Second trip to the red sea this year - north wrecks and reefs

[Rusty Roo]

well guys i loved the red sea soo much that i've decided to book a second trip with blue o two as i found them very good on my last holiday (brothers and elphinestone) this time i'm doing the north wrecks and reefs on december 13th. so are any of you guys/ girls going to be there, or done this itinerary? or dived in the red sea in december or the best response would be someone who has done this itinerary in december?

ie what wetsuit, what to keep an eye out for and anything you think i should know. also i'm doing my nitrox course as i seemed to be the only person on the boat last time without nitrox.

 

[Finn_Diver]

Hi,

a 7 mm semi dry with a hood or a dry suit is needed. You will be doing 3-4 dives per day and the wind will cool you when out of water, so you will need some warm clothes between the dives. In December it is really chilly to put your damp wetsuit on for the night dive.

I have done the itinerary twice, but not in December. Thistlegorm is the highlight of the route, especially at the night, when the wreck comes alive with small stuff. Lot of big stuff and strong currents also there. Really one the worlds best divespots.

 

[Mikko Ilari Laakkonen]

Depending on your personal chill-factor something between good 5mm wetsuit to drysuit with light undergarments.

I'm crazy finnish guy who never gets cold so i'd propably do it in 3mm long wetsuit + 2mm hooded shorty on top.

Water temperature is propably somewhere little below 20C.

- Mikko Laakkonen -

 

[Agility]

I am happy with my 5mm Wetsuit even without a hood but beware of the wind! It gets really chilly in the open at night

 

[sphyrnidus]

[video=youtube;nnSGJQ8G2Zw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnSGJQ8G2Zw[/video]
I've done this tour twice. I'm certain you will like it very much. I dive in Egypt a lot. I wear a 7 mm, no cap. But we dive a lot and it seems to do something with your " thermostat" especially when you dive 4 times per day. There are not often large animals in the area. But we did meet dolphins one time, look at. Ras Mohammed is a very nice reef, one of the best in Egypt.
Well of course you'll visit the wrecks, Thistlegorm, don't skip the night dive on this one, Giannis D, Carnatic are also very nice.
If you want to skip a dive, skip the Rosalie Muller, which is an empty coal carrier.
See the dolphins at the end of this movie:
[video=youtube;MbXR_qxlR5E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXR_qxlR5E[/video]

If you have more questions, feel free to ask...

 

[mala]

don't skip the Rosalie muller

 

[Solly]

water temperature will be around 23 degrees (plus or minus 1 degree) but the wind chill is really what will make you cold...
for me I use a 5 mm suit without a hood and it is enough for me, but sure having warm clothes between dives is needed.

 

[Kieran Byrne]

I'm doing this itinerary with blue o2 on the 27th December. Its my 1st ever liveaboard. Maybe you could do me a trip report when you get back before I head out.

 

[Rusty Roo]

thanks for the responses guys. well i have a 5mm semi dry so hopefully that should be enough i might take a 3mm shorty which i could take and put as a i second layer if needed. thanks for the heads up about the wind as i hadn't really thought about that. regarding sitting out dives, i don't think i ever will as i sat out one dive in the summer and missed a manta ray. lesson learned.

---------- Post added October 22nd, 2013 at 01:30 PM ----------

blue o 2 are a brilliant company albeit i can't compare with other liveaboards as i have only ever used them. my friend is taking is go pro black edn so we should get some good footage and i'll write something up. i have a weird tip for people regarding liveaboards, i would buy a carton of cigarettes, even if you don't smoke you can sell them and if you do smoke you won't get a chance to buy cigarettes before you get on the boat.