Sipadan Dec/Jan 08

Hi

Hoping to head to Sipadan at Chirstmas 08 and have a couple of questions, the answers to which I haven't been able to find through searching: Hope you can help!
- Conditions in Dec/Jan - What will the vis be like? Have heard not as good, but what are we talking about? Are the conditions worth it this time of year? Have been diving in the UK and Europe so 15m + will feel fantastic!
- Safety - FCO and LP advise that travel to the area is not advisable - anyone been there recently that can offer realistic advise? Do we need to be worried?
- Vertigo - Have dived walls/drop offs before and I do get a little bit of vertigo in the "scared of heights" sense, which I am over coming but still find a little hairly...am I going to have a disaster at Sipadan?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Nets

Conditions in December/January: The Sipadan area can be dived year round. The water may be greener then than it is during the dry season, but the diving is still excellent. Try to go earlier (early December) rather than later (late January) for better conditions.

Safety: After the kidnappings from Sipadan years ago, the Malaysian government instituted a very visible Navy patrol system of the islands to dissuade Filippino fighters from entering Malaysian territory again. You will see daily rounds of Royal Malaysian Navy patrol boats stopping at the islands to sign logs of their rounds. There is no need for particular concern in regard to travel to Sipadan.

Vertigo: Most of the diving in the Sipadan area (particularly Mabul and Kapalai Islands) is at sites where you will dive at the bottom or be within sight of the bottom. Only sites at Sipadan Island itself have the kinds of walls that might present difficulties to you. Let you DM know about your disposition towards disorientation in blue water (this is more likely to be a problem at safety stops in deep water). Focus on the wall rather than the fact that you can't see the bottom, and during the safety stop, ask to hold the surface marker line. That may help from a psychological point of view. I have also found that even the slightest physical contact with a dive buddy (even just fingertips) seems to reduce anxiety significantly, so you might try that, too.

Have a wondeful trip! Do you know which resort you'll be staying at?

Thanks Quero, very helpfull. Thanks for the tips re safety stops, I will try and get some practice in generally before I go!

Not sure where I am staying yet...will be planning to spend 4-5 days in the area as the first part of a 3 week trip to Malaysia, so it should be mid December. Have thought about Semporna for access to all sites, and it seems quite cheap, but I get the impression that Mabul might be nicer to have a bit of tropical island/holiday to go with it and I don't mind paying more if its worth it.

Have heard Uncle Chang mentioned on here a couple of times...and Borneo Divers/scuba junkie that I will probably check out..they seem to have accomodation attached etc. Any ideas very wellcome.

Thanks,
Net

If you stay in Semporna expect to spend over an hour each way on the boat to Sipadan.

Uncle Changs is a cheap option on Mabul but is a bit of a crap heap, not without its charms.
Rooms look awful but its got a bit of atmosphere to it which other resorts do not.

Consider Seaventures platform as a cheap option.

DMs should begin each Sipidan dive over the reef. You drop 3 or 4 metres, get comfortable then and then dip over the reef.

Vertigo shouldnt be an issue, its not that dramatic a wall and many of them are inclined anway. Plus you should have enough confidence in your bouyancy not to be worried.

Also having done 30 dives in Sipadan I can tell you what I suspected after 1 - all the good stuff is between 7m and the surface on top of the reef. All you will see down at 20m are lots of turtles sleeping and the odd grey reef sharking cruising the blue. For you last 15 mins when you come up the reef its every kind of reef ffish, incredible coral, schooling barracuda, schooling bumphead parrotfish, white tips and so many damn turtles they block your view of everything else.