Ask five websites and you will get two answers, because the rule changed in May 2026 and half the internet has not caught up. Here is the current rule, its history, and the distinction that actually decides how many Sipadan dives you get.
In shortSince May 2026, Sabah Parks again allows up to three dives per Sipadan permit day — raised from the two-dive cap in force since 2022. But the regulation sets a ceiling, not a promise: what you actually dive depends on your operator's boat schedule, and published itineraries — including our partner's — commonly still run two Sipadan dives plus a third at Mabul. Confirm the schedule for your dates before you book. Verified September 2026.
The confusion online comes from collapsing two different things. The regulation is set by Sabah Parks and applies to every permit holder: since May 2026, up to three dives per day within the park, all between roughly 06:00 and 16:00, with night diving prohibited. The schedule is set by your operator: how many boat runs they make to Sipadan on a permit day, at what times, and where the remaining dives happen. Operators built their logistics around the 2022 two-dive cap — a dawn departure, two Sipadan dives, back for a third dive at Mabul or Kapalai — and published itineraries, including our partner's, still commonly follow that 2+1 pattern even though the ceiling has lifted.
So the honest answer to "how many Sipadan dives will I get" is: two guaranteed on a standard permit day, a third at Sipadan possible depending on your operator's current schedule — and that is precisely the question to ask when you book, not when you arrive. When you enquire through us, we put the day's dive schedule for your dates in writing alongside the permit confirmation.
2004–2006: the reset. Resorts were ordered off Sipadan itself by the end of 2004, and in April 2006 Sabah Parks introduced the permit system — access to the island only through licensed operators, with a fixed daily quota.
October 2022: the tightening. Sabah Parks raised the certification bar to Advanced Open Water and capped diving at two dives per permit day, with operators running the third dive of the day back at Mabul or Kapalai. The 2+1 day became the standard itinerary across every resort.
May 2026: the loosening. With the quota system mature and the reef monitoring positive, Sabah Parks restored the three-dive allowance. The permit cap, the AOW requirement, the November closure and the daytime-only window all remain unchanged — the park relaxed one lever and kept every other protection in place.
The pattern worth noticing: every change has moved through the operators, not around them. Rules are announced to licensed operators first, itineraries adjust at each operator's own pace, and guests hear about it last — which is why booking through someone who talks to the operator weekly beats reading year-old blog posts.
Materially, yes — if your operator schedules it. A 5D4N Sipadan package at RM4,870 with one permit day currently buys two Sipadan dives; a third Sipadan dive on the same permit day would cut the effective cost per Sipadan dive by a third without changing the package price. That is the strongest argument for asking the schedule question before booking rather than treating all packages as equal.
Two things the rule change does not do. It does not add permit days — the daily quota still binds, and a 6D5N package with two permit days remains the only way to bank more Sipadan days. And it does not soften the requirements: Advanced Open Water is still mandatory, training dives are still not permitted at Sipadan, and the island still closes every November.
1. "On my permit day, how many dives are at Sipadan, and at what times?" The answer separates operators still running the 2022 pattern from those that have moved to three. Either answer can be fine — but you should know which trip you are buying.
2. "Is the third dive at Sipadan or back at Mabul?" A Mabul third dive is not a consolation prize — the muck diving is world-class — but it is a different product from a third wall dive at Sipadan.
3. "Can I have the day's schedule in writing with my permit confirmation?" Any licensed operator can do this. We do it as standard: schedule and permit day confirmed in writing before you pay anything.
Disclosure. We earn a commission on bookings made through this site. We publish the regulation-versus-schedule distinction because it is the difference between what the internet promises and what your dive computer records — and we would rather set the expectation now than manage the disappointment on the boat.
Up to three per permit day since May 2026, raised from the two-dive cap in force since October 2022. All diving runs between roughly 06:00 and 16:00; night diving at Sipadan is prohibited.
Only if your operator schedules them. Published itineraries — including our partner's — commonly still run two Sipadan dives plus a third at Mabul, following the pattern built under the old cap. Ask for the day's schedule in writing when you book.
No. The daily quota and the permit pricing are unchanged by the dive-count rule, and the permit remains bundled into Mabul packages and a RM450-per-person add-on at Kapalai. See how Sipadan permits work.
No — Advanced Open Water or higher remains mandatory for Sipadan regardless of dive count. Open Water divers can dive Mabul and Kapalai without restriction and upgrade during the trip.
No. Sipadan still closes to all visitors every November for reef recovery, whatever the daily dive allowance is the rest of the year.
Tell us your dates. Within one working day: the permit days we can hold, the dive schedule that applies, and a firm total.
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