Where in the world other than Sharm El Sheikh can I find big, comfy day-trip boats?

[Pinchy]

Hubby and I learnt to dive in Sharm El Sheikh with Oonas Dive Club (massively recommend them and returned to them for a proper diving holiday a couple of years after training with them) and ever since have been spoilt for other diving due to their service and also due to the big comfy dive boats that are a prominent feature of most dive clubs in Sharm. We have dived in a few other locations in the World and have just had small boats where you perch with your tanks and equipment... as I am quite prone to motion sickness these small boats often don't work out well for me! So I know I sound pathetic, but it would be great to try somewhere other than Egypt and still get that relaxing day trip boat experience... separate, comfy sun deck with lots of shade... couple of toilets... cook on board so that you properly go out for the day rather than having to pop back to the shore between dives. Of course, we would want to avoid the 'cattle boat' experience so we would need a reputable dive club who have a good guide to guest ratio.

Any suggestions of where we can find this combination would be hugely appreciated!

 

[RonFrank]

Where do you want to dive? You just described most live aboard I have been on. CA has a cook on many of the day trips, I'm thinking the Peace! I did not have a private room or sundeck but anything is possible for a price. Boats often had private rooms for a bit more but required 2 to a berth. My wife does not dive so I generally opt for a wide non private upper berth. IOW pull a curtain! I'm tiered after diving so sleep is no problem.

I've seen some damn fine state rooms all over the world (think photos). All you need is $$$$!

 

[Doc]

That's an interesting question.

Sharm is the only place that I have noticed that particular offering. Unfortunately, when I go diving, I usually am quickly out of the towns that could support such infrastructure- If I had not spent a few days in Sharm at the end of a liveaboard trip, I would have never noticed what you described... Large commodious day-dive boats.

You live in the UK, and your countrymen have a marked proclivity for this kind of operation- most North Americans only think of liveaboards for the week. I would check out he forum dedicated to UK to see how they see the world.

Out of London, my trips to your favorite locations (with easy access from 0° Longitude) have always gone through Boat Diving: Red Sea diving packages (They also have a different page for the liveaboard section)

Depending upon where we are standing, certain destinations are much easier to get to than others. We look at the Caribbean from North America much as you look at the Red Sea. You think of the Galapagos as we view Maldives.

The Maldives does bring up a viable alternative- as most of the "yachts" provide their dive services with "dhoni" boats that tag along for the week. The big boats do not transfer you to the smaller dhonis until they are in flat protected water, and the diving excursion is rarely anything bumpy. In any number of trips there, the food has never been all that good. I believe this comes from the total lack of female crew and the predisposition of males, when on-shore, to avoid kitchen duty. Because they cater to the European crowd, they are not likely to provide the typical dive-dive-dive that most North Americans are accustomed to.

 

[Pinchy]

RonFrank - I am looking specifically for day trip boats rather than liveaboards - so that we go back to land and stay in a hotel at night

RoatanMan - thanks for that, we were thinking about doing the Maldives anyway so I will investigate whether they use the "yachts" for day trips. It seems odd that these particular dive boats are only being created for use in Sharm el Sheikh!

 

[supergaijin]

I have never seen typical day boats of the same standard as the egyptian ones.

I dunno how they do it- maybe fuel was so cheap? Boat building costs cheap? Anywhere else in the world and they'd be used as $1000 liveaboard boats. There, they run for $100 a day or less.

So... yeah... good luck with that!

EDIT: The Maldivian dhoni is fine in clam seas but is much more rock and roll in the swell as they don't have a keel. I have heard people calling Burt on the big white telephone fairly regularly in my years here.

 

[@sea]

There are many possibilities in the Maldives for what you are looking for. Shouldn't take much time to make a research on Internet and see the options available.

First time to hear that Maldives boats (Dhoni's) don't have a keel !

 

[Doc]

...I dunno how they do it- maybe fuel was so cheap? Boat building costs cheap? Anywhere else in the world and they'd be used as $1000 liveaboard boats. There, they run for $100 a day or less.

They pack them like sardines, there are up-charges for SCUBA (over the bulk of passengers who are snorkelers), up-charges for cabins, food, and drinks. They're doing okay.

In Egypt they seem to have just about every light turned on all night long. Yes- fuel seems to not be a cost factor!

 

[supergaijin]

When I worked in Sharm, we were still going out with only a couple of divers. It was weird having a 60ft boat for 3 divers! Still only 2 toilets on board though

 

[Bryan Cunningham]

I don't think there is ANYWHERE else in the world that has day trip boats like they do in Sharm. And they are generally NOT overpacked. I think low wages, rent, fuel and docking charges all help keep down the prices. There are also a lot of them, so stiff competition also keeps down the price. Although you may find comparable dive boats, the prices will be a LOT more.
Would love to know if you do find anything comparable.