some of the most beautiful islands in the Celebes Sea, with white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and clear blue waters. Pygmy seahorses are a virtual guarantee, frogfish, mandarinfish, nudibranchs by the dozen, crocodilefish and scorpionfish are all found here. Elsewhere there are magnificent corals and with unsurpassed visibility where you can see manta and eagle rays. At Mabul and Kapalai there are is astonishing array of small critters. Watch our Mabul and Kapalai diving video.
Note: these scuba day trips listed above are available to advanced-qualified divers only. If you have non diving partner who would like to get a taste of Semporna and its underwater world then we can also organise introductory dives and courses.
Your Additional Needs: through our partners we can also help you with hotel bookings and travel & diving insurance.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS OF DIVE THE WORLD
... Our scuba adventure was amazing, everything was perfect, from diving to food to transfers. I wanted to thank you again for all the help!! A special mention is for Philippa Gower, she did an awesome job with fast and clear answers to every question I had (and I had a lot). Your service is pretty much flawless the way it is, maybe just add more choices for the diving destinations ... -- Andrea Maschio, Italy. [More customer reviews]