SS Thistlegorm

[ronnywood]

That about the Padi Nitrox course is not correct , Christian.
You not only have to do a theory exam there is also two practicall aplications , like analyse a nitrox filling , fill in your taggs or stickers on the tank , station log etc.
The only thing changed is that you don,t need to do nitrox dives to gett certified.

 

[gorcio]

As Mania said, no wreck cert is required to dive it and to penetrate it.Surely, diving nitrox helps here a lot, especially if doing 2 or more dives there. To me, so far it is the best wreck I have dived.
You can try requesting bigger tanks for the dive too, if Your dive center can arrange them - take 15 or even 18 liters and EAN32 - You will be fine. There was lots of life there last time, both outside and inside.

 

[Boa Gialla]

As Mania said, no wreck cert is required to dive it and to penetrate it.Surely, diving nitrox helps here a lot, especially if doing 2 or more dives there. To me, so far it is the best wreck I have dived.
You can try requesting bigger tanks for the dive too, if Your dive center can arrange them - take 15 or even 18 liters and EAN32 - You will be fine. There was lots of life there last time, both outside and inside.

It's a great wreck, and your suggestion about using a 15 lt with EAN32 is very good.

Dives on the T. had been forbidden for a short period, to set up a new system for "shamandura" (after lot of damages done by mooring on that poor wreck).

The dives on the wreck are great, but IMHO very dangerous, beacuse of the number of dive-boats that come and go without any respect and attention for the divers below. All the times that I went there, I was very surprised of the low number of accidents: probably we're all lucky people.

Ciao,
A.

P.S. As usual, sorry for my poor english

 

[gorcio]

The dives on the wreck are great, but IMHO very dangerous, beacuse of the number of dive-boats that come and go without any respect and attention for the divers below. All the times that I went there, I was very surprised of the low number of accidents: probably we're all lucky people.

That's true that the surface is quite crowded with boats, however, if You take a closer look, You would notice that most boats come early, and stay there for couple of hours to allow 2 dives on the site. Also, as I observed, the practice is to go down the anchor/mooring line, memorize it's location, and go back up along it. Even when one confuses lines, it is just an ascent to another boat. And since one rather does it slowly, with (few) stop(s) on the ascent - there is enough time to observe the surface. If any doubts about surface traffic ... release marker.

 

[ArthurGerla]

I've seen horribly unsafe things happen there. The most memorable: A diver from another boat surfacing right behind ours as our captain put the engine into reverse. The fellow was lucky we had people on our dive deck to grab him as our screws tried to suck him in. White knuckle stuff.

 

[Marek K]

Old thread, but still worth it for Thistlegorm pointers. Mine:

-- Don't know how it is now with the new mooring system, but the number of divers at any one time - or rather dive groups - can be tremendous. Sounds stupid, but make sure you know who-all is in your group (what their fins look like!! ). Particularly if another buddy team in your group, like, accidentally cuts ahead of you. In that throng, there's a lot of potential of accidentally going off behind another group. Ask me how I know. (Quickly remedied, fortunately.)

-- Be sure to study all the available diagrams of the wreck, and where all the artifacts are. Otherwise you may blow past something important. I didn't even see the Bren carriers, though that was one of the main things I wanted to see.

-- The routes and timing are pretty well organized by the divemasters we were with (Sinai Divers). We went deepest (locomotive off the port side) at the beginning of the first dive; then the second dive was spent exploring in and out of the superstructure. We then hung out near the ascent line, and ascended by buddy teams as we hit our ascent pressure (don't remember what that was). I was on EAN32, but my son was on air; enough bottom time for two dives on the Thistlegorm.

The only small problem was that the dive op offered an extra dive (marginal extra charge) on the way back to Sharm, on Ras Mohamed. They wouldn't allow the two of us to do it because my son had dived air. (He was still OK NDL-wise; but, hey, it was their boat. Plus we had to drive back to Dahab that evening across some elevation.)

--Marek

 

[Boa Gialla]

The only small problem was that the dive op offered an extra dive (marginal extra charge) on the way back to Sharm, on Ras Mohamed.

Shark & Yolanda, I guess: how can a diver resist?

I dove a couple of times there, coming back from the T.
Two great days, in my memory: two dive on the T. and a third in the coral gardens of Shark & Yolanda Reef.

Ciao
A.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Shark & Yolanda, I guess: how can a diver resist?

I dove a couple of times there, coming back from the T.
Two great days, in my memory: two dive on the T. and a third in the coral gardens of Shark & Yolanda Reef.

Ciao
A.

The best way to do Ras Mohamed and Thistlegorm is a mini-safari (3 days liveaboard). Some operators do 3 dives; 2 Thistle and 1 Shark - Yolanda, in a daily speed boat trip. The third dive is usually very tiresome and sometimes short.

 

[gorcio]

Some operators do 3 dives; 2 Thistle and 1 Shark - Yolanda, in a daily speed boat trip. The third dive is usually very tiresome and sometimes short.

it is also possible doing it "hard way", meaning i.e. night transfer from Dahab to Sharm, boarding boat, then 3 dives (2 Thistlegorm, 1 Yolanda), and then back to Sharm for 2-3 hours of "desaturation" before going back to Dahab. Takes 24 hours in total , but it is worth it if Your prime location is Dahab.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

True, and still possible even if your location is Sharm not Dahab.