Diving

Pulau Tioman is one of the most popular diving destinations in Malaysias. There are many coral reefs situated around neighbouring islands as well as ship wrecks in the immediate waters that provide good diving opportunities and marine photography. Still, don't be surprised to see many people fishing in the surrounding waters, locals or visitors, as enforcement over Tioman's marine park is quite relaxed.

Most dive centers are located in Kampung Tekek and Salang Beach, but you can find one or two in every village around Tioman, including Paya, Juara, Genting and Ayer Batang. Most of the dive centers are also attached with chalet and resort operators, some providing their own accommodation, such as the Tioman Dive Center in Tekek which runs Swiss Cottage Suites.

The dive centers provide a variety of diving courses for the beginner to highly experienced under PADI certification. The courses include Open Waters, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver and Dive Master. In addition, most of the dive shops also provide scuba diving equipment for rent or oxygen, nitrox, helium or air refills for tanks.

Diving sites are plenty around Tioman and the neighbouring islands in the west. Off Tekek's beach, various fishing boats have been sunk by the authorities after failing to clear their permits. These boats have a limited lifespan due to their wooden construction, but for the duration of their stay, provide an excellent hiding place for marine fishes, eels, sting rays and other species while being a good place for corals to grow on. Boats are still sunk from time to time to ensure the continuity of these dive sites. Other popular places to dive include reef sites that grow around the islands of Pulau Renggis, Sepoi, Tulai (Coral Island), Pulau Chebeh, Soyak and Labas, within the Tioman archipelago. Rocky outcrops such as Malang Rocks, Bahara and Jahat Island are also great places to spot turtles, sharks and other marine life.