haha funny how its peak yet rainy. ok last thing before i go ahead with booking is, is the 700 bucks or so premium scuba junkie is above uncle chang worth it? thanks so much for your inputs

p.s. saw alot of negative reviews online for uncle chang.

This post has been edited by CcL: Oct 19 2015, 02:23 PM

If not mistaken, room quality are different. Uncle Chang is more like a budget place while scuba junkie is like one of the biggest resort.
Be warned that SJ might be packed as its christmas holidays and SJ mainly cater to westerners. So might have traffic jam on boat and under water.

Tried them, they are ok, run by french guy

Enjoy wreck is awesome

Room, Scuba Junkie, SJ has twin room that is slightly more spacious compares to Uncle Chang, UC. Mattress and washroom, SJ s superior... UC rooms r tilted above water, mostly sea view, SJ rooms are garden view with 2 bigger units that faces the sea and seaventures.

Food, SJ serves better quality and varieties but no seafood. SJ has a proper bar area for relaxing evening, and debriefing by most DM. Live band performs here on an evening of the week. UC kitchen can cook up above average seafood if u do buy those catches by local bajau...

Diving, the SJ dshop is like 2times of UC.. Well, we do need space for our gears
Anyhow, the SJ dive is well run and organized.
SJ DM team left me with better knowledge on sea creatures, local dive sites...
SJ owns 6 Sipadan permits, 4 dives/Sipadan day
UC does prove capable of getting more permits from Sipadan permits holders though.

Please note the above are based on experiences 2-3 years ago.

If the premium Rm700 is still well within my budget, I opt for the better chance of better experience...

cant wait!

Thanks bros. very informative. To add UC has about 7 permits they told me.

Been trying to get a hold of SJ yesterday through phone but no one picking up. No cell number either. Grrr

Just got back from Sabah! Hazy...

Mabul was very very very very very quiet! MAS flight too... Food SUCKS in MAS! Mishandling baggage, our returning home, tat guy at the counter told us, tag fragile or non fragile also no use one. I understand he's being realistic but this is not comforting at all! We lodged a complain to MAS with pictures and stuff.

Dived in Pulau Timba Timba, Mataking Kecil and Besar, Pulau Bohey Dulang, Mantabuan, Sibuan, Pom Pom and Sipadan.

Stayed in constant power failure for rooms with Uncle Chang with problematic aircond room. No WiFi. Punctuality is really chaos! The Chef told us, UC used to be the best, but now probably one of the worse. Our boatman lost the navigation while heading Mabul and heading Sipadan. Too hazy and wavy sea condition. Stranded in the sea total about 2 hours. Scariest moment is heading Mabul after Bohey Dulang dive. It was scary with complete darkness and hazy. Have to use dive comp and google map to find back the navigation. One of the boat I notice has no compass or GPS equipment.

Dives are awesome I must say, food is great too, worth the penny especially on day trip. Lunch is serve quite a luxury, mantis prawn, prawn, red snappers etc... Some of the dives, I actually self guided... Finds critters on my own etc... They are known to be the second cheapest Sipadan permit in Mabul. People are friendly too.

Met almost many DMs & Instructors from Seaventure, SJ, Borneo Divers, Billabong, some semporna dc etc...

The most awesome is I met my "victim" for rescue in Sipadan. And I also met my OW, AOW, and Rescue's Instructors in Mabul, all in different resorts. All of them are great, shed many ideas, knowledge, fun and enjoyment.

Also met with few police officers who escorted me here n there especially in the night going to BD cafe for a drink or something. They share with me when they need to patrol the island, what does marine officers and marine army station at. General understanding only. Why curfew are not enforce? Or when it enforce?!

Overall, I enjoyed my dives with UC. Apart from accommodation not so well maintain. The rest was just okay. Probably will return if I dont have any other choices...

Be WARN! Dark Side of our Dive Trips.
Involving ESSCOM Staff, Police Officer. Thanks to shopowner who shelter us.


Yeah... Above is my yesterday experience ...

Wow... I guess the getting loss part can be due to haze. Most small dive boats i've been on does not have GPS...

How were the dive equipments though, mainly BCD and regs at UC? Good sharing

Equipment... On small hotel kinda limited and some how a bit rusty. Overall, I hear no complain. So I m guess its fine. I bring my own equipment, hence I don know the detail. But generally a glimpse, the storage room is not well maintain compare to others like Borneo Divers, Billabong etc...

Yup small boats no GPS understandable. But compass also lost or dont have is a huge issue. Confirmed Lost! Probably ran to Philippine also don know.

Hazy! Last 2 days, Air Asia, MAS airlines flight delayed up to 1 -2 hours due to haze. Few of the small boat stranded at the sea. Spotted one or two boats towed by bigger boats.

Night Dive also cancelled due to low surface visibility! While underwater, visibility is greater compare to surface!
First of our few days dives were okay, last 2 days... Was probably just smoke and blue clear water...

Anything interesting in the dive ukiya?

Which of the islands are the best and your favourite?

so im finally going to have a month break as a transition between jobs and want to realise one of my goal to get certified in open water. was reading up about doing it in phuket during dec which is when i will be having my break and cost including flight, accommodation and the actual course would be about 2.5k with flight tix the biggest chunk as its high season there. anywhere else i can do for a lower price since redang and tioman is closed during dec...

at low cost? Lumut?
There are other overseas locations too like Pulau Weh, Philipines, Other parts of Thailand like Koh Lipe.
Locally there is Sabah and Sarawak.

Well from this trip. Best are the following...

Bohey Dulang was my favorite for small stuff and critters.
Sipadan was still my favorite for the big stuff and pelagic.

Mataking Kecil, my best place for drift dive with lots to see...

I'm staying Mabul whole trip but didnt dive Mabul and Kapalai...

I will be on and off at Pulau Weh, Aceh, Indonesia starting 10th November until somewhere around February next year. If you are interested to do your PADI Open Water Diver Course there, please email me at sofianhamid.my[at]gmail.com

Your course will be done partly in KL (theory & confine water training) and the open water training will be conducted in Pulau Weh.

So much fun... ada secret dive spot tak? haha

As usual, mesti ada.

koh tao is so much cheaper!
but the journey to get to koh tao http://dirtypawsblog.com/2014/01/29/our-ep...pur-to-koh-tao/

Lol, that matsalleh like giant in his photo compared to the locals.

Well, you can always fly to Samui and take ferry there.

yea checked that too and turns out it will cost more than to do it in phuket