DIVING IN SINGAPORE
WEEKEND SCUBA DIVING
PULAU HANTU & PULAU JONG
Diving in Singapore over the weekends to Pulau Hantu and on selective dates to Pulau Jong is possible. If you want an unbiased article on what diving around Singapore is like, Terry Ward from Scuba Diving Dot Com has written an article Eight Big Cities with Diving.
Diving in Singapore is available now.
LIMITED SPACES, PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE
2020
REDEFINING SCUBA DIVING IN SINGAPORE
The world experienced a pandemic in 2020, affecting both the health and economy of every possible nation. Singapore was not spared from this as well.
The only option we have for scuba divers looking for scuba diving trips locally is to Pulau Hantu (Southern Islands) or Pulau Jong for more experience divers.
FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT SCUBA DIVING LOCALLY IN SINGAPORE
DIVING IN SINGAPORE
HOW DO YOU SIGN UP FOR SCUBA DIVING IN SINGAPORE
There are primarily 2 scuba diving spots right here in Singapore. There are commonly known as Pulau Hantu and Pulau Jong. The average visibility in Singapore is about 4 metres to 7 metres. While there have been reports of 10 metres visibility, this is rather rare. Having a good diving light is HIGHLY recommended in case the visibility drops to 1 metre to 2 metres.
But due to the history of Singapore’s land reclamation, our surrounding sea has more silt than sand. Hence, the visibility can be affected by weather, water movements and types of divers in water quickly, due to the silt.
In recent months, local dive centres are marketing other dive spots such as St John’s Island, Lazarus Island, Sister Islands, Labrador Reef, Kusu Island etc, but unlikely we will be exploring them as we have not gotten confirmation that these reefs are allowed by the appropriate authorities.
Pulau Hantu is located to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. Pulau Hantu is actually made up of two islets: Pulau Hantu Besar (Big Ghost Island) and Pulau Hantu Kechil (Little Ghost Island), with a total area of 12.6 hectares. At low tide, it is possible to wade across the shallow lagoon between the two islands, but not at high tide.
Depending on the departure point, the type of boat (or private yacht), it generally takes about 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
Pulau Hantu has two dive sites known as West of Hantu and North of Hantu (Jetty). Both dive sites are rather different. Most divers prefer diving at the jetty because of the ease of navigation. But we honestly think both of them have their own hidden gems.
TIPS FOR SCUBA DIVING IN SINGAPORE
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Diving in Singapore is similar to diving in other parts of the world. However, there are some unique things to look out for.
Departure Point of Boats and Yacht
Not all boats depart from the same marina. Remember to check with the dive operator which marina they are departing from. Here are some known departure points of different dive boats operating in Singapore, and its approximate time to sail to Pulau Hantu.
- Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (Approximately 20 minutes to reach Pulau Hantu)
- Keppel Bay Vista, Marina at Keppel Bay (Approximately 30 minutes to reach Pulau Hantu)
- ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove (Approximately 40 minutes to reach Pulau Hantu)
- Raffles Marina in Tuas (Approximately 60 minutes to reach Pulau Hantu)
- West Coast Pier (Approximately 20 minutes. Usually, non-licensed dive boats operate from here)
Most operators departing from centrally located marinas offer 2 dives per session, with the dive session lasting between 4 – 5 hours. Sometimes, they offer occasional night dives too. In contrast, operators departing from a further marina tend to offer 3 dives per session, with the dive session lasting between 6 – 8 hours.
If you have signed up for scuba diving in Pulau Hantu with a dive operator operating from a distant marina, it is in your best interest to check with the boat operator if common facilities such as toilets are available. Doing 3 dives and staying on a boat for 6 -8 hours with no toilet can be a distressing experience.
Boats operating from Keppel Bay Vista and ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove are usually private yachts. Private yachts generally have all the appropriate facilities and amenities, except for proper tank racks. While assembling your equipment can be rather unconventional, it is easily manageable.
Checklist for Divers
Over the years, we have taught many PADI Rescue Divers how to develop a checklist when they are organizing their own diving activities. As a responsible scuba diver, you should develop these skills as well. Below is a good checklist to have.
- Is there enough emergency oxygen onboard to last the journey from the dive site back to the marina?
- Is there a proper first aid box onboard that is well equipped and well maintained (not just a first aid box bought from the pharmacy or one that is expired)?
- Are the scuba cylinders/ tanks well maintained and hydrostatically tested (in Singapore, scuba cylinders are to be hydro tested every 7 years)?
- Does the boat provide Enriched Air?
- Is there freshwater onboard for rinsing of equipment?
- Are there toilets onboard?
- Does the boat come with showering facilities?
- Is there drinking water provided?
Scuba Diving Tips for Pulau Hantu
In general, it is safe to scuba dive around Pulau Hantu, as long as you are well prepared. Here are some tips we have for new scuba divers experiencing Pulau Hantu for the first time.
- Lights.
The average visibility is between 2 – 4m. Having a good light not only allows you to better spot marine life, it also helps the dive guide or dive buddy locate you. On a gloomy day, light may not penetrate past 6 – 8m depth, it can be pretty dark underwater. - Gloves.
While we generally do not like the idea of encouraging scuba divers diving with gloves, in conditions such as Pulau Hantu, with stinging hydroids and the possibility of suddenly reduced visibility, having a pair of gloves is not a bad idea. - Private Guides.
Local guides are trained to guide divers in limited visibility and are familiar with the underwater terrain. This is especially important if you are diving in Pulau Hantu for the first time. In the recent months, we have spent a lot of time training local new dive guides for this purpose.
$ 150.00
FEES FOR 2 DIVES
Pulau Hantu
Dolphin Explorer 1 and 22 are custom-built dive boats. Facilities onboard include a toilet, a changing area, and freshwater. DE 1 can host up to 15 divers now and DE 22 can host up to 10 divers now, including guides and instructors.
Sessions Available : Saturday and Sunday, Morning and Afternoon
Departure Point : Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
Departure Time : 0730hrs or 1130hrs
Inclusion in fees : 2 tanks and weights only. All dives are unguided.
Available From : January 2021
$ 175.00
FEES FOR 2 DIVES
Pulau Jong
Dolphin Explorer 1 and 22 are custom-built dive boats. Facilities onboard include a toilet, a changing area, and freshwater. DE 1 can host up to 15 divers now and DE 22 can host up to 10 divers now, including guides and instructors.
Sessions Available : Saturday and Sunday, Morning and Afternoon
Departure Point : Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
Departure Time : 0730hrs or 1130hrs
Inclusion in fees : 2 tanks and weights only. All dives are unguided.
Available From : January 2021
$ 60.00
EQUIPMENT RENTAL
If you need to rent a BCD and Regulator, this is an additional service we are able to provide to you. The fees quoted are based on daily charges, regardless of whether you are doing 1 or 2 trips a day.
Rental Rates Per Day
Rental BCD (Jacket or Backplate) : SGD$ 20.00
Rental Unbalanced Regulator : SGD$ 20.00
Rental Mask, Fins or Snorkel Set : SGD$ 5.00
Rental Wetsuit : SGD$ 5.00
Rental Computer : SGD$ 10.00
$ 180.00
PRIVATE GUIDE
If you are not comfortable with diving alone in limited visibility, you can consider hiring an independent dive guide. In 2020, we started training private guides on leading divers diving in limited visibility and spotting Marco.
For most divers new to diving in Singapore, we will suggest having a guide for one or two trips, so that they can orientate you to the dive sites as well as showing you how to spot Macro in our water. Subsequently, you are free to dive independently with a buddy.
The guide fees listed can be shared amongst divers, to a max of 3 divers.
WHAT COURSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL DIVING
FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
With the biggest team of PADI Instructors here in Singapore, Orpheus Dive has grown to become a household brand amongst scuba divers in Singapore. There are many different courses available while diving in Singapore Pulau Hantu.
RELATED PADI DIVING COURSES LINKS
PULAU HANTU
SCHEDULED WEEKEND SCUBA DIVING
HOW BAD CAN THE VISIBILITY GET?
We have experienced bad visibility that is almost pitch dark. And even with an underwater penetration light, the visibility was no more than half a meter.
DO YOU NEED TO BE REALLY EXPERIENCED TO DIVE IN LOCAL WATERS
Good buoyancy is crucial and some experience in diving within limited visibility is a good thing to have.
CAN I RENT EQUIPMENT INSTEAD OF USING MY OWN
Of course, you can. You can view our rental rates on our website for our daily rates.
WHY ARE THE RATES FOR INDEPENDENT GUIDES SO EXPENSIVE
The boat operator charges per diver at this moment of time. The fees are to cover the additional dive guide and also his fees.
HOW GOOD CAN THE VISIBILITY BE THEN?
Well, in all fair honesty, we have seen 5 to 8 metres in local diving before as well. The visibility really has a lot to do with the tide and moon calendar.
WHAT IS THE WATER TEMPERATURE IN LOCAL DIVING?
It is generally warm, between the temperature of 28°C to 30°C. But donning a full suit is a good idea nevertheless.
ARE THE GUIDES CERTIFIED DIVEMASTERS?
Not all of them are. And again, we have to stress that we are not associated with any local guides. This is just an additional service we are rendering.
CAN I DIVE ALONE OR WITH A BUDDY?
Yes, you can dive alone as long as you are trained with the right certification. Else, you will need to sign up in a pair or we can buddy you up if there is another diver.
I WANT TO DIVE HANTU
Local Diving Calendar
Please note, the schedule listed are scheduled trips but it is subjected to availability. For customized programs, please use the What’s App icon to contact us for more details.
october, 2021