Diving Permit

Sipidan Permit System Sucks!!!

Planning a trip to Sipidan in the near future? Before you finalize your plans you must consider the changes over the last 4 months in the permit system! My 2 dive buddies and I traveled from around the United States to stay at SMART dive resort on Mabul, October 9-16, 2008. You will be surprised to hear that we were only able to dive Sipidan ONE DAY!!!

Before booking in May, we had heard a little of the new permit system of only 120 divers a day being allowed to dive Sipidan in an attempt to preserve the world class diving site. We had no idea to which the extent the permit system would limit the diving for divers in the area, and the inequality of the new process. While we are all for preserving this wonderful site, we feel it is the responsibility of the dive resorts via the tour operators to inform vacationers that while they pay to dive Sipidan, they will be seeing very little of the precious waters around that island. We were in Mabul for 6 full dive days and were allowed only ONE day to dive the world class diving sites of Sipidan. The rest of our dive days were spent diving around Mabul and Siamil Island. While these are good dive sites, we did not fly half way around the world and spend thousands of dollars to dive Mabul. We came to dive SIPIDAN!!!

While there, we learned that the new Minister of something or other has taken over the permit system for the Malaysian Government and started enforcing the permit system in August of this year. There are 12 resorts and one live-aboard attempting to land the 120 golden permits to dive Sipidan. At SMART alone, while we were there, there were 101 divers at the resort. No matter how you do the math, there was a heck of a lot of divers trying to get permits each day to dive Sipidan and only 120 dolled out by the government. It appears some resorts get more permits allotted each day than others. Borneo Divers was getting 22-25 permits a day while we were there and SMART only getting 10-12 permits a day.

So while we are on our lovely stay at SMART, and yes the resort is lovely, we learn that the division of permits to each dive resort appears random and circumspect. The added stress to find out if you would ÁØin the trip to Sipidan the next day was ridiculous. The worst was around lunch time. At SMART, there is a giant Dive Board where each diver is assigned to a dive boat and the dive site for the following day. Imagine trying to enjoy lunch in the large dining hall filled with anxiety and hope as everyone prayed their name would be assigned the Sipidan dive boat! To add fuel to the fire, the manager of SMART, held court as he made a huge production of plugging names in, erasing them etc. Nice relaxing vacation huh?

We think it is the responsibility of SMART and the other dive resorts in Mabul, to inform their tour operators of this change in the process, thus allowing the tour operators to inform their customers who may have wanted to change their vacations and do it in a timely matter as to get a refund from the resort! Since this letter was written, SMART sent out a letter to our tour operator informing them of the permit changes. Way too late for us to get a refund of course!

To all our diving friends?call your tour operator, and contact your dive resort prior to your trip so that you dont feel the same disappointment that we did!

Happy Diving!

This statement was from a diver who went to Sipadan and this happened.. It really is sad and hopefully more of you guys will be divers and fight off this permit problem . Hoping the goverment will destroy this permit problem for Sipadan before its 2 late and divers start going other places such as Bali , Great Barier Reff and so many more other places thus decreasing the number of tourist and decreasing money earned for the goverment. It has said to be Sipadan Diving brings in MILLIONS of RINGGIT from different currencies EVERY YEAR. This permit issue will destroy the tourism for Kota Kinabalu,Tawau,Semporna,Sandakan making it harder for people to earn a living making life harder for everyone. See the problems this causes . Divers are important tourists that need also to be satisfied .