Advice Egypt Liveaboard

[Riki]

Hi all,

I am planning a solo dream diving trip on a red sea liveaboard. I am thinking to do the B.D.E route as it seems like the best. I will be going in April not sure if this is a good month? any better recommendations?

I have read that this can be a challenging route. I have am pretty confident under the water with my Advanced diving qualification and 50 dives mostly in Indonesia (Raja Ampat, Bunaken, Komodo, Nusa Penida) but also Sipadan (Malaysia), India, Columbia and Philippines. In December 2022 I returned from Indonesia completing 20 dives. Would this experience be adequate to feel comfortable on this trip?

Also about equipment I am on long backpacking trip so wont have much equipment with me except a mask and a dive computer. Should I also purchase a DSMB as I read it is a requirement? How is the equipment rental?

Sorry for all the questions but thank you in advance for any advice.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Hi all,

I am planning a solo dream diving trip on a red sea liveaboard. I am thinking to do the B.D.E route as it seems like the best. I will be going in April not sure if this is a good month? any better recommendations?

I have read that this can be a challenging route. I have am pretty confident under the water with my Advanced diving qualification and 50 dives mostly in Indonesia (Raja Ampat, Bunaken, Komodo, Nusa Penida) but also Sipadan (Malaysia), India, Columbia and Philippines. In December 2022 I returned from Indonesia completing 20 dives. Would this experience be adequate to feel comfortable on this trip?

Also about equipment I am on long backpacking trip so wont have much equipment with me except a mask and a dive computer. Should I also purchase a DSMB as I read it is a requirement? How is the equipment rental?

Sorry for all the questions but thank you in advance for any advice.

Hi. Regarding which itinerary to go for, it depends what you want to see. BDE is great for reefs and definitely more pelagic encounters. However, if you also want some world class wrecks I’d suggest Northern Wrecks and Reefs.

Also, not so many dives on BDE as only a couple of night dives.

BDE is slightly more challenging, but not much. If you’re reasonably confident in your abilities as AOW with 50 dives, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Regarding DSMB, I would definitely suggest you get one and get comfortable deploying it. Most of the BDE dives require deployment. If you stick in the guided group (which I’m guessing you will) the guide will probably shot the bag, but don’t count on surfacing at the same time.

April isn’t a bad month to go, although still slightly chilly water in the North (approx 23-25). BDE usually runs about 1-2 degrees warmer, so 24 - 26.

Not sure about equipment rental as I always take my own.

Enjoy. You’ll have a blast

 

[scubajasonr]

I have done the BDE route a few times, and I think it can be challenging in a couple of ways. If there are big waves then getting in and out of zodiacs can be difficult/physical, a bit of base fitness helps with this. Also some dives can be totally in the blue with no way of visually referencing depth apart from other divers, on our last trip we had a few fairly inexperienced divers in the group who struggled with this on a couple of dives - although everybody seemed comfortable with it by the end of the trip. Given you have a variety of diving experience I am sure you would be fine on this route.

I have never used rental kit but have seen plenty of people use it on Egyptian liveaboards. It has always seemed to be of reasonable quality, although I guess it can vary depending on the operator. The first night is nearly always spent in port, so if there is an issue with kit there is opportunity to change it.

You will have to carry a DSMB on this route. First dive of the trip you will have to deploy it -this makes sure that everyone can, and that everyones SMB holds air. After that you may not use it, but it is important for safety that you have one. All the boats will sell you an SMB, or you can bring your own.

 

[Riki]

Thank you both so much, truly appreciate your advice

 

[Christian]

The Egyptian Red Sea is a year round destination, but it is very seasonal. Water temperature vary from 20 degrees Celcius in the Gulf of Aquba to tropical near 30 in late summer. April isn't the coldest month, but it is coldish. Anything is possible and years tend to vary a bit but after 20+ years of diving in the Red Sea, about as many liveaboards in Egypt and a handful in Sudan, for the Egyptian Red Sea, I would always go in the summer months. Unless I go to see oceanic white tip sharks (then October/November). Reason: tropical water temps, more big fish sightings, generally calmer seas (it can be windy any time of year, but as a general rule of thumb). For the Sudan otoh, April is a very good month inme. Spring is when you see schools of hammerhead sharks down there. According to my own and others unscientifical experiences, observations and other anecdotal evidence, combined with the limited scientific knowledge there is about these sharks, scalloped hammerheads (they are migratory), it's likely they break up into smaller groups and go North as the water warms up. In summer they are seen of off shore reefs in Egypt, like Deadalus and Brother Islands, and by August, sightings are not uncommon in the Strait of Tiran.

 

[Sunn]

I have read that this can be a challenging route. I have am pretty confident under the water with my Advanced diving qualification and 50 dives mostly in Indonesia (Raja Ampat, Bunaken, Komodo, Nusa Penida) but also Sipadan (Malaysia), India, Columbia and Philippines. In December 2022 I returned from Indonesia completing 20 dives. Would this experience be adequate to feel comfortable on this trip?

50 dives, it's enough to be accepted onboard and to dive.... but I think you should gain more experience to fully enjoy this trip.