Snorkeling liveaboard

[marzookah]

Hi and thanks for having me.
Please be gentle!

I am trying to find a mini liveaboard (3 or 4 nights) snorkeling trip for next spring/flexible if better suggestions.
Unfortunately we don't scuba. I have seen a couple of companies that offer this from marsa Alam area to fury shoals but all are around 7 nights. Some have dive camp accommodation either side of the sailing with great house reef/shore snorkeling.
My husband doesn't have great sea legs and I think 8 days would kill him off!
Please do you have any links, info or advice
Thankyou

 

[stepfen]

Welcome to ScubaBoard @marzookah .
Maybe/probably I am wrong, but I have never heard of such thing as snorkeling LoB. In any way I think it is not something common. Here are my 2c:

LoB's tend to be tailored for divers, hence they:
- usually go to (relatively) remote areas i.e. difficult to reach by day trips (to justify their existance),
- usually go to sites with interesting things to see at depths around 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30m) (to justify the use of scuba) although reefs are usually nice to see/dive up to the surface, and
- are generally expensive (compared to similar boat trips) to cover things like compressors and other equipment, dive guides, etc etc

Yes, some diving sites can be snorkeled (near shores/reefs etc) under the right conditions (calm seas, appropriate current, good vis), but what are you going to do as a snorkeler in a dive LoB, in sites that you can't snorkel???

Usually day trip boats are much more snorkeler friendly as their itineraries are more flexible and hence can be adjusted to keep everybody happy.

I have no experience with day trips in Egypt though, so I can't help more. I hope some fellows will see this and chime in with more details.

All the best

 

[stepfen]

Another report ( Red Sea, October 2023, in Shams Alam ) reminded me that I forgot to tell you the most obvious thing.
THE most convenient way to enjoy snorkeling is land based resorts. You can then snorkel house reefs at will or join day trips as the ones described in that other thread.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

There are indeed only few (if any) pure snorkeling LOB. But you will find several LOBs advertising that hey are also taking snorkelers. My nasty assumption is that they are advertising that this way do get the non-diving partner...
Most of the top diving sites on LOBs are not really for snorklers (e.g. Thistlegorm or Elphinstone to only name two). Time in the water will be dictated by divers as well as spots will be.
I would also rather go for land base: you can have several hours at the reef at your own conveience or participate to the zodiac trips that are suitable.

 

[Trilobite]

Hi and thanks for having me.
Please be gentle!

I am trying to find a mini liveaboard (3 or 4 nights) snorkeling trip for next spring/flexible if better suggestions.
Unfortunately we don't scuba. I have seen a couple of companies that offer this from marsa Alam area to fury shoals but all are around 7 nights. Some have dive camp accommodation either side of the sailing with great house reef/shore snorkeling.
My husband doesn't have great sea legs and I think 8 days would kill him off!
Please do you have any links, info or advice
Thankyou

As you can see, divers aren't a great source of information for snorkeling trips. There definitely are liveaboard trips for snorkelers offered by organizations such as The Oceanic Society or companies such as Snorkel Venture, as well as others. But they usually sell out quickly and usually are for seven days or longer. So I don't think what you are looking for exists, at least as a set departure tour. Snorkel Venture does have availability for a May 2025 13 day Red Sea trip which is half resort based and half by liveaboard.

 

[marzookah]

As you can see, divers aren't a great source of information for snorkeling trips. There definitely are liveaboard trips for snorkelers offered by organizations such as The Oceanic Society or companies such as Snorkel Venture, as well as others. But they usually sell out quickly and usually are for seven days or longer. So I don't think what you are looking for exists, at least as a set departure tour. Snorkel Venture does have availability for a May 2025 13 day Red Sea trip which is half resort based and half by liveaboard.

Thanks so much for the information. Will have a look.
Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and learn to dive.

 

[marzookah]

There are indeed only few (if any) pure snorkeling LOB. But you will find several LOBs advertising that hey are also taking snorkelers. My nasty assumption is that they are advertising that this way do get the non-diving partner...
Most of the top diving sites on LOBs are not really for snorklers (e.g. Thistlegorm or Elphinstone to only name two). Time in the water will be dictated by divers as well as spots will be.
I would also rather go for land base: you can have several hours at the reef at your own conveience or participate to the zodiac trips that are suitable.

Thank you. Yes, I have seen some good dive camps in Southern Red Sea that were keen to support us snorkeling on zodiac or by guide on the amazing house reef. They have onsite dive school so maybe I'll have some lessons too.

 

[marzookah]

Another report ( Red Sea, October 2023, in Shams Alam ) reminded me that I forgot to tell you the most obvious thing.
THE most convenient way to enjoy snorkeling is land based resorts. You can then snorkel house reefs at will or join day trips as the ones described in that other thread.

Thank you. Think we are going land base in Dahab

 

[Mike_4635]

You might look at the Aggressor Fleet. They have what they call a floating resort in the Red Sea. Might be worth a look and maybe a phone call to Aggressor. aggressor.com

 

[marzookah]

You might look at the Aggressor Fleet. They have what they call a floating resort in the Red Sea. Might be worth a look and maybe a phone call to Aggressor. aggressor.com

Thanks. Will have a look