Liveaboard - May/June - Route recommendations/suggestions

[SophieVMUK]

Hi everyone - My husband and I are trying to book a week's liveboard for May/June-time and while I used to dive in the Red Sea a lot many years ago, it's been a while and am trying to gauge the most suitable itinerary (especially having seen notes about the Brother's being closed).

For background, we are both Advanced qualified. I am 100+ dives and experienced, my husband is approx. 30 dives but good experience diving to date in Mozambique, Komodo/Indo and UK.

Am looking for a mix of good, relaxed reefs along with a good chance for pelagic action. I've previously dived the North and the B/D/E routes a few times. I've never been down to St John's/Fury Shoal way.

Any thoughts/suggestions for those who have been diving the area in recent years? Also, trying to gauge May vs. June for pelagics and sea conditions so any advice here would be helpful too.

Looking at Emperor (given long standing reputation), but also BlueOTwo and Blue Planet so any other thoughts/suggestions on these welcome.

Thanks all,
Sophie

 

[rayaa3]

I think there is an element of pure luck for pelagics, however...

We did BDE last May, 21-28 and we were treated to longmanus on every dive at D and BB and LB. As well most of those dives had hammerhead. A few had a thresher off in the distance.

No other pelagic to speak of, just sharks.

As for conditions. One of the crossing of the night was a bit rough. However if you were in a below deck room near the center and took meds, no big deal. Diving was unpredictable. Sometimes no current, sometimes current. They would go check before making a dive plan. It was only trouble if it changed mid dive and you were suddenly faced with swimming against it. BO2 did a good job of looking for SMB for anyone that had to abort early. I definitely wouldn't dive without smb and whistle.

That's my only red sea experience. Oh one other detail: Late May Water temp would occasionally dip to 75f mid dive, mostly 76f at B and D and near shore sites warmer. I took a 5mm full would have been fine in a 3mm and wished I had a 3mm and a shorty to switch out near shore. Comfort is subjective.