Kota Kinabalu & Tunku Abdul Rahman Park · Malaysia · Reef
Nexson Reef
A free descent in open water to a reef top at 24 m, sloping on to 35 m
Area photo: Mx. Granger · CC0
Nexson Reef is the deep site off Sepanggar Island, north of the main park islands and a 15-minute boat ride from Dreamer Island. There is no shallow reef to follow down: the dive is a free descent through open water to a reef top at 24 m, from which a slight slope leads on to 35 m. Operators run it specifically as a deep dive.
Where it is and how deep
6.0679° N, 116.0637° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The boat leaves Dreamer Island and takes about 15 minutes to reach the site. There is no reef wall or shallow slope to guide you: the dive requires a free descent all the way down to the top of the reef at 24 m, so you drop as a group, watching your depth and each other rather than the bottom. The top of the reef is your first reference point and the shallowest part of the dive.
From the reef top a slight slope runs down to a maximum of 35 m. How far you follow it is a question of gas and no-decompression time rather than terrain, and actual depths vary with the state of the tide, so treat 24 m and 35 m as a guide rather than fixed figures and plan the dive on your computer. With a bottom that starts at 24 m the dive is short by design; you turn back up the slope to the reef top and make a free ascent in open water with a safety stop, since there is no shallow reef to finish on.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Kota Kinabalu & Tunku Abdul Rahman Park: Open all year with no closure; plankton and jellyfish spoil late January to mid-March, jellyfish are about October to May, and heavy rain cuts visibility.
Know before you go
- Actual depth varies with the tide, so the 24 m top and 35 m bottom are guides: watch your computer rather than the published figures.
- The descent is in open water with no reference until the reef top at 24 m: descend as a group and have buoyancy under control before reaching the reef.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Nexson Reef?+
The top of the reef is at 24 m and a slight slope runs to a maximum of 35 m, though actual depth varies with the tide. There is no shallower part of the dive, so it is run as a deep dive.
What certification do you need for Nexson Reef?+
The site is run specifically for deep diving, with a free descent to 24 m and a bottom at 35 m, so you need deep training beyond Open Water, such as Advanced Open Water or a deep speciality.
Sources
- Nexson Reef — Scubago
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