With the Red Sea having a little too much of the good things on offer, it’s easy to retreat into clichés when writing about diving there. Aquamarine, turquoise, azure, pristine, crystal clear, gin-clear, mind-blowing, brilliant, gorgeous, luxuriant, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and (my own favorite)… heaps. There’s also so much already written about the Red Sea, this has been another problem since I started this assignment – how do you make a new approach when covering good boats operating in good areas? It’s hard to write something fresh about the Red Sea, but I’ll give it a go.
Simply put, the Red Sea is the best diving in the world. Sure, Micronesia’s Truk Lagoon is the place to go (cliché: hotspot) for wrecks, but it isn’t famous for big fish and the vis isn’t always great. Indonesia has a large diversity (cliché: richness) of marine species and incredibly thick layers of invertebrate growth, but again the visibility isn’t always the best and it can be expensive. Fiji has lots of colour, better visibility and lots (cliché: thousands) of small colourful reef fish, but it’s not famous for big fish and it too, can be expensive. The Coral Sea with its large pelagics and sharks, but no wrecks. Maldives has (cliché: awesome) drift diving but since El Nino bleached its reefs in 1998…!? Sure, other places may have individual aspects of interest, but the Red Sea has more ticks on that all important list of “What Divers Want” than any other place in the world.
In the Egyptian Red Sea there are over 30 discovered wrecks (cliché: mind-blowing) and still counting. Most of the wrecks in the Red Sea are found towards the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula (north safari), however there are several wrecks (cliché: heaps) to be enjoyed on any liveaboard itinerary and many have yet to be identified and discovered.
The Red Sea has reliable big fish action. As long as you stick to the good spots, and there are many (cliché: hundreds), divers will see sharks (hammerheads, tigers, silkys, threshers, oceanics, black and white tips, grey reef), dolphins, large schools of jacks, larger schools of barracudas, turtles, manta rays and even the occasional whale and whale shark.
The Red Sea averages better visibility than most other places, ranging from 20 meters to well over 40 meters.

The visibility in the Red Sea is consistently excellent year-round. For individual instances, especially around Brothers Islands, the Red Sea has no competition, the vis here is usually at least 40 meters and often much, much, more (cliché: gin clear).
In the Red Sea there are fish everywhere (cliché: abundance). Among the many fish, (cliché: millions) of little orange anthias dominate the surrounding scenes. The caves and wrecks are full of (cliché: thousands) of glassfish. In the Marine Parks you will find fields of (cliché: gorgeous) anemones & clownfish. In the sandy bits between the reefy bits you will always find bluespotted and blackspotted stingrays as well as crocodilefish.
Moray eels, napoleons, turtles and gray reef sharks are common. Fusiliers, regal angelfish, black bannerfish, groupers, surgeon fish and unicorn fish often swarm together in one big feeding frenzy. There are plenty of invertebrates, such as cuttlefish, squid, and octopus, which are most active at night when sites take on an entirely different character.
Strong, constant currents will take you on some of the most exciting (cliché: adrenaline charged) drifts of your life, along (cliché: amazing) vertical walls that plunge down to 70 meters or more with (cliché: spectacular) caves and overhangs. Walls covered in many different (cliché: a kaleidoscope of) colored soft corals, forests of huge gorgonians and teaming with fish life.
Dedicated dive travelers can’t possibly go to dive heaven until they’ve done the Red Sea, and cruising between heaven and earth is a Liveaboard, to do this kind of diving there is no other way. The Egyptian Red Sea is blessed with many terrific liveaboard dive operations. They vary in size and amenities on board, itineraries offered and most are very professional. There are liveaboard holidays to suit all pockets, and as they say “you get what you pay for” (sorry about the cliché), but how can you be sure of that? With so many companies campaigning and lauding themselves as the greatest, how can you be sure that what they say is really true?

Your boat can be new, clean and comfortable and the crew can be very good, turning your holiday into a trip of a lifetime (oops! another cliché), but it might be without all the trimmings. I’m talking about a level of professionalism that only comes with years of experience, personal service, comfort and luxury, vessels fitted out with every modern aid you can imagine and what you don’t see - below the decks (the machinery) there are no compromises – if you cant afford a private yacht of your own you join a top-end liveaboard charter and no you don’t need to be a millionaire but you will be treated like one. So, of all the operations doing the Egyptian Red Sea area, which of these floating temples to diving actually live up to the hype?

LIVEABOARD ROUND - UP

To help you choose, we have done the hard work and sifted out the diamonds from the grains of sand to bring you the Red Sea’s 10 key players in the liveaboards game and here they are sharing the secrets of their excess.

TORNADO MARINE FLEET

"The secret of our success is customer service, customer service, customer service. From the point of booking onwards, we constantly strive to exceed our guests' expectations. Once they step aboard we want them to feel totally at home, and we do everything in our power to meet all their needs. Listening and responding to their requests, and attention to detail, help us ensure we have happy guests. In short; the guest is king."

Boats: MY Cyclone, MY Hurricane, MY Excel, MY Royal Emperor. Further information: www.tornadomarinefleet.com

 

SEA SERPENT FLEET

“Sea Serpent Fleet Management earned its long-standing reputation as a quality luxury diving liveaboard operator through years of experience and by building one of the finest liveaboard fleets in the Red Sea. The locally owned and managed operation is committed to providing the highest level of service and diver satisfaction through continuous improvement and the careful selection of its highly experienced and professional crew and team of dive guides.”
Boats: MY Sea Serpent, MY Greta, MY Obsession, MY Marine, MY Miss Nouran, MY Mermaid, MY Lady Sarah.
Further information: www.seaserpentfleet.com

DUNE

“I would say that for the French guests, they are looking for a nice atmosphere on board, they want to have a strong relation with the guides and the crews. Of course they like to have en suite bathrooms and nitrox on board but the first priority is the relationships. It's the main reason why our groups keep coming back every year, because they enjoy having parties on board with the staff and to share the simple things… smoking shisha with the Captain, learning belly dancing with the crew members, they like our way to be straight forward and decontract at the same time. Everyday I am in contact by email with my guests, they have the feeling of being unique and not a file number, the contact is very important with this nationality. They also like our great food on board, as any good French should!!!”
Boats: M/Y Ghani, M/Y Nemo, M/Y Muad Dib, M/Y Din 1.
Further information: www.duneredsea.com

 

DIVERS FLEET

Because of our long standing presence in the Red Sea since 1976 (first as divers & later as a group of liveaboard owners) we feel it is important to advise divers regarding the combination of the price & quality offered. Many holiday makers are unaware of the many ways in which their precious holiday can be ruined. Taking a chance with a bargain basement operator is not worth it. Divers Fleet realize how precious our client's time is, we can guarantee a successful and unforgettable vacation through our policy of high standards and ongoing improvement. Diver's needs are the major but not the only point of our concern, in particular it is our luxurious motor yachts with brand new machinery which set us apart. Divers Fleet is operated by a highly experienced and professional team who are at all times concerned about our client’s safety, enjoyment and comfort aboard.Boats: MY Dolce Vita, MY Excellence, MY Sir Cousteau.
Further information: www.diversfleet.com

 

DEEP BLUE CRUISES

The secret of our success is maintaining the highest standards from top to bottom. With German management and a team of experienced and specially trained European dive guides, we do our utmost to ensure our diving guests receive a service which is second to none. When it comes to the maintenance of our boats, technical standards, and safety equipment there are no compromises and the highest standards are attained to. We have the best buffets over-water (on the Red Sea), Egyptian/ German/ Mediterranean flavors. Boats: MY Thunderbird, MY Firebird, MY Icebird, MY Stormbird.
Further information: www.deepblue-cruises.com

DIVERS HEAVEN

We have just celebrated our 10th year as providers of top quality holidays in the Egyptian Red Sea. Service is our success. We know that holiday time is precious and we will make your time with us an unforgettable experience. Highest standards of boats: First Class and Diamond Class. The best cooked meals in the Red Sea. Extremely comfortable stylish accomodation. Plenty of space to relax whilst not diving either in the saloon or on the numerous sundecks. Full audio visual equipment. Maximum technical safety of all our liveaboards is guaranteed by regular check-ups according to international standards. This ensures that your diving holiday is not just a luxurious, but also safe pleasure. Offering full charters and individual bookings to the most popular sites & tailor-made holidays upon request. Boats: Heaven Diamond, Heaven Saphir, Heaven Freedom, Heaven Liberty.
Further information: www.diversheaven.com

 

CAPTAIN NEMO DIVING

M.V. Valerie is the perfect vessel for a truly blissed out diving holiday. Practicality, style and comfort, the vessel has all the facilities that you would expect of a 5 star liveaboard plus a few extra special features, including en-suite cabins, International cuisine, TV / DVD and sound system including Karaoke in the spacious saloon, roving permit for all the Egyptian Red Sea, for tank fills air and nitrox are available on board and all other gases can be arranged, two Zodiacs, and personal service catering to your every need and whim. All in all the Valerie has everything that you could want from a liveaboard diving holiday, whether you want to lounge on the sun-drenched sun deck, or jump into the Red Sea to get a little more action. Boat: M/Y Valerie.
Further information: www.nemofleet.com

 

Diving World

Diving World Red Sea offers all round services for underwater diving cruises in the Red Sea and are the best possible way of experiencing every aspect of the marine world. Obliging crews and expert underwater guides are the main stays of a professional and seaworthy staff. All our cruisers, whether superior and luxury, are guaranteed to provide both safety and comfort. Before departure, the Diving World offices are at the complete service of its clients for the renting of any equipment, and the solution of last minute problems.
Boats: MY Excellence, MY Sea Serpent, MY Suzanna, MY Cyclone, MY Farouk, MY Rosetta, MY Royal Emperor, MY Sir Cousteau. Further information: www.divingworldredsea.com

ORCA

Orca diving liveaboard cruises uniquely superior German style runs through everything we do. Orca provides the ultimate vessels for you and you’re at liberty to indulge in as much of our superb cuisine, leading-edge facilities, and no-problem service as you like, as well as the comfortable cabins and informal atmosphere making it easy for you to relax and enjoy discovering the world of the Red Sea. Any itinerary can be tailored to whatever inspires you.
Service, tailor made trips, Boats: MY Beau Rivage, MY Sea Wisper. Further information: www.orca.de

 

ROYAL EVOLUTION

Based on the prominent success of the MY Royal Emperor and our three key concepts; guarantee, authenticity and innovation, the MY Royal Evolution is currently under construction at her final stage built under the full survey of the International Survey or "Bureau Veritas" where there is no compromising on the safety standard with the most exacting specifications and craftsmanship. We are offering two week itineraries sailing from Hurghada/ Port Ghaleb to Port Sudan and back. The MY Royal Evolution is due to launch in October 2005, with several discerning divers already booked as its first guests. Boat: MY Royal Evolution Further information: www.royalevolution.com

---

RED SEA LIVEABOARD Then.. and now By: Tony backhurst

So there we were in the wilderness that is the Southern Red Sea. Our only engine had fallen silent. Bits of the Turbo were spread all over the dive deck and there was a lot of head shaking from Hisham, who’s dancing talents it seemed to us far outstripped his engineering skills. The mainland we were told was somewhere over the western horizon, but anyway was scorching uninhabited desert. If there was any human habitation it was the Egyptian military who would immediately arrest us and throw us in jail, if we were not shot first. Yasser imparted this information with his usual broad grin. I returned the smile although the funny side of the situation wasn’t totally apparent. We had already been desperately trying to contact anyone in the area but the VHF just hissed emptily back at us. The year was 1996 and we had ventured into the Southern Red Sea on Angelina II, a 22mtre liveaboard with one engine! No one including the skipper had ever been in the area before. And what an adventure it was. We had snorkelled up close and personal with a huge oceanic white tip shark (Well I had, the others had more sense and watched from the boat), and rescued a family of Bedouins marooned when the engine on their faluca failed. We had not seen another living soul (apart from the Bedouins) for two weeks. Eventually we raised David Halal on Sea Surveyor who offered to come to our aid, although Hisham finally fixed the turbo using one of his wife’s nylons. (no we didn’t ask). Finally Yasser our tireless diveguide, who had faithfully and faultlessly guided us through the unknown reaches of the Red Sea dived into the pool at the Hurghada Hilton and split his head open. He has the scar to this day. How things have changed! I saw Angelina II off Gordon reef a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t really comprehend how we ever termed her as “Luxury Liveaboard “ and dared venture out into the unknown, lovely little boat though she is. But of course she WAS “luxury” compared with most of the liveaboards back then. A typical Safari boat (Safari was the word then, we promoted the term Liveaboard) was a converted day boat. Endearing features were the charming green Astroturf, flaking paint, single rusty ladder, noisy Mariner compressor tied on the dive deck with blue nylon rope, and single smelly deck toilet for all guests and crew. The boats we operate now are a far cry from those early safari boats. In the early nineties I made a few trips on Poseidon’s Quest, considered to be ”out of this world” luxury compared with her contemporaries such as Lady Jenny and Sea Surveyor. However there is no comparison with today’s sleek powerful luxury vessels. Today’s liveaboard diver wakes up in his spacious air-conditioned cabin, having cruised all night from the previous site. Takes a piping hot shower in the ensuite bathroom to the sounds of Dido that he has selected on the multi channel music system. He strolls up to the salon bar for juice and coffee. Flicks open his laptop to check for mails through the inboard radio connection and satellite communications. Then out onto the cocktail deck for the dive brief, check that his 32 Nitrox fill that he ordered the night before is correct and picks up the digital camera he’s hired from the dive manager. After the first dive buffet breakfast in the dining room is the same as any 5 star hotel, with eggs and pancakes prepared to order and a wide selection of Continental, European and local fare. After breakfast a thorough briefing on the semi closed rebreather followed by a try dive on the unit. After lunch he checks out the mornings images in the cabin on the DVD and screen provided cabins. After the last dive he relaxes in the spa bath on the sun deck with a cold beer, or watches the sun go down with a cocktail. After a four course dinner with a bottle of wine he settles down in the bar to watch finding Nemo on the plasma screen. He has a discussion with the Tri-Mix Inspiration divers who are telling him about the 95metre wreck dive they made in the morning and then turns in. In the cool of his cabin he drifts off to sleep to the sound of his favourite jazz artist played on the cabin CD/DVD system. The Egyptian diving industry has achieved a remarkable feat in a few short years. Their boat builders have more than matched the aspirations of their demanding European guests, improving the size, standard and safety of the boats beyond all recognition. Painting and maintenance teams visit the jetty on changeover days to ensure everything in top condition. The quality of service has also come on immeasurably. Standards of catering and housekeeping are in line with those of better hotels ashore, and today’s boats offer every service for the diver, Nitrox, Trimix, rebreather facilities and hire, digital camera and video hire and courses etc. etc. I do find it rather curious that some new companies advertise their boats as “Operated and managed by a British company” and “Bringing British Standards to the Red Sea” The Egyptian Liveaboard industry is now providing it’s guests with boats and service second-to-non in the world. Anyone who has been onboard a boat around the UK coast will for sure not want “British Standards” brought to the Red Sea. And what for the future? My personal view is that the Red Sea will remain a top diving destination long into the future. Whilst other areas face threats from commercial fishing, agricultural run-off, over population etc the Red Sea is to some extent protected from these pressures. In years to come the Red Sea will become the Serengeti or the Masai Mara of the oceans. A World National Park, where we can still explore a rich marine environment, with all the wonderful creatures that live there.Of course as with any national park on land or sea there are certain measures the relevant authorities must take to ensure continuing conservation of this special area. After the classic monuments the Red Sea is Egypt’s most valuable resource. Things that in my view need attention would include management of the remarkable variety of shipwrecks and restricting the number of boats and operators, as well as making sure the increased tourist population on shore doesn’t impact on the marine environment. And what is the best way to explore this wonderful marine environment? Liveaboard of course.

>>Top

UNDER WATER I CAN FLY… By: Gabriele Pointner, PADI MI 80716, IAHD Instructor Sub Sinai, Dahab, Egypt

Finally, it´s happening! For quite a while now I have been trying to organize a Pro Trainer Course with IAHD, the International Association of Handicapped Divers, as our Dive Center SUB SINAI wants to open up new perspectives, further the integrational aspect within scuba diving and open up the beauty of the underwater world to everybody. Daniel Zuidema from IAHD organized the trip together with IAHD/Able To Dive Germany and so we are expecting 7 people, able-bodied and disabled, to arrive on the 2nd of April at Sharm el Sheikh Airport. I am really very excited about this week to come! The minibus arrives and 7 people are very surprised and maybe a bit shocked about their new environment: Dirk Wondrak, IAHD Germany, Course Director, Daniel Zuidema, IAHD, Patrick, physiotherapist, Holger and Olaf-Rolli Olli, both paraplegic, and Uwe with muscular dystrophy in combination with spasm. Britta is Olaf´s wife and is spending the holiday together with her husband. Soon we have to find out that the steps in front of the hotel rooms are too high for the wheelchairs and also the access to the beach-front restaurant is difficult. But as this is Egypt where something can be made out of nothing, the hotel-owners and my husband Khaled fix some kind of ramps that facilitate things a lot! And within the first half-hour we are in the middle of a discussion about how hotels should be designed to be fully accessible for people with special needs! Yes, that´s exactly what I expected - an exchange of ideas and lots of new input from people who know much better than anybody else, the disabled themselves! The next morning we start the IAHD Pro Trainer Course with 5 candidates: Ahmed, Ayman and myself from SUB SINAI and 2 other instructors from Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh. The practical side of life is taken care of today - we go diving! I am again and again surprised how independent and flexible those guys in their wheelers are and how imaginative they are to make their life easier! We are told that being overly careful and doing everything for the disabled is not what they want - stay back, watch and act when you are asked. Holger and Olli speak very openly about their handicaps, how they happened and what kind of additional health problems they have because of them. Gosh, I am watching, listening and learning so many things! Once in the water, which takes us quite a while, Uwe is moving almost like an able-bodied diver, his spasm is hardly visible any more. Holger and Olli move mainly with their arms and hands using special webbed gloves as they have no fins or only use them to stabilize themselves in the water. And everybody´s buoyancy is just perfect, even if this is Holger´s first time diving in the sea! After a great dive and a relaxing lunch-break with once again lots of questions and discussions Dirk shows us on the second dive various techniques to enter the water with disabled divers and teaches us how to descend/ascend with them and guide them along under water using direct body contact. Looks easy, but Olli turns out to be a ‘tricky customer’ as his legs keep floating up and it is quite difficult to keep him straight and descend in a controlled manner! Holger and Uwe are much easier to deal with as their handicaps affect them in a different way. Back at the Dive Center our SUB SINAI staff moved one locker unit next to the counter and a new walkway was built between the counter area and the rinse pool to have the wheelchairs move easily - as I said, flexibility is THE most important thing in Egypt…We spend the next 2 days in the classroom looking at IAHD Standards, learning about different disabilities and how to deal with them during scuba diving and having lively discussions. Again I have the feeling that an intense learning process is taking place - great! During our theory sessions with Dirk and Patrick/Daniel the rest of the group is out there having fun in the water exploring the Dahab dive sites. During the next 2 days we dive the breathtaking Canyon site and the world famous Blue Hole. At the Canyon the entry is reasonable easy for the guys and the Lagoon is the perfect place to descend. Everybody loves to go into this impressive underwater crack and the big Napoleon fish right at the fishbowl makes the dive perfect! The Blue Hole with its wooden footbridges over the reef table proves to be very easy to enter, it is basically like gliding into the water off a boat, so Holger, Olli and Uwe have no problem at all. We have two beautiful dives surrounded by schools of innumerable reef fish and cross the ‘Big Blue’ on our way back through the Blue Hole - an unforgettable experience! With another dive to the south of Dahab we finish off this beautiful week of diving. Back at the Dive Center Olli surprises us no end. Because diving relaxes his muscles so much, he can actually stand up, leave his wheelchair and, holding on to the wall or some other stable device, walk a few steps! What a chance scuba diving can give to paraplegics! In the afternoon some guys go off to see different hotels and check out their accessibility. Dirk, Daniel, Khaled and myself discuss future business cooperation and marketing possibilities and we also meet Dr. Hossam Nasef who will be opening in short time the Dahab Recompression Chamber next to SUB SINAI. Medical matters are discussed and the IAHD representatives stress the convenience for disabled customers to have a fully equipped medical facility right next to the Dive Center. This truly is a perfect setup! In the evening we have a special dinner in the mountains prepared for our guests - Fish Bedouin style, Bedouin rice, salad, vegetables, fresh Bedouin bread and steaming hot Bedouin tea flavoured with fresh herbs from the desert. The Bedouin people working with SUB SINAI prepared the spot in the mountains really beautifully, with candles, carpets and cushions. The incredible night sky with its millions of stars also make this a really special evening for all of us. On the 8th of April in the morning Dirk hands out the certificates to all those who participated in the course and then it is time to say good-bye. Lots of hugs and kisses are exchanged as well as e-mail addresses and the promises to meet again, either in Dahab or in Europe. Luggage and wheelchairs are stowed away in the minibus and after some final hand waving the minibus disappears out of sight. THE CONCLUSION OF THIS WEEK: For me personally this whole week was marked by plenty of new experiences and the chance to get an insight into the life of people who are not as fortunate as us in being able to move without any physical barriers. I got new stimuli to think in different directions and new doors opened up, both in terms of my personal way of seeing things and also in finding unexplored business opportunities. My children had the chance to meet disabled people without barriers and prejudices, finding in them new friends and being able to experience what integration means. For all this I would like to say thanks to all the people involved, but especially to Uwe, Holger and Rolli-Olli. Thanks for supporting us throughout the Pro Trainer Course, thanks for your openness and honesty and thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. And Olli, I really like the words on your stamp - ‘UNDER WATER I CAN FLY…’ For further information please contact: Daniel Zuidema, IAHD, www.iahd.org, daniel@iahd.org Dirk Wondrak, IAHD Germany/Able To Dive, www.abletodive.org, dirk@iahd.de Gabriele Pointner, SUB SINAI, www.subsinai.com, info@subsinai.com

>>Top

DIVE FOR DEBRIS 20th Anniversary of International Cleanup Day

September 17th is the 20th Anniversary of International Cleanup Day. Once again, SCUBA divers around the world will join in and contribute to make this year’s cleanup the largest effort yet, by adding underwater cleanups to beach events. Each year PADI and Project AWARE Foundation co-ordinates the underwater portion of International Cleanup Day , in co-operation with the Ocean Conservancy, recognising that divers are a vital part of the effort to remove debris and contribute to solve marine litter issues. Once again, Project AWARE Foundation is calling all SCUBA divers to take action and participate in river, lake, beach and underwater cleanups in their local area. This means that as summer draws to a close, thousands of dedicated SCUBA divers will be embarking on dives in search of something they hope they won’t find – rubbish. Unfortunately, last year, they did: cigarette bu