Trip Report Red Sea Serpent Grand Egypt

[JustSurfaceInterval]

If you take INT vs DIN and metric system vs imperial system apart...

 

[berndo]

I really don't think American divers have vastly different requirements to divers from the rest of the world. Sure, I can think of some examples having been on liveaboards with divers from the US in Australia and the Solomon Islands, but they would be gross generalisations!

Cultural differences are definitely a thing even within Europe. I'm pretty sure anyone who either lived abroad for while or worked in tourism with international customers is aware of that.

 

[BoltSnap]

I noticed that Germans love the heat and don't need/want A/C. They can also put up with spartan accommodation as long as they are saving money. Same for food. American are the opposite, in general.

I don't have experience with other Europeans since my dealings are mostly with German and American tourists but I can't imagine the French or Italians putting up with bad food. I remember the reaction of my French and Italian engineers when we had to stay in Leeds, UK, for a week for meetings. Although we stayed at the best local hotel there, food was terrible. I put up with it but eventually just couldn't take it but the Italians and French were crying from day 1.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I really don't think American divers have vastly different requirements to divers from the rest of the world. Sure, I can think of some examples having been on liveaboards with divers from the US in Australia and the Solomon Islands, but they would be gross generalisations!

The smoking thing seems like a big difference to me. I live in a region where a noticeable percentage of the population smokes, but when I lived in California I did not know a single person who smoked, and that was 20 years ago. At least the Indonesian crew members do it discreetly at the bow, hopefully downwind.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I noticed that Germans love the heat and don't need/want A/C. They can also put up with spartan accommodation as long as they are saving money. Same for food. American are the opposite, in general.

The desire for A/C is a big one. I think it's true that Americans in general prefer a lot of A/C, but even within the US there are variations. When my wife and I visit Florida we joke about how Floridians prefer to keep their spaces absolutely frigid. You need to wear a jacket in July to sit in a restaurant.

 

[BoltSnap]

The desire for A/C is a big one. I think it's true that Americans in general prefer a lot of A/C, but even within the US there are variations. When my wife and I visit Florida we joke about how Floridians prefer to keep their spaces absolutely frigid. You need to wear a jacket in July to sit in a restaurant.

You are right but putting up with heat in the summer in the Middle East is way too much for me without A/C. Germans have no problem with that, you can spot them easily because they are the ones wearing sandals with socks.

 

[scubadada]

The desire for A/C is a big one. I think it's true that Americans in general prefer a lot of A/C, but even within the US there are variations. When my wife and I visit Florida we joke about how Floridians prefer to keep their spaces absolutely frigid. You need to wear a jacket in July to sit in a restaurant.

Ha, on the other hand, it drops below the low 70s outside and they break out their down jackets

 

[MB NZ]

Cultural differences are definitely a thing even within Europe. I'm pretty sure anyone who either lived abroad for while or worked in tourism with international customers is aware of that.

I worked in New York State (Long Island) for a year. People are just people. OK, they drank cold tea, but otherwise I would say they were pretty civilised!

 

[scubadada]

I worked in New York State (Long Island) for a year. People are just people. OK, they drank cold tea, but otherwise I would they were pretty civilised!

I lived in Switzerland for 2 years, I was surprised that nearly everyone smoked, young to old. Extensive travel around Europe did nothing to dispel the belief regarding the prevalence of smoking.

 

[reefseeker2]

Oh yes, I got told off too

The guides really messed up planning our first dive at the Brothers. To cut a long story short, I found myself separated from my group on entering the water from a Zodiac due to another diver having an equipment problem. I hung out at 6 metres within sight of another dive group, waiting for my group to get in the water. Bearing in mind that we had specifically been told to do negative entries and stay off the surface, I thought this was the most sensible and safest thing to do. I also had a redundant gas source. I believe the head guide gave my guide a right bollocking about "solo diving" and he passed some hate on to me. I was kind of over it at that point.

Having worked as a dive guide in a former life and done a lot of diving around the world, it's my opinion that the guides most insecure about their abilities get most stressed out with customers.

Thanks for the detailed report. With the recent boat fires, others' feedback, and your experience, the Red Sea is a hard pass for me.

They did have us do fire drills, the one thing I am 100% sure about I would NEVER sleep below, any boat no matter what. When I was young, early 80's I did do about 10 dive trips on that boat Conception out of Santa Barbara, I was young and stupid. Maybe we didn't have as many batteries back then, but I knew then how hard it was getting in and out of those bunks. I think about it all the time now.