Liveaboards in Sudan??

[hallboy]

WHo did? wich dive op? wich boat? i would like to make at least 3dives a day ( + one night dive ) and use Nitrox

Tahnks

 

[MarkUK]

Tony Backhurst Scuba Travel, which is a UK-based firm, runs a fleet of top-quality liveaboards in Egypt, and he has just moved Royal Emperor – a big steel boat with a good rep from its time in Egypt's Red Sea – to Sudan. It has also had a major refit, so I think you would be hard pushed to find a better boat operating in that area. A friend of mine has just gone on it (last Friday), so when he is back in a week or so, I can give you the full monty.

Check out the TBST website for more info – www.scuba.co.uk

Sudan is the place to go – the Umbria, Sha'ab Rumi, Angarosh, the Blue Belt... These sites are legends, and how the Egyptian Red Sea was 20 years or so ago...

Mark

 

[mania]

But all diving in Sudan is done from Egyptian boats. I would not advise going to Sudan as the political situation there despite the latest break through is not very stable. And this is not a very safe place to go. North is better but south.....
Mania

 

[MarkUK]

It is illegal to get on a boat in Egypt and sail it over the border to Sudanese waters. I am not saying some boats don't do it, but any of the commercially operated trips offered by Uk firms involve you flying into Port Sudan and picking up the boat from there – and returning to there to leave the country.

If Egypt and Sudan can sort out their differences, then this may become possible in a legal way, and it will make Sudanese waters much more easily accessible, no nonsense dealing with the lack of tourist infrastructure in Sudan.

Yes, Sudan has got some dangerous elements, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK is only saying don't travel to the southern regions, i.e. Darfur, where it was all kicking off. Port Sudan is well north, and you are bused straight from the airport to the boat, and vice versa when you return. Yes, more risky than Egypt, but just because the southern part of the country is having problems with militants, etc, doesn't mean you have to ignore the north – Sudan is a huge country.

Mark

 

[Christian]

I have been a few times during the past six years. The only boat still operating there, that I have been on, is the Don Questo. It is 30 m sturdy steel ship, a former fishing trawler built in the late 60's, that used to sail the nordic sea. She was turned into a naval research vessel in the 80's and then into a commercial diving ship in the late 90's by an italian scuba club. She's italian owned and the captain is very flexible and offers true unlimited diving. It's no problem doing 3-4 dives a day, but you need to have the group with you on that. DQ also has a small hyperbaric chamber on board - the only one in Sudan as far as I know. I know Lorenzo (skipper) had plans for Nitrox, but I don't know if it has been actualized yet. It's not luxurious, but the food is very nice, the dive fascilities well suited for the fanatic diver and the captain is flexible and easy to deal with.

I've been on the Royal Emperor to Brothers etc. when she was owned by Yasser El Moaffer and sailed in Egypt. It's a purpose built dive vessel. There's no boat in Port Sudan that can compare to her when it comes to comfort. Don't know the new owners or in what 'spirit' the ship is run now, but it's probably a very good alternative and the only one delivering NITROX in Sudan. Check what type of tenders they have today, as it is crucial for the diving in Sudan where dingy rides can be very long and sometimes in rough water, especially in the south.

To my knowledge, the only way to dive Sudan from Egypt today, is by joining a transition trip in the fall. Most boats go to Egypt or Europe over summer for service and/or charters in the med. Then you fly back from Port Sudan. There are no boats doing regular trips from Egypt to Sudan like back in the days. I did a 17-day cruise once going from Marsa Ghaleb to Port Sudan and then back to Egypt again. But even with that many days it was hard work for the crew with a lot of night sailing. It would be interesting if a ship like the Royal Emperor would start doing Hurghada-Port Sudan and you were able to joing the ship in either Hurghada and then fly home from Port Sudan or vice verse. A two week itinerary eith Brothers-Deadalus-Elphinstone-Rocky Island/Zabargad-Elba Reef, Pfeiffer Reef, Angarosh/Mesharifa/Abington/Merlo-Shab Sudei/Ble Belt-Sha'ab Rumi-Sanganeb-Umbrea. That would be something.

BTW. I don't want to play political adviser and to go or not to go, but I can give some facts. Sudan is a very big country, the biggest in Africa. I have been there several times when the civil war raged in the south and also when the troubles in Darfour started and never noticed anything, felt unsafe or uncomfortable. You should always check the current political conditions however with your foreign affairs department. It is an unstable part of the world.

cheers

Christian

 

[mania]

I know that it's illegal to cross the boarder via water from Egypt to Sudan although I know boats that do it.
As Christian wrote - Sudan is not the safest place on the earth (or in this region). On the other hand it's a lovely country - I've been there many years ago and spend several months on the border between Sudan and Egypt. It was a great time I hade there. But now it's different and before going there it's better to consult Foreign Affairs and search for the latest news.
Mania

 

[Christian]

I know that it's illegal to cross the boarder via water from Egypt to Sudan although I know boats that do it.
As Christian wrote - Sudan is not the safest place on the earth (or in this region). On the other hand it's a lovely country - I've been there many years ago and spend several months on the border between Sudan and Egypt. It was a great time I hade there. But now it's different and before going there it's better to consult Foreign Affairs and search for the latest news.
Mania

Well, it's not illegal. But there's a lot of red tape. The British introduced bureaucracy and the Sudanese took it to new hights. The problem is that the Sudanese are reluctant to Egyptian flagged boats, but welcomes other nationalities and the Egyptians are reluctant to all but Egyptian flagged boats. So you have an impossible situation if you want to make an itinerary combining the best in Egypt and Sudan. I did a 17-day trip from Ras Ghaleb to Port Sudan in 1999. The ship was sailing under swedish flag. The skipper did this trip four or five times during 98-99. He said it was no problems what so ever with the Sudanese, but in Egypt ...

BTW. Does anyone know under what flag the Royal Emperor sails in Sudan?

/c

 

[MarkUK]

Perhaps illegal was slightly too stronger term, but it might as well be at the present time as I don't know of any vessels currently making such a run as a commercial venture.

I don't know what flag the Royal Emperor is flying under at the moment, I'll ask John when he returns later this week.

God, you are right, Christian – imagine a trip taking in the best of Sudan and the best of the Egyptian Offshore Marine Parks in one two-week trip. That would be one of the best diving trips in the world, bar none. Truly awesome. Oh well, we can but hope...

Mark

 

[hallboy]

The black baron ( Baron noir? ) seems to sail in Soudan. The boss is french and he is deliveriing Nitrox, but the guy as a kind of love or hate reputation in France... Anybody has heard about??

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

I think the best and safest way to do it is from Egypt. Although there's a lot of red tape, you won't be held responsible so why bother yourself these matters?
This could be arranged from Hamata, south Marsa Alam, Egypt. They will supply nitrox and you can dive as much as you can.