Course overview

The PADI Basic Diver pathway at Sipadan suits beginners who want a guided, entry-level qualification taught on the calm reefs off Mabul Island. You cover core scuba skills and complete supervised open-water training dives, building the comfort and confidence to enjoy diving with a professional at shallow recreational depths. It is an ideal first step that can credit toward the full PADI Open Water Diver certification.

What you’ll learn

• Set up, use and care for basic scuba equipment
• Breathe and move comfortably underwater
• Clear your mask and recover your regulator
• Control buoyancy and equalise on descent
• Handle entries, exits and minor problems
• Apply safe-diving rules and underwater communication

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10
• No prior certification or diving experience required
• Reasonable comfort and basic swimming ability in the water
• Basic health questionnaire (medical clearance if any condition applies)

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Theory and confined water

   Core knowledge sections and confined-water skills on the shallow Mabul house reef.
2. Day2
   Open-water dives and certification

   Supervised open-water training dives on the Mabul reef, finishing with certification.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Sipadan.

Frequently asked questions