i did mine in udive tioman. they have bunk bed package. so going alone is no issue. I just did my AOW this month solo

just came back from Pulau Aur last week. This week going Tenggol. overall still quite nice. Monsoon haven't start.

Its only Nov 9, Sipadan dive permit for December already run out. 1 other friend want to tag along my trip but the resort (Kapalai) said all permit for december sudah tarak.

i dive on this boat end 2022. didn't really have good experience. me and my diving buddy booked the Twin cabin (lower deck). the engine diesel smell is horrible.
The AC in the room spoilt. I can't sleep without AC so they transferred me to sleep at the upper deck room to sleep with the boat captain. (the captain never come in to sleep anyway).
My buddy being a female have no more rooms available so they (a few more girls) end up sleeping on the roof level on those beach bench coz cannot tahan the diesel smell.

we go in a group of 8. instead of splitting us into 2 groups to follow 2 dive guide. they lump all 8 of us in 1 group. the dinghy is so small that it can't fit all of us when we are geared up.
most of the time the boatmen can only throw a rope to us and ask all of us to hold to it and he pull us back to the main boat with the rope.
in the beginning when we all climb up to the dinghy after the dive, as we are all wet and heavy. the dinghy is half sunk into the ocean when heading back.
so in the end we either swim back to the big boat directly after each dive or we get pulled to the boat with the dinghy if there are current.

If i happen to go Similan islands again, i will definitely not choose this boat.

Edit PS : forgot to mentioned after the first day when they transfer me to the room behind the captain. they forgot about me at the upper deck and i missed 1 dive because of it.

This post has been edited by Lester1987: Jan 2 2024, 03:24 PM