Hi there! diver wannabe here!! Looking for kaki to get the diving course lehhh... huh..
still considering which association to go.. PADI? SDI?

HELP*

Typically, ~RM1.5k would be the price to expect for "confined water in KL, open water in island". I believe you can get below RM1k if you opt for the "do everything on the island" approach, although you might not be comfortable with rushing through the course.

Personally think that the difference of few hundred ringgit is worth paying for you to master the basics in the pool before heading out to the ocean.

once you have tasted something sweet you will never go back to something bitter

as a new diver, you won't be able to perfect your buoyancy skill. you will definitely not enjoy those small micro worlds but you'll be able to see the big things but still you will not enjoy your dive as you will continue to struggle with your buoyancy.

in sabah, you can see the best of both worlds. big and small creatures are available everywhere but mostly like you'll be impressed with the big stuffs instead of the small stuffs.

with your limited skills and got pampered by the liveliness underwater in sabah, you will never see other places the same because other places especially in peninsular lack the liveliness and the big stuffs that you see. so that is why you won't love the underwater anywhere else when they don't have the best of both worlds.

For new divers, maybe everything is new because you don't get to see everything yet.
But after while, you'll noticed its all the same species.
The only thing different is the landscape, livelihood and the healthiness.

Well, if you have the financial capabilities, there is no such thing as wrong decision for you.
There are far more better underwater world out there besides Malaysian water.

btw ask your fren dont bullsh*t... is better than emptiness, some place r so bad that there r no fish, no eel, no crab, no sh*t
sabah is the only place the fish are still alive, other place are heavily affected by El Niño, La Niña (i assume u mean sabah = sipadan)

the only thing u need to know, if u r aiming for sipadan... u better be FIT or be an adv diver
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if u only hv 2-3trips per year... u wont get enuf. hehehe...

either way, fish, no fish, bad vis, or for whatever reason, its still better than a good day sittin in the office..

How bout September 14-16. 16th Malaysia day is a Monday. Perhentian, I'll try to find out which hotels to go to and get a quote. Or anyone has any recommendations? Who else interested to go?

1. imran85 (1 pax?)
2. munkeyflo (2 pax)