Elphinstone - what is it like in late october?

[Boyan]

I did not want to elaborate on the speed, but it sends a shiver down my spine thinking of that driving style with wife and child on board...

Being from Germany you probably know your countries statistics on the effect of speed alone on number of accidents:

In 2022, there were no more accidents per kilometer on sections without speed limits than on routes with speed limits of 120 or 130 km/h.


Unless you think Germanys highways are magical, even though they are older and way more crowded.

 

[passeparici]

Speeding on German's highways and speeding on Egypt roads is way different... I love to speed, I have been driving fast bikes since my younger age, but close to 200 on roads in Egypt ?

 

[Mod63]

Well, let me elaborate: how would you call seeing all taxes clearly spelled out when the liveaboard trip is offered on PADI Travel, yet after checkout and payment seeing that one tax was left out of the list on the invoice? Of course it was quickly "corrected" after getting PADI involved, but I'm fairly sure that if I didn't the tax would have been collected (or at least attempted) onboard.

I would blame PADI Travel. I book I cannot remember how may LoBs through travel agents in Germany, noz in one single instance we were asked to pay more than agreed on the contract.

 

[Dan]

I can be a bit reckless in my own country. I know the road and my car (BMW M6 performance, tire rating, suspension system, etc.). I drove it to 260 km/h a few times, but not on a rental car in foreign countries, especially with wife & kid with me. Thank goodness nothing happened to you all.

 

[Adr1an]

I would blame PADI Travel. I book I cannot remember how may LoBs through travel agents in Germany, noz in one single instance we were asked to pay more than agreed on the contract.

Well, Germany is a very large market for Egyptian LoB operations so I can easily imagine them being particularly careful not to try bazaar shenanigans when dealing with German travel agents and their customers etc.
Same applies with the other sort of work skipping attempts like "let's skip the last dive so you can dry your equipment". When you have 10+ divers from the same verein on your boat you know this isn't going to work and will only damage your image.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

Well, let me elaborate: [...]

No, no need to. I was not questionning your statement, i was just saying that it does not apply to all dive ops in Egypt. And i am sorry, that you had such bad experiences. I did not.
Note: I am not a "Verein" Diver...

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

160 is not suicidal highway speed especially between cairo and hurghada, with huge stretches of straight lines. Mostly I was trying to stay at 160-170 with perfect conditions allowing almost 200 and less perfect requiring 140.

Your call, It's your life after all... and that of your wife and your child...

Being from Germany you probably know your countries statistics

No, i don't. And, honestly, i don't care. I know the roads in Egypt, that's enough.

 

[Adr1an]

Note: I am not a "Verein" Diver...

I wasn't implying you were, just pointed out that having such group on a boat would make the staff far less inclined to try various tricks about skipping this or that dive.

This being said I've had all kind of diving experiences in Egypt over a large number of years, including stuff like private speedboat trip for two with everything included for 200$ (2x2 1hr dives, equipment, 15L etc) but as a general rule I'd say that once you haggle down the price (as it is culturally normal) you can almost always expect this or that trick to be at least attempted. Now, I'm not sure what happens if you overpay by a sizeable amount, because I am from a country that was once at the separation line between the Christian world and the Ottoman Empire so I am somehow accustomed with the haggling culture. If I ever overpaid for diving services in Egypt it was marginal at best.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

Again, i have to add that this cannot be generalized across the board.
But fine, no need for further discussion.

 

[BoltSnap]

I drove it to 260 km/h a few times,

That's insane but you live in Texas, everything is huge there including the highways.