Getting Sipadan permits may not be as hard as it seems

Ever since the late Jacques Cousteau quoted in 1988 “I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found an untouched piece of art”, diving in Sipadan Island has been on the bucket list for many divers as it is one of the best diving destinations in the world.

Fast forward a few decades, untouched it wasn’t.

Prior to 2004, the dive resorts were based in Sipadan, with no permit system. It was a wonderful time for holidaymakers, but it proved to be unsustainable for the island’s ecosystem. In a bid to protect the area, the Malaysian Government made an order for Sipadan based dive resorts to be relocated by end-2004, and in April 2006, introduced the Sipadan permit system.

How are Sipadan permits issued?

The rights to issue permits is vested with Sabah Parks, which is limited to 120 permits daily (including divers and snorkelers) in a bid to minimize tourist “footprints” on the pristine island. These 120 permits are split among a handful of dive resorts and currently priced at RM140/permit, it was RM40 prior to 14 August 2018.

Recent press releases have reported that the government is temporarily increasing the number of Sipadan permits to a quota of 176 permits daily, taking into effect from May 2019. However, diving activity is restricted to 3 dives per diver as compared to the previous 4 daily dives.

This temporary measure is to satisfy the demands for more permits and at the same time, allowing authorities and researchers to assess any ecological impact it may have on the reefs and marine life.

Image source: sabahtourism.com

How are Sipadan permits allocated?

176 daily permits is not a lot to go around considering the number of operators in the region accommodating up to thousands of guests daily (this is just our guess, resorts, hotels, hostels, backpacker lodges).

Sipadan permits assigned to dive resorts are often always reserved for their in-house guests. Many resorts now use a “rotation system” where permits are allocated to guests without prioritizing (assuming it’s available). Even so, not all guests are guaranteed a spot to visit Sipadan due to the limited nature of the permits. So you can’t just rock up unannounced requesting for a day’s excursion to Sipadan. You may just end up being disappointed.

Having said that, there are instances where some Sipadan permits are floating around the secondary market. Who knows? You may be lucky.

Image credit: Joe Starzz from Underwater Illusions

I desperately want a permit, what can I do?

Your chances of obtaining a Sipadan permit may increase by 3 main guidelines:

Plan and book ahead of time.

It is best to book your holiday as early as possible. We suggest at least 2 months in advance, and probably longer if you are thinking of visiting during the peak season (May, July to August, October, Chinese New Year, Easter breaks, Christmas and New Year). So yeah, pretty much the majority of the year.

Sourcing permits from other operators

Not all dive operators are allocated permits by the government. Naturally, there exists a secondary market for these permits. If your dive operator is not one of the “assigned” resorts, they may still be able to procure a Sipadan permit for you at a premium. Expect Sipadan day trips to be priced at a region between RM900 to RM1300.

Book a longer stay

Dive packages booked with resorts do not include island day trips on arrival and departure day, you may want to consider at least a 4 or 5 days vacation.

Since Sipadan permits are known to be assigned via a “rotation system”, a longer stay at a resort will provide you a better chance of attaining one. On this premise, some resorts do provide somewhat of a guaranteed Sipadan permits. In rare instances, there may be large groups during peak season which exhausts all their permits.

Nonetheless, here are some resorts that offer you a significantly higher chance of procuring the precious Sipadan permits:

Some frequently asked questions:

Q: How do they stay neutrally buoyant underwater?

A: Pretty much like other divers, the control over breathing technique.

Q: How do they swim underwater?

A: With their mobile-limbs, be it arm(s) or leg(s), or sometimes assisted by their dive buddy(ies).

Q: How do they generally stay afloat on the surface?

A: With the buoyancy control device (BCD)

Lets not forget about the buddy system. Teamwork is vital, and the importance of a buddy system is amplified here. The dive buddy(ies) are there to fill in any gaps for the handicapped diver.

“When I lost my limbs, I felt so useless… distanced myself from society and slipped into depression. It took me 2 years before I ventured out into society again… and having to experience scuba diving is beyond what I ever imagined possible”
“I’m paralyzed from waist down… spinal injury… but I feel I can fly”

Scuba diving is an exhilarating experience. For handicapped individuals, it has added benefits… the sense of freedom, control and independence that one feels underwater, not to mention the eventual boost of confidence. All in all, removing barriers to social participation.

We know the sensational effects scuba diving has on our psyche, but really? Scuba therapy?

In other developed nations, scuba diving is also used as a mean of therapy (click here to read more on Diveheart.org’s article) – the sport provides a unique environment with therapeutic characteristics that cannot be replicated on land. The weightlessness may alleviate physical pains and help patients exercise in a comfortable manner. Not to mention the mental and emotional benefits where patients may be able to focus, be more in control and feel a sense of achievement.

What lies ahead?

While the possibilities are encouraging, there are some societal and fundamental hurdles to conquer, such as:

  1. Improving current facilities – We don’t mean specialized diving gears, in fact the scuba diving equipment used are generally the same. We mean developing handicap-accessible infrastructures (think: boat, jetty, resort, dive centre accesses).
  2. Increasing exposure – To boost awareness of such positive possibilities and opportunities. Who knew that disable diving is possible? Hey, scuba diving does not discriminate.
  3. Enhancing education and training – Similar to #2, this also applies to dive professionals to consider adding-on to their skills to work with handicapped divers that can help differentiate themselves from the rest, and also offer added value to the community which in itself is rewarding.

By and large, the water removes restrictions and fosters a common bond built on the love for the ocean and sense of adventure. Let’s all do our part by creating awareness and helping out where we can. It’s the collective small actions that make big things happen. Yeah!

Addendum: “My Special Dive Buddy” is the brainchild of Captain Mohd Efenddy (Zero Protocol Community) and ND Murray (ND Divers), to whom were subsequently introduced to Gary Chan (PCG Group) and Marcus Tan (ScubaG / Tenggol Coral Beach Resort) who collectively made the event possible. The amazing thing is that the event was organized entirely via text messages with dive professionals later volunteered without hesitation. This perfectly shows the bond that the sea creates – divers from all walks of life putting their hearts together for a common cause. Simple gestures like this make us proud to be divers. There is so much we can do to impart some joy into the lives of others be it through small or large efforts. If there’s a takeaway from this, it’s that they have started the ball rolling and we should keep the momentum going! 🙂

I desperately want a permit, what can I do?

Your chances of obtaining a Sipadan permit may increase by 3 main guidelines:

Plan and book ahead of time.

It is best to book your holiday as early as possible. We suggest at least 2 months in advance, and probably longer if you are thinking of visiting during the peak season (May, July to August, October, Chinese New Year, Easter breaks, Christmas and New Year). So yeah, pretty much the majority of the year.

Sourcing permits from other operators

Not all dive operators are allocated permits by the government. Naturally, there exists a secondary market for these permits. If your dive operator is not one of the “assigned” resorts, they may still be able to procure a Sipadan permit for you at a premium. Expect Sipadan day trips to be priced at a region between RM900 to RM1300.

Book a longer stay

Dive packages booked with resorts do not include island day trips on arrival and departure day, you may want to consider at least a 4 or 5 days vacation.

Since Sipadan permits are known to be assigned via a “rotation system”, a longer stay at a resort will provide you a better chance of attaining one. On this premise, some resorts do provide somewhat of a guaranteed Sipadan permits. In rare instances, there may be large groups during peak season which exhausts all their permits.

Nonetheless, here are some resorts that offer you a significantly higher chance of procuring the precious Sipadan permits: