Marsa Alma Area -Ecolodges for Advanced OW?

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scottg_houston

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Messages
27
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Location
Den Haag, Netherlands
# of dives
200 - 499
Dear Scubaboard folks

...looking to make a 5-7 day trip to the Eygptian Red Sea in late April to take my PADI Advanced prior to this years major dive trip to the Maldives late July(and which I hear is all about drift diving in often serious currents).

I certified OW in Aug last year and have since logged 26 dives -mostly Texas lakes, other than a long weekend in Mexico (and where I did discover what currents can be like)!

Bit apprehensive about Sinai/Hurghada..as I'm not really looking for a whole day boat type operation (dive/lunch on board/dive)..so no desire just to book into a Hilton (nothing against them as I'm actually in their frequent traveller program), just dont want to risk "herding" while I'm trying to focus on my course.

So I have found some great websites about the Marsa Alam area ecolodges ..specifically the Shagra, Nakari and Wadi Lahmi desert camps. (Worked in the Middle East years ago, so have no issues with unairconditioned tents/beach huts).

So any advise appreciated..does anyone have any experience of these locations..are they for more experienced divers (given the isolation), or do you think they'd be able to accommodate my needs? Can you recommend one to suit my needs?

(I also have all the typical newbee type questions..eg which wetsuit for 73 degree water etc..and I know the answer to that one..it'll be it depends on me)!

But seriously, scubaboard has been really helpful to me before, so I'm excited to see what this (think its my 3rd post) will bring!

Yours etc
Scottg_Houston
(Now relocated to Den Haag, Netherlands..but cant find where to change my username )!
 
scottg_houston:
Dear Scubaboard folks

...looking to make a 5-7 day trip to the Eygptian Red Sea in late April to take my PADI Advanced prior to this years major dive trip to the Maldives late July(and which I hear is all about drift diving in often serious currents).

I certified OW in Aug last year and have since logged 26 dives -mostly Texas lakes, other than a long weekend in Mexico (and where I did discover what currents can be like)!

Bit apprehensive about Sinai/Hurghada..as I'm not really looking for a whole day boat type operation (dive/lunch on board/dive)..so no desire just to book into a Hilton (nothing against them as I'm actually in their frequent traveller program), just dont want to risk "herding" while I'm trying to focus on my course.

So I have found some great websites about the Marsa Alam area ecolodges ..specifically the Shagra, Nakari and Wadi Lahmi desert camps. (Worked in the Middle East years ago, so have no issues with unairconditioned tents/beach huts).

So any advise appreciated..does anyone have any experience of these locations..are they for more experienced divers (given the isolation), or do you think they'd be able to accommodate my needs? Can you recommend one to suit my needs?

(I also have all the typical newbee type questions..eg which wetsuit for 73 degree water etc..and I know the answer to that one..it'll be it depends on me)!

But seriously, scubaboard has been really helpful to me before, so I'm excited to see what this (think its my 3rd post) will bring!

Yours etc
Scottg_Houston
(Now relocated to Den Haag, Netherlands..but cant find where to change my username )!

More divers do the Red Sea on this board
http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/forums/
 
Some sites in the southern Egyptian Red Sea are for experienced divers with 50+ dives. Examples are Elphinstone and the Brothers.

Some sites in Shagra, Nakari, and Lahami are shore dives while the others are boat or zodiac dives. Sometimes they do the transfer to sites via trucks.

PADI AOW course doesn't require real focusing. If you don't want to go boat diving, try Dahab.
 
scottg_houston:
Dear Scubaboard folks

...looking to make a 5-7 day trip to the Eygptian Red Sea in late April to take my PADI Advanced prior to this years major dive trip to the Maldives late July(and which I hear is all about drift diving in often serious currents).

I certified OW in Aug last year and have since logged 26 dives -mostly Texas lakes, other than a long weekend in Mexico (and where I did discover what currents can be like)!

Bit apprehensive about Sinai/Hurghada..as I'm not really looking for a whole day boat type operation (dive/lunch on board/dive)..so no desire just to book into a Hilton (nothing against them as I'm actually in their frequent traveller program), just dont want to risk "herding" while I'm trying to focus on my course.

So I have found some great websites about the Marsa Alam area ecolodges ..specifically the Shagra, Nakari and Wadi Lahmi desert camps. (Worked in the Middle East years ago, so have no issues with unairconditioned tents/beach huts).

So any advise appreciated..does anyone have any experience of these locations..are they for more experienced divers (given the isolation), or do you think they'd be able to accommodate my needs? Can you recommend one to suit my needs?

(I also have all the typical newbee type questions..eg which wetsuit for 73 degree water etc..and I know the answer to that one..it'll be it depends on me)!

But seriously, scubaboard has been really helpful to me before, so I'm excited to see what this (think its my 3rd post) will bring!

Yours etc
Scottg_Houston
(Now relocated to Den Haag, Netherlands..but cant find where to change my username )!

I've been to Shagra and Nakari. Shagra is much nicer if you ask me. I haven't been to Wadi Lahmi but friends of mine who have been there liked it a lot.

In terms of instructors from what I saw most of the guys at Shagra seem to know their stuff. Try to hook up with one of the married guys. They're not as easily distracted by the women :)

Making the deep dive there is no problem. You can do that from the house reef. For the navigation dive you''ll proably have to go with the truck but that's not an issue. It goes every day to Abu Dabab, which is flat(ish) and sandy. Good for navigation. In terms of additional specialties, Night, Drift, Coral, Underwater photography, Nitrox, PPB, Multilevel and underwater naturalist are possibilities that can be taken in or around the house reef. You can also do Boat if you go with them to the big boat at Nakari, which is a day trip.

If you're interested in doing that, you can email them and arrange your programme before you go and then buy the books now so you can do the reading and knowledge questoins before you go. That's going to save you time on your surface intervals. It's not nearly as much work as OW was but you're still on vacation... :)

Incidentally, I'm going to be in Shagra in late april myself.

R..
 
Thanks guys..guess I cant really go much wrong!

(And appreciate the link to Yorkshire diving..hadnt thought of looking North of the Watford gap for Red Sea advice!:)

Will let you know what I decide to do..
 
Hiya Scott,
When you moved over did you bring some Shiner Bock? I've been twice to Marsa Shagra and am going to Wadi Lahami on April 5th. You'll love it there. The camps and diving operations are well-run.

Phil
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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