Package rates by season
Peak and off-peak pricing with the full 2026 date calendar.
See ratesConditions and availability peak at opposite ends of the year. Which one matters more depends on whether your dates are fixed or your budget is.
March to May offers the most reliable conditions — flattest seas, best visibility, calmest crossings from Semporna. April is the single strongest month. June to October is nearly as good and considerably busier. December to February trades some visibility consistency for much easier permits and off-peak rates. November the island is shut.
There is no monsoon shutdown at Sipadan the way there is on Malaysia's east coast. Diving runs eleven months a year, and even the weakest month is better than the average day at most destinations. The question is not whether you can dive, but what you are optimising for.
You will find March to May, April to December, and year-round all recommended with confidence. The disagreement is not carelessness — the sources are answering different questions.
Operators optimise for occupancy. A resort with rooms to fill in September has an interest in telling you September is excellent, and it is. A wider recommended window is commercially useful and not dishonest.
Dive agencies average across three islands. Guidance covering Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai together smooths out differences. Mabul's muck diving is largely season-independent; Sipadan's wall diving is not.
Conditions and crowds get conflated. The dry season is both the best diving and the hardest booking. Sources that emphasise one rarely mention the other.
Our position: March to May for conditions, December to February for value and availability, and the difference between the best and worst diveable month at Sipadan is smaller than at almost any comparable destination.
Tail of the northeast monsoon. More rain, occasionally choppier crossings from Semporna, and visibility that varies day to day rather than dropping outright. Permits are the easiest of the year and rates are off-peak outside the 10–24 February window. A good choice if you can be flexible.
The strongest window. The monsoon transition brings the flattest seas of the year, visibility runs consistently toward the upper end of the 15–30 metre range, and boat crossings are comfortable. April is the standout month. Peak rates apply from 1 April to 7 May, and permits tighten accordingly.
Conditions stay good, pelagic activity is strong, and this is when European and Australian holidays land. It is the busiest period of the year — book six months out or expect to be told no. Peak rates from 13 July to 22 August.
An underrated window. Conditions remain solid, crowds thin after the August rush, and only 28 September to 7 October carries peak pricing. If you want dry-season diving without dry-season competition, September is the pick.
Closed. Every year, the whole month, no exceptions — no diving, no snorkelling, no landings on the island. This is a Sabah Parks conservation measure to let the reef recover.
Reopens 1 December. Rain increases but so does availability, and the first fortnight of December is one of the quietest periods on the island before the Christmas run.
Sipadan closes for the entirety of November and reopens on 1 December. This catches out divers every year, usually those who booked flights before checking the calendar.
Mabul and Kapalai stay open throughout. A November trip is still worth taking — the muck diving on Mabul's house reef is genuinely world-class and largely unaffected by season — but book it as a Mabul diving trip with clear expectations rather than arriving hoping for an exception. There are none.
November also has the lowest rates of the year on non-Sipadan packages, which makes it the cheapest way to dive the area if Sipadan itself is not the point.
Check the closure before you book flights. Airfare is the least refundable part of the trip, and a November booking cannot be salvaged with a permit no matter who you ask.
Water temperature holds at 27–30°C year round. A 3mm suit or shorty is sufficient in any month, though anyone doing three dives a day will want more thermal protection than the numbers suggest. Season is not a factor here.
Visibility typically runs 15–30 metres, best March to October. Reduced visibility in the wet season is usually a matter of a few metres and localised plankton rather than a washout.
Turtles, sharks and barracuda are resident year round. The tornado formations depend on current and time of day far more than on month.
Hammerheads and whale sharks are opportunistic in any season, most often off South Point, early and deep. Nobody can promise them and anyone who does is selling something.
Crossings from Semporna are the genuinely seasonal variable. Rough water in December to February occasionally delays or cancels transfers, which matters more on a short trip than on a long one.
April. Flattest seas, most consistent visibility and comfortable crossings. March and May are close behind. It is also peak season, so book well ahead.
The whole of November, every year, for reef recovery. It reopens on 1 December. Mabul and Kapalai remain open throughout.
Not in the shutdown sense. The northeast monsoon brings more rain from December to February and occasionally rougher crossings, but diving continues and visibility usually holds.
December to February, excluding 10–24 February. Off-peak rates apply and permits are considerably easier to secure.
27 to 30°C year round. A 3mm suit or shorty works in any month, though divers doing three dives a day often want more.
There is no reliable season. Sightings are opportunistic, most often at South Point on early deep dives, and cannot be planned for.
Send the months you can travel and we will tell you where permits are still available and what the rate is.
Get dates & price See package rates