Description
Details:
This dive-safari offers beautiful coral dives, impressive drift currents, stunning canyons, walls and drop-offs and some really big wrecks to explore.
There is so much to see you are spoilt for choice, but don’t forget to keep an eye out to the blue… you never know what you might see!
We will be travelling out from Hurghada and back again, visiting the world famous walls at Ras-Mohammed, the stunning reefs of Tiran (Thomas Canyon is AMAZING!), as well as the BIG WRECKS of Thistlegorm, Rosalie Mullier, Ghiannis D, Chrisoula K and Kimon M!
The water will be 28°C so a 5mm shortie wetsuit is the order of the day. With 50m+ visibility, it’s relaxed & easy diving.
By the end of the week everybody will be well settled into the dive skills necessary to take on the challenge – with potentially great currents for drifting (flying sometimes) along the walls!
Perfect for underwater photographers and anyone with a Go-Pro style mini video camera, this is an ideal trip for everyone with a minimum PADI Open Water Advanced Diver qualification with 20 logged dives.
This trip is also ideal for anyone wanting Advanced Sports and Technical diving with depths 40m-70m available.
It is recommended that you also have PADI Nitrox, and PADI Deep & Wreck specialty certifications to get the most from this itinerary but this training can be booked to complete on the trip.
For those with little or no experience diving in the Red Sea, The Ocean Pack of specialty courses is an ideal way to gain supervised experience. This course includes diving with an instructor for 8 dives, during which time you will be covering all aspects of Boat and Drift diving, Multi-Level Computer profiles and the use of an SMB (Surface Marker buoy) – all of which are core skills to dive competently, confidently & safely in the ocean.
For those enthusiastic marine biologists out there, the Wildlife Specialty Pack is a great way to get a detailed insight into the bio-diversity of the marine ecosystem.
Coral Reef Conservation covers the inter-relationships of corals as the foundation of the food chain. Fish Identification explains fish families, predator-prey and symbiotic relationships. Underwater Naturalist examines plants & animals: with an in-depth analysis of marine invertebrates…. WEIRD CRITTERS!
Dates:
29th June – 6th July 2024
Price:
£1775 per person
The Location:
Straits of Tiran
Just north of Sharm El Sheikh in the Gulf of Aqaba, a series of four reefs Gordon-Thomas-Woodhouse-Jackson provide some beautiful coral reefs with stunning topography.
The currents here are a great introduction to drift diving, and there’s always potential to see some bigger wildlife out in the blue…
Ras Mohammed
Situated at the very tip of the Sinai peninsula, the Ras Mohammed National Park is at the junction of the Gulf of Suez & Gulf of Aqaba.
The walls here drop vertically from the surface to over 900m straight down, giving an experience just like flying.
We will dive on Shark Reef and Yolande, Anemone City and Shark Observatory, with potential to see some great marine wildlife.
Big Wrecks
The world famous SS Thistlegorm is first on the list for a couple of dives, followed by Rosalie Moller (Deep Specialty required) – both victims of WW2 bombings with a linked fate.
Down to Abu Nuhas – which is a shipwreck graveyard with some amazing exploration for those qualified in wreck penetration…
All dive sites are subject to weather conditions and cannot be guaranteed.
Sample Itinerary:
Departing from the bustling port of Hurghada, a mere 15 minutes away from the airport, this is one of the most polar safari routes, blending the fabulous Red Sea reefs and amazing wrecks, including the SS Thistlegorm, into one spectacular week. It’s no wonder why this is probably the most popular itinerary.
The difference between our itineraries and others? Well, we go where people want to go – if you want to stay in one place and dive, dive and dive again, then that is easy! See dolphin and want to jump in – well you can! We issue all itineraries as a guide – where we actually go is down to you and the boat Captain! After all, it is all about the diving!
After shaking off the cobwebs with a check dive you’ll head to Bluff Point for a night dive on the Barge. Then, it is off to probably the most famous wreck in the oceans, the SS Thistlegorm – at least three dives here, plus a night dive and/or sunrise dive too!
You’ll visit any number of other wrecks including the beautiful Carnatic and the wrecks of the Giannis D, the Chrisoula K and the Marcus, all at Abu Nuhas. And you can’t miss the Rosalie Moeller and the Dunraven!
But this trip isn’t just about wrecks – far from it! Ras Mohammed, the protected marinereserve of the Red Sea, delivers schooling fish, spectacular corals, and we drop in numerous times on the best sites before heading over to Tiran to dive the immense reefs of Gordon, Jackson and Woodhouse.
Giftun Island is also on the map, and we dive the reefs at both Big and Little on the way back South, and we don’t forget the amazing dolphin encounters at Sha’ab El Urg or Panorama Reef either.
What are you going to see? The most stunning corals, abundant marine life, and exceptional wrecks. Turtles, Napoleon Wrasse, Morays, Dolphins, maybe a manta, and perhaps even whalesharks.
Hammerheads off the back of Jackson Reef are a possibility, and don’t forget the little critters either!
This trip delivers, time and time again.
Proposed Itinerary:
Subject to weather conditions, alternative wrecks and sites maybe substituted.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to the boat and check-in.
Day 2: After receiving approval by the coast guard, head to a suitable check dive site then up to Bluff Point for a night dive on the Barge.
Day 3: This morning starts with a dive on the Rosalie Moeller before heading to the spectacular SS Thistlegorm for three dives including a night dive.
Day 4: Today we dive Ras Mohammed and dive Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef then up to Tiran to dive the Million Hope Wreck and a night dive at Gordon Reef.
Day 5: Moored on Gordon Reef you’ll dive a newly discovered wreck as well as dive on Thomas and Woodhouse Reefs
Day 6: The day starts with a dive on the Dunraven before morning at Abu Nuhaus to explore the Giannis D, Carnatic and Chrisoula-K.
Day 7: On the last day dive at Dolphin House and a final dive outside the Hurghada Marina at the T45 Minesweeper Wreck.
Day 8: Departure, check-out and transfer to the airport
The Accommodation:
New Build (2021) Red Sea LiveAboard MY BIG BLUE is set to become a Scubaholics Dive Club favourite.
M/Y Big Blue has been designed and built to provide divers with all the important requirements of a liveaboard. The emphasis is truly on your comfort and safety, and after all, it is all about the diving!
The first consideration is space, space to eat, space to sleep, space to shower and of course space to dive. And Big Blue offers all these in spades. She is a massive 38m long and 7m wide which would normally mean you could expect groups of 30 to 40 divers.
And the diving… take an expert guide with you if you wish, or jump in with your buddy and bumble at your leisure. The ‘pool is open’ is the attitude on Big Blue.
Diving at a relaxed pace, divers are split into groups of up to six and sent out at intervals. Of course if you are a larger group and want to dive together that works too.
Take your time and enjoy the uncrowded dives!
When you are not diving there is space to relax in the sun on the upper deck, socialise on the lounge deck either inside with movies and music or outside on the shaded deck with hot or cold drinks and snacks; or back in the spacious cabins.
Meals on board are served in the restaurant on the main deck. Three buffet style meals are served daily and most dietary needs can be catered to.
Each cabin has a large modern en suite bathroom with walk in shower, basin and toilet. The cabin is fully air conditioned with independently controlled individual units.
The lower deck cabins are accessed through the restaurant and at the opposite end of the corridor M/Y Big Blue has a full size emergency door with access to the bow deck with emergency lighting.
In addition to the luxury standard cabins, M/Y Big Blue has two disability cabins on the main deck with full wheelchair access around the deck and in the cabin. Ramped access, widen passageways, sliding doors, larger floor space all provide easier access to wheelchair users.
Flight Details:
Depart: Saturday 29th June 2024:
Flying with EasyJet
Departing from London Gatwick at 11:00 – arriving at Hurghada at 19:30 (GMT+2)
Return: Saturday 6th July 2023
Flying with EasyJet
Departing: Hurghada at 18:15 – arriving at London Gatwick at 11.45
Included in flights:
Economy seating, 23kg checked baggage and small hand baggage allowance
(extra baggage available at extra cost)
Price and Booking Information:
£1775 per person
*** £75 early-bird discount if booked by 25/8/23 ***
£350 initial deposit to secure space on the trip
£500 by 30/11/23 [ 6 months pre-trip ]
Final Balance by 29/3/24 [ 3 months pre-trip ]
Includes:
- Flights
- Transfers
- Twin Cabin Accommodation
- Buffet Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Soft Drinks
- 6 Days Diving
- *** INCLUDES FREE NITROX FOR THE WEEK ***
Extras not included:
- Egyptian visa on arrival
- Govt. Environmental Tax (Approximately 65 euro payable on board)
- Cylinder upgrades
- Alcoholic drinks
How to Book
Book online now at the top of the page.
Alternatively, pop into the Dive Centre, call us on 01622 212022 or contact us via email at scuba@blueoceandiving.co.uk.
All online bookings are provisional and subject to availability.
We will contact you by telephone within 48 hours to confirm your booking and process your payment.
Additional Information:
We strongly recommend deposit payments are made via credit card in order to benefit from the full consumer protection this method offers.
We will contact you by telephone within 48 hours to confirm your booking and process your payment.
Blue Ocean Diving will send you an HSBC Global-Payments Paylink payment link via text.
You can then make payment through this by credit or debit card [ not AMEX sorry ].
All payments are non-refundable & non-transferable.
On booking, please provide a copy of your passport to scuba@blueoceandiving.co.uk for flight ticketing details.
Holiday insurance is recommended from time of booking in case of cancellation.
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for all Dive Club Holidays.
