Sharm Liveaboard VIP One trip report, Part One: The Diving

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Doc

Was RoatanMan
Scuba Instructor
Messages
10,954
Reaction score
4,119
Location
Chicago & O'Hare heading thru TSA 5x per year
# of dives
None - Not Certified
(Overnight in Sharm and Connections from North America to Sharm discussed in Post #2)

We boarded the the Liveaboard "VIP One" in Sharm el Sheikh (the Southern tip of the Sinai, North end of the Red Sea) on late Sunday Night (Monarch flight Southbound from Gatwick was 5 hrs late) and got underway Monday Morning after getting clearance from Harbor Master.

The tip of the Sinai is flanked on the Western left by the Gulf of Suez and on the Eastern right- by the Gulf of Aqaba with the Straits of Tiran as a SE starting point. We did a quick weight-check dive on a rather bleak spot but were pleased to find all of the regular fish plus daylight Octopus, Cuttlefish and several Pipefish. We were marauded by one of those "1/2 submarine" tour boats wanting to give their passengers a look at SCUBA diver's butts.

We then did: Ras Katy, Alternatives, Shark Ryolanda, Alternatives (night). Then Shark Observatory, Small Crack, Thistlegorm, Thistlegorm (night). Then Thistlegorm, Thistlegorm, Shag Rock, Shaabau (night). Shark Observatory, Dunnraven, Shark Observatory, Raas Am (night). Ras Za'atr, Thomas (Tiran), Jackson, Gordon, Woodhouse (night) in 5 very full days of diving. I could swear we did Ras Burg, Thomas and some others, but I can't recall. The character of this group was that most of us were well beyond logging dives. Memories suffice, cameras were all but universal. This was a self reliant yet helpful group that one dreams of diving along with.

They were largely Brits so I learned some new words in English, as well as phrasing by preceeding every exclamation with "right well..." This was very confusing for me as there was a Canadian (eh?) with us plus two Scotts. The Brits were largely Northerners and their language is truly handed down from the aliens that built Stonehenge. I asked them and they said that they understood everything I said, but I got abot 45% of what they said. Man- and I lived in London for a while. I did learn some useful things including the universal catch word: bollocks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollocks

The VIP One is well set up for diving and handled out 14 divers with no problem. They provided nitrox and alternative larger sized tanks if you suck air. The food was plentiful and good. There was a "mark what you take" bar and unlimited free bottled water. http://www.vipone.com/index-h.html

The water temps were in 82* "bathtub water" (July 06). (28 Celcius) Some wore 3 mils, a few of us went in swim trunks. The air temps were 90-105*, (35-40 C) most nights dropping to the upper 80's with an all but constant breeze.

The real plus was the dive briefings as the dive site maps were very well drawn and quite descriptive of what we would find. The DM, James, also lead us on one whirlwind tour of the 127 meter long Thistlegorm before we set off on our own repetitive dives there. She went down in 1941, during WW2 and settled in 60-100fsw, fully laden with cargo of Enfield Rifles, railroad tank cars, locomotives, scores of BSA motorcycles, Morris Trucks, Mine-sweeping Paravanes, Tires, Grenades, Ammo, 16" Naval shells, airplane wings, tracked weapons carriers (light tanks), Wellington Boots and more- 10.3" & 4.7" deck guns, huge prop and easy swim throughs. http://touregypt.net/VDC/Thistle.htm Cousteau "discovered" her in 1955, we all watched intently on "Silent World"... Well us old farts, anyway.

We visited a number or wooden hulled steamship/sail wrecks, as well as the Yolanda (the famous Toilet Bowl bathroom fixture wreck). Many seem to need their picture perched atop one of the bowls! The wreck's captain vainly attempted to lighten his ship, finally tossing his own BMW overboard- all in vain. We also stopped to dive on the Dunraven, Kingston (1881), and to gawk at the Loullia (1981).

The other great positive to the VIP One was its English Captain. He knew "when to make his move". We arrived at even the most popular dive sites well ahead of the marauding "day dive boats" that disgorge multitudes upon the popular sites. He timed our entries to occur just before they arrived, we exited as they entered. Our night dives were always on sites that we had seen in the daylight. He is not afraid to move the ship and burn some fuel, which is quite cheap by our Pacific/Caribbean standards. The boat is constantly on the move.

The cabins were more than adequate, as good as any of the better liveaboards. Remember that almost all of them are refitted luxury cabin cruiser yachts, so don't think Hughes or Dancer. A lot of wood and fancy stuff- so no shoes! The cabins smelled just fine and- as is the case with most similar liveaboards, the a/c was marginal to acceptable, varying throughout the day with no rhyme or reason. The service of the crew more than made up for any very minor shortcomings of the boat. If I had one (again- very minor) criticism, it would be that the rear platform ladders were vertical. The one strandard and one tree-ladder were not angled, so the pull up is somewhat harder than if angled. The recoveries, many times, were done professionaly from RIBs, and the transfer back to the VIP One was well attended by crewmembers assistance. We never had to touch our gear.

Sharks? Sure- lots of Sharks. Call me jaded, but I've seen my Sharks. I was more taken with the quantity of Pipefish and the most unusual Sea Moth http://www.photocean.com/seamoth.html. These critters seem to travel in pairs, but that one evening I found five in a cluster. I spent 45 minutes at 18fsw and did everything short of tasting them! Previously in that same shallow dive, I spent 25 minutes watching a Blue Trigger tend its nest, aereating it in a circular pattern that was not to be interupted. Earlier, I watched as two Titan Triggers terrorized two other divers from our group.

I had a run-in with a Titan Trigger, and true to form, it attacked my flippers, but he would divert his attack if I swept him with my flashlight. Next case.

Also spotted: Slipper Lobster, Hooded Cuttlefish, Bigfin Reef Squid, Red Sea Partner Goby & Snapping Shrimp sharing a hidey-hole, Sugarcan Shrimp, Burrowing Snake Eel, Snake Blenny (nocturnal), Needlefish, Eyelash Spider Crab, Network and Schultzs Pipe Fish, Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray, Dolphin, Gorgonian Goby, Squat Cleaner Shrimp, Anemone Bubble Coral Shrimp, Nudibranch egg ribbons, Orange and Blue Thecacera Nudibranch, Pyjama Slug, and Ruppell's Wart Slug. Not a complete list!

There was quite a debate amongst several of our fellow divers as to what type sharks they were seeing, as there was one that did not seem to appear as a localy known species in any book. Off of Alternatives we easily located a huge school of circling Baracuda, and upon dipping lower- Sharks would appear and approach doing the arched back dance. Hey, Chum, what kind of Sharks are they?

Thank heavens for the reef critter ID book I found called "RED SEA REEF GUIDE" by Helmut Debelius, also available anywhere in Sharm.

My favorite site above all of the rest was easily Ras Za'atr with its dramatic overhangs and swim throughs. The lighting was spectacular at the time of day as our Captain intentionaly presented it to us.

We saw the 1967 remnants of Russian armour being pushed off of cliffs before retreat from the invading Israeli forces. A quick look at the jagged, un-eroded straight-up walls of the Sinai Mountains... That would have been a terribly costly battle to move through that natural fortress. The mountains are simply breathtaking. The eroded bits of sand near the ocean are apparently from a freak 3 day deluge storm in 2002.

Now, for our last night a stop in Sharm. It's hot. But it's a dry heat. Kind of like a Pizza Oven.

We booked this through Longwood Holidays. http://www.longwoodholidays.co.uk/ We had to handle everything up to our arranged Monarch Flight to Sharm.

Above water PIX? See http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/doc_adelman/album?.dir=/8d2bre2


(See "Part 2", our Overnight in Sharm and "Part 3", Travel from North America Via London)
 
Now, for our last night a stop in Sharm. It's hot. But it's a dry heat. Kind of like a Pizza Oven.

Sharm, the vacation resort-town itself was simply spectacular. Think Arab Disneyland on speed. We stayed at the large hotel Naama Bay http://www.naama-bay.info/ , but rooms 600-700 involved quite a hike, still yet above the elevators and on a bluff above the town. We had a good chance to rest and walk into town which only really wakes up at 2100 hrs. Then it is absolute Bedlam. The average age was 24 and it was packed, certainly even more so because of the displaced vacationers from Lebanon. Forget about the bombing that occured a year ago this week. They were directed away from tourists and towards locals. Even a bomber knows his target. Go have fun, do not fret.

Merchants? I counted some that could communicate well in at least seven different languages. Start negotiations at 15% of the marked price, don't be afraid to walk away. You will be approached continuously with the chant, "Hello my friend, where are you from? May I ask you a question?" Tell them you live in Sharm. They will go away.

Shopping was pretty marginal. Remember- they are only "competing" for the "Euro Shopper". We in the States are used to discounts on everything. SCUBA gear prices were obscene, as is hard liquor. I walked away with a "Barbie Pink" boxed, modestly black shrouded (Barbie height) "fashion doll", a few books and some over priced Egyptian cat carvings. Some very distressing SCUBA cartoon postcards were snapped up. If you needed a clean t-shirt, you could easily buy one. Other than that, Egyptian Cotton was hard to find, but they did have some funny t-shirts.

Smoking Shisha with water pipes (hubbly bubbly) are all the rage back home nowadays, and although they are starting to appear in the US with their molasses, fruit & tobacco smoking materials, I wouldn't want to be the guy bringing one back through US Customs. The gold and jewelry were inviting offerings, however I didn't price anything. But, the beer was a bargain.

Our group's headquarters was the Camel Bar Rooftop http://www.cameldive.com/ and the manager kept a table reserved for us for the entire time. The Camel hotel looked like the place to be to be in the center of things versus the remote location we were in. The VIP One liveaboard was operated by the same guys that ran the Red Sea College of Diving. http://www.redseacollege.com/indexh.html There you can buy the essential ring-bound dive-site book entiled SINAI DIVING GUIDE, Vol. 1 (Albert Siliotti, Geodia) with detailed dive site maps in 3d with great descriptions.

The place is obviously desert, and that means that no rain will fall upon the array of cloth coverd couches and seating that forms every establishment's broad sidewalk café. The furnishings looked like any US Fraternity house front lawn, but at night the perfumed aroma of the waterpipes combined with copious beer made for a grand party. I saw no one acting stupid and everyone getting out and about. There is a KFC, McD, Pizza Hut, and a Hard Rock.... If you must, but we sought out a better restauarant that served us dinner and drinks at approximately $20 US per person. Try that in London!

Print a copy of this from SCUBABoard's "Mania" http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1525850&postcount=6 as well as be sure to read the entire thread.

Here are some Sharm photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/doc_adelman/album?.dir=/ddb9re2
 
GETTING THERE... (for North Americans)

For divers from North America, the habit of the European/English divers can be of some use as they book Sunday-Sunday, unlike our Saturday changeover in the Caribbean. I left for Newark/Gatwick on Friday morning on Continental ($1000 rt) out of O'hare and arrived in Gatwick at 0700. It took a full 2 hours to get through customs (as we intended to overnight, this customs was a necessary process). I was 1/3 of the way from the front of that line, so I have no clue if those behind me are still waiting. The lengthy delay was due to manpower mismanagement and attitude issues.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn, Gatwick. Grab the shuttle bus from station #11 and pay $5 (2.5 GBP) for the transfer. They made me sit in the lobby until 11 am as they had no early check-in or baggage service. Breakfast Buffet was available for $36 US so I took a pass. At 11, I got my room, the manager apologized for his early staff not giving me a room, I took a shower and a 1/2 hr nap. Off to London. Ooops. The 77 mm UV filter fell off of my camera and shattered. A $22 item was about to cost me $75 at London's famous Selfridge's department store. Lillywhites on Picadilly used to be the place for sporting goods, now it's a junk shop.

I got the "pass" that took me by train to downtown London in 25 minutes. The pass also gave me free reign on any of the tube runs (subway) so I could blip around London- bypassing the very warm Saturday and very crowded sidewalks. I strolled thru Harrods and noted the cheapest ala carte item in the Food Court was $22, so I exited and found "Eat" right across the street and got a great chicken wrap and coke for $9.

I spent about two hours talking with Punk Rockers who were posing for pix on Picadilly Square. The leader of the pack and I yacked about how they were squatting in a building with water and electricity and how he believed they were the last of the 50 remaining Punkers to be found. It is a lifestyle, not a costume. Maybe my understanding of that is why he and I had such a lengthy and pleasant coversation.

This same "rule" probably applies in any situation. If you go to a distant lanmd fearing the differences, you will sense the fear. If you go to savor the differences, you will come out ahead. That said, when in Sharm, go to McDonalds and have a "McArabia", but be sure to drink LOTS of water!

We headed South from Gatwick to Sharm aboard the delayed Monarch Air flight. This is 2 time zones East of London and is a 4 hour flight. I have never been in such narrow seats with such little legroom. Good food and cabin service.

On the way back, I had to overnite at Gatwick again, but others in the group either went home in England or some North Americans went travelling into London and beyond. Some arrived early and did the Pyramids.

All in all, for a North American, a doable thing. For the Brits, this is the equivelant to us Yanks and our Caribbean. They love their Sharks and wrecks, and that they have here by the bucket fulls. There are also other, more delicate offerings that the Red Sea will give up to the observant and skilled. You're going to need a super-wide and a macro set up. Would I do it again? Well, I would take "Herself" along the next time, and I would be sure to arrange a side trip to the Pyramids. The VIP One would be a good choice for a liveaboard.

And here's some London pix, why not? http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/doc_a.../pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/doc_adelman/my_photos
 
Welcome to the Sharm funs club....
Did you read before going my sticky about what to do in Sharm after diving?
Anyway I love this place....

Mania
 
mania:
Welcome to the Sharm funs club....
Did you read before going my sticky about what to do in Sharm after diving?
Anyway I love this place....Mania

Yes, I even carried a printed copy with me. I had the luxury of being with several regulars and locals. SCUBABoard was a great resource for some parts of my trip- absolutely useless for others.
 
Thanks for all the details, Doc. But.....where's your pics? :D
 
Dee:
Thanks for all the details, Doc. But.....where's your pics? :D

As you know, Dee, I only shoot above water pix, leaving my u/w time to spot for the good shooters like you. I'm waiting for my copies from the others aboard.

In the mean time, until you repair the SB Photo storage, I have added the Yahoo Photos links to the above articles. I will add photos throughout the next 24 hr period.
 

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