Late March/Early April liveaboard in the Red Sea - recommendations & conditions?

[tiffalicious]

Hi all!

Looking to board a liveaboard in the Red Sea in/around late March or early April. I've been to Dahab numerous times (awesome), however do want to explore more of the south. I'm a Rescue Diver, with 100+ dives so feel comfortable in various water conditions.

Some questions - personal experiences more than welcome please!!

- Recommendations for a liveaboard operating out of Hurghada? Not looking for a 'luxury' boat, but something quality, comfortbale and above all a professionally run-operator.


- Dive conditions? As before, have been to Dahab so I know it'll be cold - but what can I expect in/around this time of year? Choppy conditions? How's the visibility?


- Must-see dive sites. This might also tie into my first question on a quality liveaboard operator & itinerary. I read that THe Brothers & Elphinstone are musts. Anything else?

Really looking forward to hearing your suggestions please! Or feel free to PM me.

Tiff.

 

[ElChe]

In the last two years we dived from the Cassiopeia boat (check it here), but there are many more quality operators. Maybe it's surprising but there aren't too much differences between the prices usually, you can look for a nicer one. Most of them operating anywhere in the Egyptian Red Sea, so simply choose your route and book a trip. For the season, I think the later the better. The winds can be strong any time of the year but if you go later the water will be a bit warmer. It's important- at least for me. April is OK, anyway. The southern you go the warmer the water.

Well, you mentioned Hurghada liveaboard operation and asked about Brothers and Elphinstone? They are far from there. If you want to do the best wreck dives choose the northern route with Thistlegorm, Giannis D, Carnatic, etc. If you keen to dive offshore reefs you can go the Brothers or to a deep south trip to the St. John's area. Whatever you choose you never know what will you get on the specific trip... The Elphinstone is really nice and like that Marsa Alam area because there wonderful shallow caverns like Claudia and bays with huge turtles like Marsa Shauna but I don't know what do you interested in. Maybe you can check my blog entry about Red Sea liveaboards.

 

[Crowley]

As always when it comes to liveaboards, contact Samaka - he works for Blue02 out of Hurghada and will be able to give you some excellent advice.

Cheers

C.

 

[TSandM]

We've done two trips out of Hurghada, one of them including a big sweep to the south, to do Elphinstone and Daedalus and some submerged reefs in that area. We did them on the Red Sea Explorers boat, the MV Tala. I simply cannot say enough good things about traveling with these guys. Faisal Khalaf, who is the owner, was on both trips (and I believe is usually on the boat) and he's a kick. The mission of the Tala is to see to it that the divers on board have the maximum amount of fun possible, whatever form that fun takes. If you want to do deep dives, they have the equipment and gases to do that. If you want to play with a scooter, they have those. If you want a guided dive, they have excellent guides with good eyes; if you and your buddy want to do your own dive, they're good with that, too. Dive times are generous or unlimited, depending on the site and schedule (I have more than one 90 minute dive off that boat.)

The boat is comfortable, but not luxurious, and the food is good but not notable (although I have to give a caveat here -- the second trip, we were operating with a substitute cook, and the food was so-so, but the very last day, the normal cook came back, and the one meal he fixed us was EXCELLENT. Had the food the entire trip been like that, I would change my verdict substantially). The dive deck is efficient and spacious enough to allow a lot of people to gear up at once, and the dive deck crew is FANTASTIC -- helpful when they need to be, and out of your way when that's more appropriate. The boat ladder is EXCELLENT (since they redid it after our first trip) and extremely easy to climb. Some of the dives are done off the RIBs, and the crew is very good at placing you, even in somewhat rough water, and reboarding divers.

Prices are, at least to me, amazingly reasonable. Nitrox is extra but not too much, and the scooters have a rental charge as well. Alcoholic beverages are on your own or extra.

Above everything else, the boat is FUN. The atmosphere is cheerful and happy, Faisal is a kick, the guides are wonderful people, and it's a great way to see the Red Sea.