Wetsuit for North route

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

David Novo

Contributor
Messages
784
Reaction score
355
Location
Porto, Portugal, Europe
# of dives
100 - 199
Hi everyone,

I am going to do a liveaboard in the North route between Hurghada and the Strait of Tiran next October.

Is a 8/7 mm wetsuit with hood too thick (considering up to four dives a day for a week)?
What is the max depth of the dive spots on this side of the Red Sea?
 
If it’s to warm you can let some water in, if it’s to cold you have a problem. In October the water is really warm and nice but you might have some wind on the boat.

normally the depth is limited to 40m but most rec wrecks are at 30 or less.
 
October is a lovely time to dive the northern Red Sea. Personally I'd say a 5mm full length without hood or gloves would be perfect. Sea temps are about 27-28°C in October so even a 3mm shortie would be fine, but with 4 hour long dives a day, a 5mm will be comfortable throughout, especially for the night dive.

Max depth is about 30m, shallowest say 12m, with most dives in the 20-25m range.

Other things to consider are cylinder size and nitrox. I'm happy with a 12L, but if your SAC is a bit high you can pre-order a 15L. Nitrox available on ship ranges from 28-32% and you can either purchase a week package, or per dive. Either way, it's definitely worth getting nitrox for the Thistlegorm dives (usually 3 or 4).

Enjoy!
 
You should be fine in 5mm, if you are lucky and the itinary allows for it, your deepest dive will be at Rosi Möller (max. depth 50m, but limited to 40m :)). I do always recommend a thin hood like the Lavacore Polytherm Hood. Have fun, it is a nice route to take.
 
normally the depth is limited to 40m but most rec wrecks are at 30 or less.

Are the reefs in the Straits of Tiran also on the 30m range? (there should still be plenty of wrecks in this itinerary but it is not a "get wrecked" one)

Other things to consider are cylinder size and nitrox. I'm happy with a 12L, but if your SAC is a bit high you can pre-order a 15L. Nitrox available on ship ranges from 28-32% and you can either purchase a week package, or per dive. Either way, it's definitely worth getting nitrox for the Thistlegorm dives (usually 3 or 4).

Enjoy!

Larger tank and nitrox are already pre-ordered :D For 3+ dives a day, I would not consider air.
 
I current just own a 8/7 mm wetsuit, so I am considering whether to buy a 5mm.

Felt a bit cold on the fifth dives (night) of each day last year in the GBR in late June with a rented 5 mm (no hood).
 
I was there in July and dove the same sites, I dove in 3mm shorty and that worked out very fine for me; a few dives I did in only rash guard and board shorts, albeit that was quite nippy. I would go with a 3mm full suit or 5mm full suit depending on how easily you get cold.
However, I have quite some bioprene. My buddy, who is an athletic guy, wore a 5mm full suit and was very comfortable all dives; even in the end.

7mm would too warm I think.
 
Are the reefs in the Straits of Tiran also on the 30m range? (there should still be plenty of wrecks in this itinerary but it is not a "get wrecked" one)

Only on the drop offs you can go deeper but there is nothing to see that you can’t see on 30m or less.
 
I did the same route last October. I was diving in a 5mm full suit and was fine, never felt the need for a hood, or a thicker suit. My wife really feels the cold and was in a 7mm semi dry with hood and seemed pretty happy, apart from having to fight her way into the suit several times a day! On the boats suits ranged from 3mm shorty to a dry suit. Also depends a bit on your air consumption and how long you stay in the water, most of our dives were 60mins (night dives 45mins). Some of the people in the boat were doing 40minute dives. Over 3/4 dives a day the extra time in the water can add up and cause a bit more of a chill.

All the wrecks we dived had a max depth of about 30m. On a few of the reef dives we could have gone much deeper but were limited by nitrox. Only one site had a couple of sharks at about 40m that would have been good to drop down and see. Fairly rare to see sharks in this area.
 
Depth of divespots : depends on how you dive, what you seek...

let's say the most beautiful and colorfull is between 0 and 20m but there are things to see deeper, like wrecks ; max depth is limited by authority of CDWS (Chamber of Diving and Water Sports, under umbrella of Egyptian tourism federation) to (air / Nx recreational) 40m

only technical divers are allowed to 100m and more, and in case of breaking these "rules", CDWS may cause operating licences to be withdrawn, so you understand that dive centers respect the rules.... for their own safety.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom