If you want to hear really crazy, I did it some years ago as a day trip from Dahab. Very early morning drive to Sharm, then hours on the boat. Two (good dives) and then did it all in reverse. Looong day, but I did not know when I would be back in Egypt.
Diving the Thistlegorm no liveaboard
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Deitsch
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I was on a liveaboard back in 2012 (Whirlwind) where we did 4 consecutive days on the Thistlegorm (4 dives a day). On two of those dives we had no other dive boats with us so we had the wreck to ourselves. It was also during neap tides so we had minimal current. As others have said, it is best done on a liveaboard. If you have enough people aboard who are interested in doing so many dives on the Thistlegorm then the cruise director will be happy to stay in one spot. The trick is to charter the boat with a specific itinerary that you want and then fill the spots with divers are who interested in doing the same type of diving as you.
Barrel SpongeBob
Contributor
Everyone I know who dived Thistlegorm did it from Sharm and had to wake up at 4am and were gassed by the end of the day. It is best on liveaboard to cut the travel time.
If weather had not worked against us, we would have had 4 dives on the Thistlegorm last week. The plan was to get there after the first morning dive, then do a late morning, an afternoon, a night, and then a morning dive the next day.
The current kicked up and was too much for the night dive, so the boat canceled that.
I got one deco dive on it, while most of the boat did a short morning dive and then an afternoon dive. And then I got the morning dive the next day. The deco dive was only an hour, but we did a pretty much complete tour of the whole wreck, starting with the locomotives and then the deepest level of all the holds and then the next level up and so forth. No stopping to take pictures on that dive, but it was a great orientation and I think I got a lot of good video footage of it. The next day's morning dive allowed me to pretty much swim to exactly the places I wanted to go to take pictures.
The current kicked up and was too much for the night dive, so the boat canceled that.
I got one deco dive on it, while most of the boat did a short morning dive and then an afternoon dive. And then I got the morning dive the next day. The deco dive was only an hour, but we did a pretty much complete tour of the whole wreck, starting with the locomotives and then the deepest level of all the holds and then the next level up and so forth. No stopping to take pictures on that dive, but it was a great orientation and I think I got a lot of good video footage of it. The next day's morning dive allowed me to pretty much swim to exactly the places I wanted to go to take pictures.
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My only experience on the Thistlegorm was on an overcrowded day boat from Sharm while I was staying at Dahab, in July 2021 whilst still under Covid rules.
I think I posted about it back then, but I wouldn't repeat this as it was rather disorganised to say the least, e.g. nitrox offered and no analyser
I think the only way I'd do this again would be on a liveaboard.
I think I posted about it back then, but I wouldn't repeat this as it was rather disorganised to say the least, e.g. nitrox offered and no analyser
I think the only way I'd do this again would be on a liveaboard.
I've made three daylight and one night dive from a liveaboard with emperor
Tippytoes12
Contributor
My husband and I went to Sharm in October 2021, just after Boris Johnson took Egypt and the Maldives off the UK red list. The reefs around Sharm were pristine and the vis to die for. I had never been interested in the Thistlegorm but was talked into it. Hubby woke up with Pharos Revenge so couldn’t go. We had booked a private guide, who had been a very wise move. We got to the Thistlegorm to find one boat…pulling up its anchor. The vis was incredible, we could see the wreck from the top of the mooring line and these was no current.
There were only six divers on our boat, all younger males. At the end of each dive, the boys were back on the boat. I ended up being the only recreational diver on this wonderful wreck. It was a long journey, nobody was keen on a third dive, but the conditions were perfect. A truly once in a lifetime experience, IMVHO a must for any diver.
There were only six divers on our boat, all younger males. At the end of each dive, the boys were back on the boat. I ended up being the only recreational diver on this wonderful wreck. It was a long journey, nobody was keen on a third dive, but the conditions were perfect. A truly once in a lifetime experience, IMVHO a must for any diver.
Don't do daily, liveaboard is the better option.
Now, depends on the operation. We were able quite often to speak with the rest of group and convince them to stay two days in the wreck- many lob operators won't mind.
Thus, you arrive and do two dives, a night one, and then are already in the site for early morning dive. Depends in itinerary you can do 3-4 dives.
And yes, usually since there are soooo many boats quite often all groups are diving the same route, a long long line- and yet the dive is amazing.
That's where staying overnight shines: a nightdive at Thistlegorm is quite an experience, then early morning also got the wreck for yourselves..
Then with the liveaboard you continue to Ras Mohammed: Shark and Yolanda reefs: these are among best of the best dives, if you catch good day you will remember Ras Mo
Now, depends on the operation. We were able quite often to speak with the rest of group and convince them to stay two days in the wreck- many lob operators won't mind.
Thus, you arrive and do two dives, a night one, and then are already in the site for early morning dive. Depends in itinerary you can do 3-4 dives.
And yes, usually since there are soooo many boats quite often all groups are diving the same route, a long long line- and yet the dive is amazing.
That's where staying overnight shines: a nightdive at Thistlegorm is quite an experience, then early morning also got the wreck for yourselves..
Then with the liveaboard you continue to Ras Mohammed: Shark and Yolanda reefs: these are among best of the best dives, if you catch good day you will remember Ras Mo
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