Is Egypt Getting an Unfair Reputation When It Comes to Liveaboards?

[Mobulai]

I'm unclear on why some people seem to feel like an Egyptian LOB is not safe enough to go on, but a day boat is.

I get that a day boat is unlikely to catch fire and kill you while you're sleeping.

But, it seems like a very real concern is what emergency and search and rescue capabilities are available to help you, no matter when an accident occurs.

Even the day boats can apparently capsize, sink, or whatever. Even burn to the waterline, I suppose.

If your boat capsizes and sinks and you happen to get caught inside for some reason, are you going to be thinking "well, this is okay, because it's just a day boat"?

I aint goin on either for now, but.. a hypothetical exercise:
on a day boat most probably I’m ready to jump out with my kitted up equipment/tank and that gives me a chance at surviving; don’t have to worry about a fire starting while I’m asleep and way further from shore

The only LoB I was on a few years back I had booked as a childfree carefree person; by the time I made it on board I already had one “brewing” — the entire trip I had anxieties around bed time, and had a drybag ready to jump-ship at any moment (documents, lights, I even considered already to invest in a GPS signal)
Parenthood changes you

Risk is never 0% in any situation, I look at things with a “warranted risks” perspective for myself — to eavh their own processes

Edit: I just wanna be clear, I’m not against day/LoB in general; I’d just love to actually know more about the boat (not tge operator) before I do. As of now, the turnover is high so my perceived risk is high

 

[BoltSnap]

I'm going to go on a liveaboard in Egypt for certain and probably several trips. I am keeping record of reputable boats as I gather more information from different sources.

 

[TostitoBandito]

I'm unclear on why some people seem to feel like an Egyptian LOB is not safe enough to go on, but a day boat is.

I get that a day boat is unlikely to catch fire and kill you while you're sleeping.

But, it seems like a very real concern is what emergency and search and rescue capabilities are available to help you, no matter when an accident occurs.

Even the day boats can apparently capsize, sink, or whatever. Even burn to the waterline, I suppose.

If your boat capsizes and sinks and you happen to get caught inside for some reason, are you going to be thinking "well, this is okay, because it's just a day boat"?

Yeah I consider liveaboards and shore operators to both share a lot of the same problems caused by extremely low market value, cost cutting, lack of oversight, corruption, etc... With liveaboards obviously you might have more exposure since you're on the boat full time for like a week, but I wouldn't personally be eager to book anything anywhere in the country. Day boats can sink or break just like liveaboards. Oh, and how's their compressor maintenance? I'm sure they're staying on top of that while seeing zero profit from operations. Safety equipment and oxygen on the boats? So on and so forth. All this stuff gets dropped for the same reasons that these liveaboard disasters keep happening.

I just think you're rolling the dice trusting any sort of dive operator there with your safety, unless you do a lot of due diligence. And it's still a leap of faith because when it comes down to it you don't know that they aren't cutting corners, you just know that it hasn't blown up on that particular operator yet.

 

[scubadada]

Yeah I consider liveaboards and shore operators to both share a lot of the same problems caused by extremely low market value, cost cutting, lack of oversight, corruption, etc... With liveaboards obviously you might have more exposure since you're on the boat full time for like a week, but I wouldn't personally be eager to book anything anywhere in the country. Day boats can sink or break just like liveaboards. Oh, and how's their compressor maintenance? I'm sure they're staying on that while seeing zero profit from operations. Safety equipment and oxygen on the boats? So on and so forth. All this stuff gets dropped for the same reasons that these liveaboard disasters keep happening.

I just think you're rolling the dice trusting any sort of dive operator there with your safety, unless you do a lot of due diligence. And it's still a leap of faith because when it comes down to it you don't know that they aren't cutting corners, you just know that it hasn't blown up on that particular operator yet.

Everything is good, until it is not. I have used my example of the RSA I. I don't believe the presumptive cause of the fatal fire on the RSA I has ever been released. There were many crewmen aboard that boat who survived, I'd wager they probably know what happened. In fact, I've never read an analysis of what might have happened on the RSA I, par for the course. Stop, you're right, no final analysis has ever been released. The lack of transparency in the Red Sea boat accidents is perhaps the biggest problem. I'm waiting for the report on the Sea Story, never hold your breath.

I loved my two weeks on the Red Sea in 2016. I thought about going back to Sudan on the Royal Evolution before the civil war nixed that idea.

 

[Parlem]

Yeah I consider liveaboards and shore operators to both share a lot of the same problems caused by extremely low market value, cost cutting, lack of oversight, corruption, etc... With liveaboards obviously you might have more exposure since you're on the boat full time for like a week, but I wouldn't personally be eager to book anything anywhere in the country. Day boats can sink or break just like liveaboards. Oh, and how's their compressor maintenance? I'm sure they're staying on top of that while seeing zero profit from operations. Safety equipment and oxygen on the boats? So on and so forth. All this stuff gets dropped for the same reasons that these liveaboard disasters keep happening.

I just think you're rolling the dice trusting any sort of dive operator there with your safety, unless you do a lot of due diligence. And it's still a leap of faith because when it comes down to it you don't know that they aren't cutting corners, you just know that it hasn't blown up on that particular operator yet.

You make some valid points there. Just one small correction: day boats do not typically have a compressor onboard. Instead, they load the number of tanks they will need for the day and unload them when they get back. Tanks will be filled on land, not at sea.

 

[Saffadiver]

Yes they are. Do research on the amount of boat fires in SEA and you would be afraid of getting onto a boat. There is risk everywhere in terms of liveaboards and day boats. Prepare for the worst and enjoy.

 

[BoltSnap]

Yes they are. Do research on the amount of boat fires in SEA and you would be afraid of getting onto a boat. There is risk everywhere in terms of liveaboards and day boats. Prepare for the worst and enjoy.

But it is much easier to dump on Egypt.

 

[Saffadiver]

But it is much easier to dump on Egypt.

its just been more public, thats all and the masses are easy to scare and sway...

 

[TostitoBandito]

You make some valid points there. Just one small correction: day boats do not typically have a compressor onboard. Instead, they load the number of tanks they will need for the day and unload them when they get back. Tanks will be filled on land, not at sea.

Yeah I meant the compressor at the resort or wherever they are doing their fills, typically owned by the dive op.

 

[Jay_Remi]

Hi @Jay_Remi

What happened to the trip your friend was on? Was it interrupted or were they able to continue? As a passenger, my confidence would have been shaken.

She told me that they canceled the night dive, and then carried on, as if nothing happened.
She was not that impressed with the dive guides on this boat, (though other staff were apparently fine) and after that 'incident' her confidence in this whole LOB was quite shaken indeed. Never again with them she told me.
fyi, she initially booked with Ghazala, but they changed the boat at the last minute. Long story apparently. So Ghazala put her on this boat.