LOCAL DIVING SINGAPORE
WEEKEND DIVING IN HANTU
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.
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DIVING IN SINGAPORE
IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, PLEASE SPENT TIME READING IT.
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.
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.
Visibility
Diving in Hantu
Due to continuous land reclamation works around Singapore, silt and sediments washed up from these construction causing low visibility. The visibility is 2 – 3m on average but can get as high as 8m or as low as less than 1m. One thing about the visibility, we will never know till we arrived at the dive site and there is almost no way we can predict it. So bring along a very good penetration torch with at least 1000 lumens for diving in Singapore.
Current
Diving in Pulau Hantu
Generally, Pulau Hantu is generally sheltered from strong currents, except for certain depths. The flow of current can also be calculated from the official tide table published by MPA. From there, your dive guide and safely deduce the expected current before diving. Most dive boats are familiar with the tide table and would select the appropriate dive site (West Reef or North Jetty) accordingly and once the boat is moored, it will not be sailing till it is time to return to the marina.
Navigation
Diving in Pulau Hantu
Do use your compass to get your bearings at the start of the dive. Note which bearing would bring you back to the breakwater or jetty should you get lost or separated from your dive buddy. Dive boats do not pick up divers based on where they launch their SMB. Upon arrival at the designated dive site, the vessel is moored and will not sail until it is time to return to the marina. If you’re unsure about underwater navigation, hire a private dive guide to show you around!
Marine Life
Diving in Pulau Hantu
Due to the thick sedimentation, sunlight is unable to penetrate into the deeper waters. As such, most of the corals are found between 2 – 12m. On the shallow depths, you’ll be able to spot many hard corals such as Acropora corals, plate corals, maze corals. Pulau Hantu actually has one of the largest biodiversity of macro life, especially the nudibranchs. They may be small, but have captured the hearts of many photographers as they are colorful and uniquely shaped. Some nudibranchs include Cheesecake Nudibranch, Blue Dragon, and Orange-spotted Gymnodoris.
HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF
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.
$ 165.00
Fees for 2 UNGUIDED 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 15 divers now, including guides and instructors.
Sessions Available : Saturday and Sunday, Morning and Afternoon
Departure Point : Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
Departure Time : 0730hrs to 1215hrs
Inclusion in fees : 2 tanks and weights only. All dives are unguided.
Available From : January 2021
$ 185.00
Fees for 2 UNGUIDED 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 15 divers now, including guides and instructors.
Sessions Available : Saturday and Sunday, Morning and Afternoon
Departure Point : Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
Departure Time : 0730hrs to 1215hrs
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.
DIVING ONBOARD OF DOLPHIN EXPLORER
Updates : From 21st November 2021, Dolphin Explorer will be operating 3 separate trips. Please take note of the changes.
| Trip | Time | Back on boat |
| Trip 1 | 0730hrs-1215hrs | 1130hrs |
| Trip 2 | 1230hrs-1715hrs | 1630hrs |
| Trip 3 | 1730hrs-2215hrs | 2130hrs |
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.