Bigfin Divers - Kota Belud, Sabah

Stumpy S.

Over the past 15 years I've had over 350 dives around the world and have never come across anywhere like Bigfin.

It's not going to be for everyone. People who DON'T enjoy amazing diving whilst staying at a friendly all inclusive resort should not go as you'll ruin it for those who will have an incredible time.

My niece took her Padi OW with Jack as her instructor. We joined her for her 4th dive and her buoyancy, air consumption and understanding was beyond what I've encountered with many Advanced OW divers with 20+ dives. I'd recommend anyone considering their OW to train with Jack.

The fun dives at Bigfin's "special" location were a surprise. We were a little unlucky with the weather as we caught the tail end of a storm from further north and Kindu cautioned us that the viz may not be the best.
The viz was around 10m but there was so much to see that we begged to return here on every subsequent dive. The variety of marine fauna and flora was a real surprise.
Coral Cat Sharks
Bamboo Sharks
Rays
Peacock Mantis
Small octopus and the largest octopus I've seen anywhere
All types of colorful nudibranchs and flat worms
Crocodile fish
**Frog Fish**
Along with many other creatures.

Kindu was one of the best Dive Masters I've dived with. Thorough, fun, safe and didn't miss spotting the smallest and largest creatures underwater.

The boat was handled brilliantly by Capt Omar. There were never any safety issues on the drops or pick ups and he ferried us to the dive spots comfortably in the well laid out boat.

The equipment was mostly Mares and all was in good condition.

Water temp was a comfortable 30°C so a shorty wetsuit will more than suffice here.

The food at the resort is local style.
Brekkie: banana pancakes /eggs and toast/ fruit

Lunch: Some form of meat dishes, rice /noodles, veggies and fruit

Dinner: Different meat dishes, rice/ noodles and veggies.

We all really enjoyed the food. If you get to visit and sample Chef Awie's fried chicken or his Nasi Lemak, you'll be comparing it to fried chicken and nasi lemak everywhere else you travel in Malaysia.

The rooms are really well designed. No air-conditioning which was a slight concern as I personally like to sleep cold but the location of the rooms allows for a good breeze and the fan is more than adequate.

A lot of our downtime was spent in hammocks. There are hammocks on your deck, where you can enjoy views across the bay to Mt Kinabalu along with hammocks around the gardens and on the beach.

We stayed 6 days and wished we could stay longer.

Kayaking to the island is easy and takes 20mins at a leisurely pace.

Snorkelling was mixed with some days being amazing where we saw eels, clown fish, Squid and nudibranchs and other days after the storm when we could barely see each other.

There is absolutely no doubt that we'll be returning!

Tip: pack light /use rucksack and wear swimmers/boardshorts and flip flops for the boat transfer from Dragon Beach to Big Fin as you may need to enter the boat in knee deep water on certain sides.

Ho H. M.

I regularly dive with Bigfin and have had many memorable experiences with them. It was actually Bigfin that introduced us to a whale shark encounter, which I was fortunate to capture on video. That very video went on to win a competition—a moment I’ll never forget.

Our dive last week was nothing short of amazing, with excellent visibility and vibrant marine life. If possible, I would love to dive with Bigfin every two weeks!

SURBYIENDRANATH K. (.

Beautiful beach resort that host various activities especially diving! A divers paradise and a beautiful view away from the hustle and bustle of Kota Kinabalu City.

Located in a remote area near Kota Belud this resort is magnificent with the beautiful skies, scenery and breeze that it offers all day long.

Their dive sites are pristine too! With 20M plus visibility on good days it’s a really good experience for divers who hunt for new experiences.

Their rooms are fully equipped with everything you need, and feels very cozy and warm.

The staff are very friendly and professional.

BethandDani U.

I had a wonderful time at BigFin divers. What a wonderful team we only were able to stay for one night but huge thanks to Awie for taking care of us and his awesome meals. And thanks to the diving team, Kinda, Jake and Jo all legends and what a beautiful place you can call work. I hope to inspire my kids to take up scuba-diving so I can come back and see you all.

Katy M.

We stayed here for 3 nights after 4 nights staying in Sepilok and Kinatangtan. The speed boat transfer from Dragon Pearl Beach resort was a fun start to our stay. Although we didn’t dive, we (family of 4 with kids age 6 and 8) still had plenty to do - snorkelling, kayaking and playing games on the beach etc.
The beach and sea were clean, the staff were happy and friendly and the food was fantastic! So impressed with the delicious food they prepare in a small kitchen with limited electricity. The rooms were clean and tidy and all had beautiful views.
We got lucky and had a bunch of lovely other guests staying at the same time. This place seems to attract people who were are kind and friendly and it was nice for the kids to hang out together.

Amy P.

Absolutely loved my stay with Bigfin and would have extended my stay if I could!
I came here to do my open water certification and was so nervous, my instructor Jo was amazing, very professional, friendly & really put me at ease and helped me to feel confident underwater & I left with my certification and a new love for scuba diving.
The staff here are so friendly and welcoming & can’t do enough for you, they were even flexible with the boat pick up as we were arriving later than expected.
The chef makes amazing food with plenty of veggie options (I’m still dreaming about the banana pancakes at breakfast).
The rooms were lovely and as it’s not busy you basically get a dorm room to yourselves. There is no power during the day but I didn’t mind this as it meant less technology time and more focus on relaxing and enjoying the time there. The island as a whole feels like your own private paradise. So relaxing and beautiful.
You can rent kayaks and paddle boards too and explore the nearby islands.
I’ll definitely be returning! Thank you again!!

James G.

We had such an amazing time here. Family of four (11yo, 5yo) and it was just perfect.

Food was amazing (chef Awie makes everyone three meals a day - best pancakes, excellent local style lunch and dinner). All the staff were super friendly and chill. The vibe was just right - doesn’t matter if you’re a diver or not (we weren’t but we did kayak and snorkel).

Beaches are out of this world and the rooms, although basic, were all you’d ever need.

Highly recommend!

Rae

Overall a great experience to stay and learn diving. The place is well maintained, clean, serene, and self sustaining through its water and electricity supply. WiFi is provided in common areas with lights off at 11:30am due to lack of cellular reception. Diving instructors here are friendly and patient. As for mine, he clarified uncertainties and was patient throughout the whole process.

A huge shoutout to Jo, Kak Ros, Ella, Jel, Lee, Maman, Faizal, Sal and the rest of the team who made it an enjoyable vacation from start to finish. Despite being injured, they made a smile throughout the stay.

*Note: If you’re looking for someone to drive you here, you can reach out to Faizal. His contact can be shared by the hostess here.

** Corals here are bleached. However, if you swim to deeper areas, the marine life here is magnificent. Was able to see an olive ridley turtle, lion fishes, angel fishes, clown fishes, and many more during a dive. Whale shark are seasonable (January) while manta rays are rare.

*** A place to relax and dive but not really for snorkelling.

**** The accommodations are located on the hill. Would recommend to bring an easy carrying bag such as a bag pack/duffel bag as guest are to carry their own belongings up. However, they’ll assist in bringing your items into and out of the boat from common areas.