liveaboard Sudan, Oman or Djibouti

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ClairevL

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Messages
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Location
The Netherlands
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi all,

I just got back from a relaxing liveaboard in the Maldives and this week of diving went by way to fast again; so I immediately want to book my next trip (will probably go in October/November);-) I was thinking to go to Sudan again, but also heard some good stories about Oman and Djibouti.

I have been to Sudan before: 2 weeks Deep South and I absolutely loved it.
I would love to go to a place with large schools of fish, beautiful soft coral and big stuff (rays/sharks) again and for this trip I don't want to spend too much (will probably also go to Raja Ampat in December). Good visibility is definitely a plus.

Who has dived in Oman or Djibouti? And what about the different routes in Sudan? I would really appreciate any advise on this topic!!
Thanks!
 
I've done a fair few dives around Oman, Mainly Musandam up north and the Damaniyats but never on a LOB.

Most weekends there are dhows running from the Oman side of Dibba at the UAE border leaving on Thursday nights and returning Saturday evening for Musandam and the Damaniyats can be accessed from Muscat or the Millennium hotel at Mussanah in Oman.

Personally for a LOB I'd be going to the Red Sea, and in view of recent events off Fujairah it might be the more secure option.

I'm sure @Diving Dubai can add more info.
 
Hi all,

I just got back from a relaxing liveaboard in the Maldives and this week of diving went by way to fast again; so I immediately want to book my next trip (will probably go in October/November);-) I was thinking to go to Sudan again, but also heard some good stories about Oman and Djibouti.

I have been to Sudan before: 2 weeks Deep South and I absolutely loved it.
I would love to go to a place with large schools of fish, beautiful soft coral and big stuff (rays/sharks) again and for this trip I don't want to spend too much (will probably also go to Raja Ampat in December). Good visibility is definitely a plus.

Who has dived in Oman or Djibouti? And what about the different routes in Sudan? I would really appreciate any advise on this topic!!
Thanks!

I'd recommend a Djibouti liveaboard diving; it's a whale shark hotspot with numerous sharks and plenty of great coral reefs. It's like Egypt's Red Sea in terms of corals but without the crowds of divers. You'd also be visiting during whale shark season and the liveaboards are beautiful - check out the Deli and Elegante at the link I provided.

Oman also has some great diving and comes highly recommended by a friend of mine who lives and dives there. It's getting more popular and there's a small selection of Oman liveaboards to choose from.

Enjoy your trip planning,

Kathryn
 
I just got back from a 10 day trip on the Oman Aggressor which covered dives sites from Bandar Khayron, Fahal Island, and
Aquarium in the south to Daymaniyat Islands and Musandam Peninsula further north. This was a transition itinerary for the Aggressor, not only in location from one part of Oman to another but also in the staff. The captain, cruise director, and one of the two dive masters were new to this particular Aggressor ship and the other dive master was new to the second half of the itinerary. Although the itinerary was new to most of the staff, they had detailed maps and information about the dive sites from the prior crew and were able to give competent briefings on the dives. No complaints whatsoever about the staff and boat. Nonetheless, even though the crew entered the water before the guests and made adjustments prior to the guests entering, nobody was able to predict the rapidly changing visibility and currents on the northern dive sites during the dives. During some dives, we faced up and down currents within minutes of each other. The visibility would also change from 50 feet to 3 or 4 feet in the same amount of time. On some dives in the north the visibility never got over 10 feet. The visibility and currents were much more predictable the further south we were. The dives on Fahal Island and the Aquarium were excellent dives. On the positive side, the fish life in terms of variety and numbers was some of the best I have ever seen when you could see them. We saw untold numbers of moray eels, rays, cuttlefish, squid, angels, puffers and large schools of snapper and fusiliers. There was also the largest school of schooling barracuda I have ever see. Nudis and pipefish were also plentiful. There were several zebra sharks and turtles and we even saw zebra shark egg casings. I can only imagine what else we would have seen if the vis was better and we didn't have to fight the current so much. On the negative side, Another issue was the thermoclines. The upper water temperature was in the low 80's but somewhere between 40-50 feet you could hit a thermocline that would drop the temperature to the low to mid 70's. Most divers switched a 5 mm suit. The final thing that you should be aware of was the almost invisible stingers on a few of the dive sites. Although the stings were painful for a few minutes for most, two divers had extreme reactions to the stings and had welts on hands, face, and neck for several days. Even with these negatives, the variety and numbers of fish and other marine life outweighed these negatives; although I would probably stay away from the northern sites during this time of year.
 
Nonetheless, even though the crew entered the water before the guests and made adjustments prior to the guests entering, nobody was able to predict the rapidly changing visibility and currents on the northern dive sites during the dives. During some dives, we faced up and down currents within minutes of each other. The visibility would also change from 50 feet to 3 or 4 feet in the same amount of time. On some dives in the north the visibility never got over 10 feet.

I'd be really interested to know what sites you visited I the Musandam
I've been diving the northern sites in the Musandam at least once a month year round for the past 5 years. We (a group of friends who are all experienced divers) charter and run our own non profit trips. We go all the way to the top including Quion islands which are on the edge of Omani waters (technically next to international waters - but tell that to Iran

I will disagree about the currents being unpredictable, actually they are easy to predict. While the tides often don't always meet the predictions there are numerous indicators that experienced divers who know the sites can use to determine whether a site is divable.

We will probably drop in to conditions that most people will steer clear of. Down currents are around, but again the likelihood of them on a particular site is predictable. That said we still encounter 10 or so per year, the majority being "inconvenient" a few being "exciting" but we know when to expect them.

Yes the thermoclines can catch people out, I wear a hooded vest so I can pull up the hood or take it down to match the conditions - we had 30C at the top and 22 at 30m (86F-71F) on most sites. The colder waters have the best vis but (especially in the summer) what ever wetsuit you choose is only good for 30% of the dive temp wise.

Stinging plankton and small jelly fish are the norm from March/April - June - normally they're near the surface in the top 10 or so metres lower is the vis is poorer - I'm surprised your guides didn't' know this

Vis can be an issue in the Musandam depending on the time of year, but careful choice of sites and time of dive can mitigate this. Avoiding the bays and diving the more exposed sites also improves conditions. The best time to visit (vis wise) is Sept through Nov

Your comments however about your experience is no surprise. There are very few people with extensive experience of the Musandam - and most are Expats in Dubai. None work for the Aggressor. The Northern Musandam also is no place for novice divers, people need to be confident in their diving ability and okay with challenging currents, some sites are really exposed and it's easy to get blown off, this is where you need to be capable with shooting a dsmb quickly. and just as importantly having a pick up boat whose crew can "read the conditions and predict where divers will pop up.

But it can be rewarding, this weekend alone we had 3 whale shark sightings, I was sat in the blue surrounded by 100's of Barracuda, with Mobula Rays passing by, bat fish, king fish etc all around me. And that was only one site. Over the past 6 months we've also had 4 Mola Mola encounters

Unfortunately some of the best action is either deep 30m ish, or hooked on to a point in screaming current Diving this area with a single Al 80 will neither give you the best diving experience (unless you're shallow and out of current) nor frankly is sensible if the current is blowing.

Personally I wouldn't' advise anyone to use the Aggressor for the Musandam, they don't know the area (as proved by your post) and even more, don't know what they don't know about the area and conditions
 
Oman also has some great diving and comes highly recommended by a friend of mine who lives and dives there. It's getting more popular and there's a small selection of Oman liveaboards to choose from


To further expand.

The "Authentic" Coloured Dhow's on your site are run by a good company. While comfortable (and the best dhows) they are at best 2* Dhow's have a shallow draft so roll and pitch in light seas They are also noisy whilst underway

Cuisine is generally Arabic / Indian - while good, it's not western

The availability of Alcoholic beverages is dependant on the "current climate" - how the Officials feel. You cannot bring it with you across the border from the UAE to Oman. The UAE side of the Dibba border is in the "dry" Emirate of Sharjah being found in possession can mean a trip to jail depending on the Police official

Plan your trip carefully. New moons and Full Moons mean screaming currents on the Northern sites. Even for us who like currents these conditions can make some sites undiveable.

You will dive sites suitable to the least experienced and while the guides are good and safe you won't be hitting very best sites unless you are really really fortunate. Wind and wave conditions also play a factor of where the dhows can moor at any given time which will affect site choices

Vis wise the best times to visit are Sept to Dec In Sept peak air temps will still be near the 40's C dropping to 30's in Dec Jan - March while cooler at midday is also much cooler in the morning and afternoon when the sun is lower meaning it's easy to get chilled

By Sept surface temps will be around 30C with those at depth around 26C but thermoclines are always a possibility - I always wear a hooded vest as part of my exposure

Jan - April a 5mm or more is recommended Sometimes for May too - for the rest of the year a 3mm is good depending on your tolerance. You will get hot on the boats though.

People need to be competent in launching dsmb and having one plus a reel (spool) with at least 25% more line than their max certified depth (I carry a spool with 45m /150' of line and it has fully emptied at 15m!).

Expect current you may need to fin through it, there are a couple of drift dives as long as the current isn't too wild.

Lots of hard and soft coral as well as plenty of fish to see - as it's off the beaten track diving, you will likely be the only people on a site, and you may not see another dive boat.

Manage yoru expectations, if you expect clear blue water with glass like vis, you'll be disappointed. I have often experienced 30m + vis especially in the latter half of the year. The further North you go, the better the vis
 
I'd be really interested to know what sites you visited I the Musandam

Some of the sites were Lima Rock, Ras Lima, Mas Marovi, Octopus Rock, Ras Khaysh, White Rock, and Al Khayal, West Wall.

Lima Rock had the most up and down currents and currents that changed direction. It was also where we saw Mobula rays, beautiful soft corals and schools and schools of different types of fish. Octopus Rock had low vis but there was still lots to see. Al Khayal - West Wall started off nice but turned into an out of the control drift dive with almost no vis. However, there was a brief citing of a whale shark on the surface.

The stingers were only when shallow and were known about but could not be avoided at safety stop.

I knew before I signed up that the Aggressor was new to the area and the crew never claimed to know the area like experts. As mentioned in your later post, the Aggressor is the only Western style liveaboard covering the area. The private charter that you mentioned is simply not available to/known about by the average diver planning a trip to Oman. The Aggressor is might be the best option for those not local or not having the ability to charter a private boat.
 
Lima Rock, Ras Lima, Mas Marovi, Octopus Rock are all considered the entrance to Musandam

Lima generally only has weird currents on the points when the current is running but they're predictable. All of these sites have lower vis because they're quite south - although if you're lucky it can be good. Octopus is great for small stuff if you can see through all teh Red tooth Trigger fish

Ras Khayser can be a nice site, there is an underwater ridge that leads to White rock which can be spectacular for action at slack water - anything more than slack and no chance without a scooter. White Rock is an interesting choice because it can really bite. If you get it just right it can be spectacular - too little current and it's not great, too much and it's borderline dangerous - I've been sucked down from 25m to 55m there.

I get your point re Aggressor and western style, although the traditional Dhows advertised by Liveaboard.com are a better bet for teh diving - but like all sharing trips it depends on the experience level of the divers

Glad you got to experience the Musandam, I only wish your experience could have been better and really seen what it has to offer and why we keep coming back
 
I'm sure @Diving Dubai can add more info.

I love the Musandam as it's on my doorstep. But and here's the big BUT for the same amount of money you can get to places (maldives, Red Sea etc) that have more consistent vis and sometimes more consistent big stuff that's easier to see - We only see perhaps a couple of reef sharks all year :(

It can be a hard sell because when you're spending money and using yoru vacation time there is a degree of expectation and although the Musandam can be stunning, it can have meh! conditions too.

It doesn't matter to me as it'll only be a couple of weeks between visits so I can deal with poor conditions sometimes. And because we live in the region we're used to teh climate which can be a challenge for those not used to the heat and humidity
 
Likewise, my last trip in March was not fantastic as we did not go further than Octopus Rock. Vis was rubbish too compared to diving off Fujairah that weekend.

As another point, one of the divers in our group was fined OMR100 (approx. USD272) for driving a rental car into Oman with no Oman insurance cover. The ROP had a checkpoint before the border crossing on the way back.
 

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