Diving in Malaysia near Kota Kinabalu

I am headed to Kota Kinabalu the last week of March for a conference and plan to go a few days early to do some diving. Any suggestions, both close to KK (driving distance) and further out around Sabah, for diving and cheap places to stay?

Diving at island near KK can be very exciting... There are alot of island which is good for diving... Check out on Sapi Island and if you got more time to spend on... try Manukan Island located about south-east of Sabah and tour package can be book at most of the tourism agent in KK...

Hello there,

Sabah has a few well known diving sites that are some of the world's best spots. Sipadan has been rated as the world's 3rd best diving site for a number of years. Many will testify to the beauty of marine life below its waters. Equally known is Kapalai also known as Mabul. Amazing creatures lurk beneath the coral reefs and you just need to learn underwater photography to capture your moments in the water.
However, these sites are not near to Sabah and driving is out of the question as it is a 45 mins MAS flight to Tawau airport and transfer to Semporna. Best to book for package with local travel agency or online as it's not easy to travel by yourself. Most backpack packages are reasonably priced and include twin sharing. Estimated around RM1800 for 5 days 4 nights inclusive. Usually fully booked and need advance reservation as limited numbers are allowed.
You can check out Malaysian Govt tourism site that gives an indepth review of diving spots in Malaysia and source the information you need.

http://www.virtualmalaysia.com