Question Stuck and running out of time - scuba diving 6 hours from the UK

[Saffadiver]

Hello all. Currently a little stuck as I am trying to organise a quick 7-12 days away with my partner in September. We are based in the UK.
Ideally I would like to have a sub 6 hour flight which doesnt cost and arm and leg (or the same as a flight to South Africa or Mexico) and have seen that the only real options are:
Cape Verde (Sal and Boa Vista)
Egypt (Hurghada)
Sao Tome and Princepe

Anything else I can consider?

Pros and cons are:
current Egypt flights are a fortune but accom and diving (+-$30 per day per diver) is cheap, however I dont want to dive the Red Sea again this year,
Sao Tome flights are INSANE but they only get 12500 tourists per year so its literally the perfect place to visit! (accom cheap and diving is also cheap at +-$35 a day per diver)
Cape Verde - Sal is loaded with touristy tourists and Bao vista is another flight ($++) and accom is cheap so is Scuba ($35 a day per diver)

We have been invited to an amazing liveaboard in the Red Sea for approx $1450 per person for 7 days + flights and its the flight price which makes this unattractive. Any other amazing liveaboards we can consider within 6-7 hours of the uk?

So again -

Anything else I can add to the list?
Any feedback on diving Sao Tome or Cape Verde?

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

Scapa Flow has absolutely amazing diving and you could drive there ;-) There is also warm(er) diving in Cornwall. Just saying that there are local options, depending on where you live and what type of diving you enjoy.

 

[Saffadiver]

Scapa Flow has absolutely amazing diving and you could drive there ;-) There is also warm(er) diving in Cornwall. Just saying that there are local options, depending on where you live and what type of diving you enjoy.

We just got drysuits to dive and keep skills current but fun diving the UK is not.... we are trying to get time to head to West Wales

Ill check on Scapa Flow now, thanks loads.

 

[boqurant]

Canary Islands, specifically El Hierro

 

[Saffadiver]

Canary Islands, specifically El Hierro

Have you dived it? Any insights?

 

[makar0n]

Hello all. Currently a little stuck as I am trying to organise a quick 7-12 days away with my partner in September. We are based in the UK.
Ideally I would like to have a sub 6 hour flight which doesnt cost and arm and leg (or the same as a flight to South Africa or Mexico) and have seen that the only real options are:
Cape Verde (Sal and Boa Vista)
Egypt (Hurghada)
Sao Tome and Princepe

Anything else I can consider?

Pros and cons are:
current Egypt flights are a fortune but accom and diving (+-$30 per day per diver) is cheap, however I dont want to dive the Red Sea again this year,
Sao Tome flights are INSANE but they only get 12500 tourists per year so its literally the perfect place to visit! (accom cheap and diving is also cheap at +-$35 a day per diver)
Cape Verde - Sal is loaded with touristy tourists and Bao vista is another flight ($++) and accom is cheap so is Scuba ($35 a day per diver)

We have been invited to an amazing liveaboard in the Red Sea for approx $1450 per person for 7 days + flights and its the flight price which makes this unattractive. Any other amazing liveaboards we can consider within 6-7 hours of the uk?

So again -

Anything else I can add to the list?
Any feedback on diving Sao Tome or Cape Verde?

Malta or (my personal preference) Gozo - great diving, lots of wrecks. September temps including water will be still nice, you might need 5-7mm below 30m perhaps, especially if staying at those depths for longer. Lots of flights from UK, definitely under 6h, local accommodation/food/booze is very cheap as well. Everybody speaks English, heck, they even use UK power plugs (unfortunately )
I can recommend Atlantis Gozo Diving Centre - rec and tech friendly, they also own a number of different accommodation options, from self catered apartments to a hotel.

Cyprus could also be an option - Zenobia is an awesome wreck, but not sure I would go there for 7-12 days, wreck is a 2-3 day trip max.

If you are heading to Red Sea consider going south of Marsa Alam, beyond Wadi El-Gamal - around Lahami Bay, they are directly opposite Furry Shoal reefs, one of the more decent ones in Red Sea. And its way more peaceful down there than anything above. Can fly to Marsa Alam, then 2h drive (normally more expensive) or Hurghada, then a 6h+ drive south (cheaper). Good outfit down there is Orca Divers, they have cheap transportation from Hurghada as well (instead of those rip off taxi transfers). If you have a bigger budget look up Red Sea Diving Safari (Wadi Lahami) - smaller but a bit more upmarket outfit.

 

[Saffadiver]

Malta or (my personal preference) Gozo - great diving, lots of wrecks. September temps including water will be still nice, you might need 5-7mm below 30m perhaps, especially if staying at those depths for longer. Lots of flights from UK, definitely under 6h, local accommodation/food/booze is very cheap as well. Everybody speaks English, heck, they even use UK power plugs (unfortunately )
I can recommend Atlantis Gozo Diving Centre - rec and tech friendly, they also own a number of different accommodation options, from self catered apartments to a hotel.

Cyprus could also be an option - Zenobia is an awesome wreck, but not sure I would go there for 7-12 days, wreck is a 2-3 day trip max.

If you are heading to Red Sea consider going south of Marsa Alam, beyond Wadi El-Gamal - around Lahami Bay, they are directly opposite Furry Shoal reefs, one of the more decent ones in Red Sea. And its way more peaceful down there than anything above. Can fly to Marsa Alam, then 2h drive (normally more expensive) or Hurghada, then a 6h+ drive south (cheaper). Good outfit down there is Orca Divers, they have cheap transportation from Hurghada as well (instead of those rip off taxi transfers). If you have a bigger budget look up Red Sea Diving Safari (Wadi Lahami) - smaller but a bit more upmarket outfit.

awesome thanks man.

Marsa Alam has been on the to do for a while. Would you say its a little more challenging of a diving location than Hurghada?

Will look at Gozo now - any insights into the type of diving? Lots of reefs? Macro/Micro fauna?

 

[chillyinCanada]

@Tippytoes12

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

Malta as @makar0n suggested, or Croatia. Good food, still relatively cheap and you might be able to get decent flights.

 

[Saffadiver]

Malta as @makar0n suggested, or Croatia. Good food, still relatively cheap and you might be able to get decent flights.

But Croatia is cold, correct?