- Messages
- 196
- Reaction score
- 46
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
"The Red Sea is a corridor of marvels - the happiest hours of my diving experience have been spent there"
. Jacques Cousteau. With this quote in mind, so began my first Red Sea visit to see how much this would ring true for me.
The trip had been booked through Oonasdivers, a U.K. based dive travel specialist, and I did appreciate their timely responses to any questions and the professional way they arranged all the details. Documents arrived on time, things were as promised and Lydia was a great source of information. My personal travel timing would dictate that my only option was to do the northern wrecks and reefs itinerary on a live-aboard out of Sharm El Sheikh. The southern itineraries, certainly of interest, will have to wait for another time.
There were a number of live-aboards, offered by a variety of booking agents, that were of interest but I was drawn to the MY Juliet because of the small number of divers (published as fourteen but ultimately only twelve for our sailing) and several good reviews and recommendations on both ScubaBoard and the British Sub Aqua website. Although an older vessel, Juliet appeared to be well maintained and the recipient of regular re-fits and upgrades. She did not disappoint. The only two scares were in advance of the trip when only a few divers had been booked and we had not yet reached the minimum (dont worry assured Lydia) and when a dry dock fire destroyed two other vessels but fortunately did only cosmetic smoke damage to the Juliet.
Oonas was clearly flexible in making travel arrangements as, while a number of us arrived on Thomson Airlines on the Saturday evening, about half of the ships compliment were already on-board (after traveling by different carriers and/or arriving considerably earlier) when the rest of us arrived by the shuttle van. We had been met by an English speaking tour representative holding an Oonasdivers sign and he assisted in gathering us together, handing out Egyptian Visas and showing us where to clear customs and immigration. There was an opportunity to visit the duty free store for alcohol but they did not have beer as part of their selection. The driver did make a stop, enroute, for this necessity. Upon arrival at the docks we were met by our dive master, Wael, and several crew members who took care of our entire luggage and we were led to the ship to meet our fellow passengers and the rest of the crew. Do be aware that Thomson has and seems to enforce weight restrictions on both checked and carry-on luggage so pack as light as possible to avoid excess baggage charges.
On board we found a very friendly and accommodating crew, a comfortable general purpose lounge for meals and air-conditioned respite from the sun and cabins that, while not luxurious, were well laid out, reasonably sized and more than adequate for a week that would focus on diving more than anything else. The cabins are air conditioned during the evening hours and not during the day because the crew needs to divert the generators power to the air fill station. They did indicate that, upon request, they would turn on the A/C in individual staterooms should someone need it but there were more than sufficient places to avoid the heat and the sun which, even in late September, was in the mid nineties. Food was good and plentiful and always served up buffet style in the lounge. The breakfast menu remained constant through the week while lunches and dinners offered daily changes. Most impressive were the crew who worked hard at making our week great both in terms of hospitality and in diving. Much like a major cruise ship, you could not leave your cabin without Abdul knowing and him quickly going in to make up the bed or do some housekeeping.
Boarding the Juliet at night gives one only a partial glimpse at the size and scope of the diving industry that operates around Sharm El Sheikh. The sunny morning sky delivered the true picture of a port filled hundreds of very large dive boats (30 meters plus) catering to both day tripping divers and snorkelers and live-aboard adventurers. This is an enormous dive destination where having dive sites to yourselves will be dependent on timing, an experienced dive master and, sometimes, just good luck. We would have all three for a good part of the week at other times we learned to share.
The diving routine on the Juliet calls for an initial check dive to judge experience and determine weight requirements (The Red Sea is considerably saltier and thus more buoyant than many other destinations) and to establish dive practices that would be followed throughout the week. Each diver has a set tank station with fill whips that come to you. A plastic storage basket is below and there are camera rinse tanks on the way to the swim platform. Wetsuits are hung in the center area. Fins are tucked into the metal bar on the swim platform so, once geared up, divers move to the swim platform and grab their fins to either giant stride off the back or to get on board the RIB to backward roll into a nearby site. There was a mix of both platform and RIB dives during the voyage. The Nitrox was reliable and started the week in the 34% area and was pushed down towards 32% as we headed to slightly deeper depths later on. Nitrox divers are required to measure and record their O2 percentages while all divers are to sign in and out. I wasnt overly keen on the sign-in/sign-out system and believe it could be improved but we certainly had no issues. Normally there is a pre-breakfast morning dive, a pre-lunch dive, a late afternoon dive and a night dive before a late dinner for a total of four dives a day. Divers should have a reasonable level of experience and be fairly current as there can be some challenging dives involving strong currents and the need for negative entries. An SMB, whistle and dive alert horn should be considered must have gear. Down lines and tag lines are rarely used even when diving off the swim platform.
The northern wrecks and reefs itinerary is as advertised. Of 24 dives made that week, 10 were either totally or partially on or in wrecks .the balance involved some impressive reefs and walls. Certainly the star of the show is the Thistlegorm, the WW II British supply ship sunk by the Germans. We arrived on site with considerable company as is (apparently) often the case but did manage to secure a good mooring position that put our line approximately mid-ships and gave us a convenient down line to hang on to for our first afternoon dive into a strong current at the surface. We would do a total of three dives on this incredible wreck two exploring the exterior (including one night dive) and one penetration dive into holds number 1 and 2 where the trucks and motorcycles are still very much in place. We encountered other divers at spots on all of those dives but it was all reasonably orderly. Offered an opportunity for a fourth dive, we took a vote and opted to pass preferring to seek out a less crowded site. The other wrecks, while perhaps not as dramatic or history filled as the Thistlegorm, were more than worth visiting and offered penetration possibilities, lots of life and growth and great photo opportunities.
As great as the wreck diving was the reef dives did not disappoint. They are healthy, offer great visibility and feature a large cast of characters including clown fish, crocodile fish, scorpion fish, puffers, eagle rays, stingrays, tuna, trevally, napoleon wrasse, lion fish, bat fish, frog fish and the usual collection of morays, squirrel fish, angels and much more. There was a noticeable absence of lobster and, as expected, we saw very few turtles and even fewer (zero) sharks. We were treated to an incredible interaction with a friendly dolphin that spent perhaps fifteen minutes with us going from diver to diver and often being within arms reach. Another treat was a night dive where we followed and photographed a small ray that was chowing down on a squirrelfish and about 90% of the squirrelfish was still visible. My dive buddys dramatic shot should win him the photo of the week contest if not the quarterly free trip. Another memorable and somewhat eerie night dive was a spot on Gordon Reef that showcased the night predators. Each buddy team was closely shadowed by four or five lionfish who would use the dive lights to track down prey. Most, if not all of us, were kind enough to the reef fish to move our lights away prior to a strike but obviously the lionfish have come to expect some success following divers at night.
Ras Mohammed National Park was the operating area for many of our great dives but perhaps the most exciting was the drift dive along Shark and Yolanda reefs that featured Anemone City (true to its name and with a profusion of clownfish) and the wreckage of the Yolanda with bathtubs and toilets still strewn over the bottom. The combination of near vertical walls, outstanding visibility and massive schools of fish such as batfish, jacks, snappers and more truly make this a signature dive in the region.
Overall it was a great trip and one which did produce some great memories and happy hours of diving as per Mr. Cousteau but not without some disappointment. His publicity of the Red Sea and its relative close proximity to divers throughout Europe has resulted in overcrowding of boats, divers and snorkelers and it will likely only get worse over time. It would be nice to see some restrictions on the number of dive boats per site and also to see some more mooring buoys installed. Many sites, outside of the marine park area, are still subject to anchoring and the resultant damage that brings. This is too valuable a dive destination to allow it to be ruined by the customers and dive ops.
As for the Juliet, I would recommend the boat and her crew to anyone. It was a good and reliable dive platform and/or mother ship for the RIBs and the friendly and outgoing crew made all the in-between-dive hours all the more enjoyable. Wael was a great dive master and critter finder and, while he started each dive, he allowed experienced buddy teams to complete the dive at their own pace as long as they complied with the time limits set in the briefing. Great ship great crew and an outstanding (albeit fragile) location and well worth a return trip.
The trip had been booked through Oonasdivers, a U.K. based dive travel specialist, and I did appreciate their timely responses to any questions and the professional way they arranged all the details. Documents arrived on time, things were as promised and Lydia was a great source of information. My personal travel timing would dictate that my only option was to do the northern wrecks and reefs itinerary on a live-aboard out of Sharm El Sheikh. The southern itineraries, certainly of interest, will have to wait for another time.
There were a number of live-aboards, offered by a variety of booking agents, that were of interest but I was drawn to the MY Juliet because of the small number of divers (published as fourteen but ultimately only twelve for our sailing) and several good reviews and recommendations on both ScubaBoard and the British Sub Aqua website. Although an older vessel, Juliet appeared to be well maintained and the recipient of regular re-fits and upgrades. She did not disappoint. The only two scares were in advance of the trip when only a few divers had been booked and we had not yet reached the minimum (dont worry assured Lydia) and when a dry dock fire destroyed two other vessels but fortunately did only cosmetic smoke damage to the Juliet.
Oonas was clearly flexible in making travel arrangements as, while a number of us arrived on Thomson Airlines on the Saturday evening, about half of the ships compliment were already on-board (after traveling by different carriers and/or arriving considerably earlier) when the rest of us arrived by the shuttle van. We had been met by an English speaking tour representative holding an Oonasdivers sign and he assisted in gathering us together, handing out Egyptian Visas and showing us where to clear customs and immigration. There was an opportunity to visit the duty free store for alcohol but they did not have beer as part of their selection. The driver did make a stop, enroute, for this necessity. Upon arrival at the docks we were met by our dive master, Wael, and several crew members who took care of our entire luggage and we were led to the ship to meet our fellow passengers and the rest of the crew. Do be aware that Thomson has and seems to enforce weight restrictions on both checked and carry-on luggage so pack as light as possible to avoid excess baggage charges.
On board we found a very friendly and accommodating crew, a comfortable general purpose lounge for meals and air-conditioned respite from the sun and cabins that, while not luxurious, were well laid out, reasonably sized and more than adequate for a week that would focus on diving more than anything else. The cabins are air conditioned during the evening hours and not during the day because the crew needs to divert the generators power to the air fill station. They did indicate that, upon request, they would turn on the A/C in individual staterooms should someone need it but there were more than sufficient places to avoid the heat and the sun which, even in late September, was in the mid nineties. Food was good and plentiful and always served up buffet style in the lounge. The breakfast menu remained constant through the week while lunches and dinners offered daily changes. Most impressive were the crew who worked hard at making our week great both in terms of hospitality and in diving. Much like a major cruise ship, you could not leave your cabin without Abdul knowing and him quickly going in to make up the bed or do some housekeeping.
Boarding the Juliet at night gives one only a partial glimpse at the size and scope of the diving industry that operates around Sharm El Sheikh. The sunny morning sky delivered the true picture of a port filled hundreds of very large dive boats (30 meters plus) catering to both day tripping divers and snorkelers and live-aboard adventurers. This is an enormous dive destination where having dive sites to yourselves will be dependent on timing, an experienced dive master and, sometimes, just good luck. We would have all three for a good part of the week at other times we learned to share.
The diving routine on the Juliet calls for an initial check dive to judge experience and determine weight requirements (The Red Sea is considerably saltier and thus more buoyant than many other destinations) and to establish dive practices that would be followed throughout the week. Each diver has a set tank station with fill whips that come to you. A plastic storage basket is below and there are camera rinse tanks on the way to the swim platform. Wetsuits are hung in the center area. Fins are tucked into the metal bar on the swim platform so, once geared up, divers move to the swim platform and grab their fins to either giant stride off the back or to get on board the RIB to backward roll into a nearby site. There was a mix of both platform and RIB dives during the voyage. The Nitrox was reliable and started the week in the 34% area and was pushed down towards 32% as we headed to slightly deeper depths later on. Nitrox divers are required to measure and record their O2 percentages while all divers are to sign in and out. I wasnt overly keen on the sign-in/sign-out system and believe it could be improved but we certainly had no issues. Normally there is a pre-breakfast morning dive, a pre-lunch dive, a late afternoon dive and a night dive before a late dinner for a total of four dives a day. Divers should have a reasonable level of experience and be fairly current as there can be some challenging dives involving strong currents and the need for negative entries. An SMB, whistle and dive alert horn should be considered must have gear. Down lines and tag lines are rarely used even when diving off the swim platform.
The northern wrecks and reefs itinerary is as advertised. Of 24 dives made that week, 10 were either totally or partially on or in wrecks .the balance involved some impressive reefs and walls. Certainly the star of the show is the Thistlegorm, the WW II British supply ship sunk by the Germans. We arrived on site with considerable company as is (apparently) often the case but did manage to secure a good mooring position that put our line approximately mid-ships and gave us a convenient down line to hang on to for our first afternoon dive into a strong current at the surface. We would do a total of three dives on this incredible wreck two exploring the exterior (including one night dive) and one penetration dive into holds number 1 and 2 where the trucks and motorcycles are still very much in place. We encountered other divers at spots on all of those dives but it was all reasonably orderly. Offered an opportunity for a fourth dive, we took a vote and opted to pass preferring to seek out a less crowded site. The other wrecks, while perhaps not as dramatic or history filled as the Thistlegorm, were more than worth visiting and offered penetration possibilities, lots of life and growth and great photo opportunities.
As great as the wreck diving was the reef dives did not disappoint. They are healthy, offer great visibility and feature a large cast of characters including clown fish, crocodile fish, scorpion fish, puffers, eagle rays, stingrays, tuna, trevally, napoleon wrasse, lion fish, bat fish, frog fish and the usual collection of morays, squirrel fish, angels and much more. There was a noticeable absence of lobster and, as expected, we saw very few turtles and even fewer (zero) sharks. We were treated to an incredible interaction with a friendly dolphin that spent perhaps fifteen minutes with us going from diver to diver and often being within arms reach. Another treat was a night dive where we followed and photographed a small ray that was chowing down on a squirrelfish and about 90% of the squirrelfish was still visible. My dive buddys dramatic shot should win him the photo of the week contest if not the quarterly free trip. Another memorable and somewhat eerie night dive was a spot on Gordon Reef that showcased the night predators. Each buddy team was closely shadowed by four or five lionfish who would use the dive lights to track down prey. Most, if not all of us, were kind enough to the reef fish to move our lights away prior to a strike but obviously the lionfish have come to expect some success following divers at night.
Ras Mohammed National Park was the operating area for many of our great dives but perhaps the most exciting was the drift dive along Shark and Yolanda reefs that featured Anemone City (true to its name and with a profusion of clownfish) and the wreckage of the Yolanda with bathtubs and toilets still strewn over the bottom. The combination of near vertical walls, outstanding visibility and massive schools of fish such as batfish, jacks, snappers and more truly make this a signature dive in the region.
Overall it was a great trip and one which did produce some great memories and happy hours of diving as per Mr. Cousteau but not without some disappointment. His publicity of the Red Sea and its relative close proximity to divers throughout Europe has resulted in overcrowding of boats, divers and snorkelers and it will likely only get worse over time. It would be nice to see some restrictions on the number of dive boats per site and also to see some more mooring buoys installed. Many sites, outside of the marine park area, are still subject to anchoring and the resultant damage that brings. This is too valuable a dive destination to allow it to be ruined by the customers and dive ops.
As for the Juliet, I would recommend the boat and her crew to anyone. It was a good and reliable dive platform and/or mother ship for the RIBs and the friendly and outgoing crew made all the in-between-dive hours all the more enjoyable. Wael was a great dive master and critter finder and, while he started each dive, he allowed experienced buddy teams to complete the dive at their own pace as long as they complied with the time limits set in the briefing. Great ship great crew and an outstanding (albeit fragile) location and well worth a return trip.
