Sharm Liveaboard vs. Hotel/Day Dives

[evilclown]

Was originally going to sharm to dive for 3 or 4 days in January. Hotel/boat etc. Now i'm considering the option of 3-4 day liveaboard instead. Any comments? i'm guessing i will get more dives in the liveaboard, what about the quality of the dive sites? any comments or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Rhone Man]

Watching thread with interest.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Yes you should get more dives when the live-aboard option is involved but for 3 or 4 days, the sites are virtually the same, unless you have a group and will charter the whole live-aboard boat.

 

[evilclown]

if the sites are "virtually the same" then it seems more comfortable to just stay in a hotel. The liveaboard accommodations don't seem like you can get a lot of rest. If i can't get some good sleep then the diving will be affected.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

if the sites are "virtually the same" then it seems more comfortable to just stay in a hotel. The liveaboard accommodations don't seem like you can get a lot of rest. If i can't get some good sleep then the diving will be affected.

Not exactly.

The live-aboard accommodation in the Red Sea is comfortable. The boats are designed to accommodate guests for 7-days trips (some up to 14 days).

On the other hand, daily boat diving requires that you go to the jetty every morning, say 8:00 AM. The boats have to be back to the jetty before sunset. Taking into consideration that you'll planing to be here in winter, then the day is short and the boats should be back at 4:00 PM. Also the food quality on live-aboard boats is different than that of the daily boats (when you have lunch between dives).

 

[k8brandt]

I am also watching this thread with interest. Red Sea Shadow points out one of the main reasons we want to do a live-aboard. It is mass chaos at the dock, and then entertaining to watch the boat captains argue and jockey for position back at the dock.

We are also hoping to get to the Thistlegorm before the huge dive boats arrive. When I say huge, it was about ten boats of 30-40 divers each all diving at once.

Being able to just suit up and get in the water sounds great!

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Exactly Kathy. Also you don't have to change tanks with all this DIN/YOKE hassle when live-aboard diving is involved. You just gear up before your first dive and the crew fills the empty tanks between dives.

Are you coming again with John (February 2010)?

 

[ncchuck]

The red sea is on my list of places to visit soon. I've been to dozens of resorts around the world and I've been on 7 live aboards. I always have more fun on live aboards, have great food, meet more friends, and get fantastic sleep in great accommodations. When I go, it will be a live aboard for sure. Nothing beats eat, sleep and dive with so little effort.

 

[evilclown]

Sounds like liveaboard is taking the lead . . .

 

[Scubadad1]

With a liveaboard you should get the chance to dive Abu Nuhas which has some good wrecks and also you will most likely get the chance to do an early morning or even a night dive on Thistlegorm which you certainly won't doing day diving. Otherwise some site will be the same and I would expect you to do the reefs at Tiran and also Shark & Yolanda in Ras Mohamed.