ras mohamed is a daily accessible trip, thistlegorm needs the boat to leave the jetty @ 5 am and you are back 5-7 pm something like that... check crowly's blog he has detailed description how it goes.
Dahab worth the cheap flight ticket?
- Thread starter Ashantiashanti
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If you expect big stuff in the Northern Red Sea, either in Sharm or Dahab, you can expect to be disappointed. This is reef diving, with lots of colour and a myriad small fish, but sharks are rare on the reefs even at the best of times. In the last few weeks, my colleagues and I have seen a few hammerheads, a few white tip reef sharks - the occasional grey and I think only 5 whale shark sightings for the whole season.
Sightings of any big stuff in December is highly unlikely. The water is just too cold for most species of elasmobranch and they head south for the winter, although there is always a seasonal variation in water temperature and a chance you might get lucky. We've had elevated water temperature here for a long time this summer, unlike last year, where I got to dive in board shorts for about 2 weeks before going back to the semi-dry!
Dahab is a great place, and for more detailed information, I recommend contacting Hi_PPO2, who manages a quality dive centre there.
Ras Mohamed, Tiran and Thistlegorm are all available as day trips from Sharm (and very long day trips from Dahab!) Journey time is 1 - 2 hours by boat depending on your point of departure. For Thistlegorm, you can expect an early morning departure from Travco Jetty between 5:30 - 6:00 am for most dive centres, which means a hotel pickup maybe 30 mins beforehand. (ish) My alarm is set for 4:20am. There is one specialist company that leaves later because they have a big, fast boat but anyway you look at it, it's a long day, returning around 5 - 5:30 at the Jetty.
The advantage to diving from a liveaboard is you get the opportunity to make early morning dives in Ras Mohamed or Tiran, and maybe a night dive at the Thistlegorm. In the middle of summer, the early morning dives are awesome, but in December they're mostly just cold.
Hope that helps and sorry if it puts you off. If you want guaranteed big stuff though, Sharm and Dahab are not for you.
Cheers
C.
If you expect big stuff in the Northern Red Sea, either in Sharm or Dahab, you can expect to be disappointed. This is reef diving, with lots of colour and a myriad small fish, but sharks are rare on the reefs even at the best of times. In the last few weeks, my colleagues and I have seen a few hammerheads, a few white tip reef sharks - the occasional grey and I think only 5 whale shark sightings for the whole season.
Sightings of any big stuff in December is highly unlikely. The water is just too cold for most species of elasmobranch and they head south for the winter, although there is always a seasonal variation in water temperature and a chance you might get lucky. We've had elevated water temperature here for a long time this summer, unlike last year, where I got to dive in board shorts for about 2 weeks before going back to the semi-dry!
Dahab is a great place, and for more detailed information, I recommend contacting Hi_PPO2, who manages a quality dive centre there.
Ras Mohamed, Tiran and Thistlegorm are all available as day trips from Sharm (and very long day trips from Dahab!) Journey time is 1 - 2 hours by boat depending on your point of departure. For Thistlegorm, you can expect an early morning departure from Travco Jetty between 5:30 - 6:00 am for most dive centres, which means a hotel pickup maybe 30 mins beforehand. (ish) My alarm is set for 4:20am. There is one specialist company that leaves later because they have a big, fast boat but anyway you look at it, it's a long day, returning around 5 - 5:30 at the Jetty.
The advantage to diving from a liveaboard is you get the opportunity to make early morning dives in Ras Mohamed or Tiran, and maybe a night dive at the Thistlegorm. In the middle of summer, the early morning dives are awesome, but in December they're mostly just cold.
Hope that helps and sorry if it puts you off. If you want guaranteed big stuff though, Sharm and Dahab are not for you.
Cheers
C.
OP
Ashantiashanti
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One more quick question;
How's the diving around Sharm compared to Marsa Alam?
And are there any easy bus routes between the two?
How's the diving around Sharm compared to Marsa Alam?
And are there any easy bus routes between the two?
Both are nice.... Sharm is boat dives and no shore... Marsa is A mix between shore on the house reef, truck/shore nearby and some boat dives
For bus routes .... Well nothing is impossible but it would be something like 14-18 hours ride !!!! You can better get a flight sharm to hurghada (about 40 minutes) then get a shuttle to marsa (better to be prepared by where you are staying in marsa)
For bus routes .... Well nothing is impossible but it would be something like 14-18 hours ride !!!! You can better get a flight sharm to hurghada (about 40 minutes) then get a shuttle to marsa (better to be prepared by where you are staying in marsa)
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Ashantiashanti
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Used to be there but not anymore 
few months ago i had to head from hurghada to sharm and desperately searched for this ferry then i had to drive my way.... Almost 10 hours with 30 minutes of rest !
A flight woud be the best option, just search for egyptair direct flights between sharm and hurghada... Avoid any flight with a stop
few months ago i had to head from hurghada to sharm and desperately searched for this ferry then i had to drive my way.... Almost 10 hours with 30 minutes of rest !
A flight woud be the best option, just search for egyptair direct flights between sharm and hurghada... Avoid any flight with a stop
Bryan Cunningham
Contributor
I worked as an instructor and spend over four years in The Sinai, mainly Eilat and Dahab. It is a nice dive destination, but nothing compared to Mozambiques, and no big stuff.
Feel free to contact me for more details.
Bryan
SCUBA DESTINATION DEALS - HOME
Feel free to contact me for more details.
Bryan
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Red Sea Leonfish
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Yeah the company is called Wreck Adventures - the boats are Sky K (which leaves from the International Harbour and Wind K, which operates from Travco Jetty. Wind K is not working at the moment but I see Sky K pretty much every time I go to Thistlegorm, and I have worked on that boat a few times, although I don't really like it. It's often very crowded, as Leonfish posted, and with so many people jumping at the same time, it's like swimming through champagne (well, dirty brown champagne most of the time) and you always have to fend off large groups of russians with monster cameras and who invariably end up going the wrong direction through the holds and generally get in the way. The food is excellent though.
Sorry this has gone a bit off topic but - hm - just general chat, ya know...
Cheers
C.
Sorry this has gone a bit off topic but - hm - just general chat, ya know...
Cheers
C.
OP
Ashantiashanti
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No worries about going off topic Crowley.
Do you remember the name of the bus company? I'm trying to figure out the cheapest and quickest way between Hurghada/Marsa Alam and Sharm. I can't really find any cheap local flights via. Egypt air during our stay 12th Nov - 24th Nov... It's such a shame that the ferry doesn't run anymore, would be ideal for tourists; they could earn a lot from such a ferry!
EDIT:
Regarding both Sharm and Hurghada/Marsa Alam - do you guys think that it is essential to find a resort / hotel with their own dive shop, or is it okay to find the cheapest accommodation from where we can then walk around and find a dive operator?
Cheers
Used to be there but not anymore
few months ago i had to head from hurghada to sharm and desperately searched for this ferry then i had to drive my way.... Almost 10 hours with 30 minutes of rest !
A flight woud be the best option, just search for egyptair direct flights between sharm and hurghada... Avoid any flight with a stop
Do you remember the name of the bus company? I'm trying to figure out the cheapest and quickest way between Hurghada/Marsa Alam and Sharm. I can't really find any cheap local flights via. Egypt air during our stay 12th Nov - 24th Nov... It's such a shame that the ferry doesn't run anymore, would be ideal for tourists; they could earn a lot from such a ferry!
EDIT:
Regarding both Sharm and Hurghada/Marsa Alam - do you guys think that it is essential to find a resort / hotel with their own dive shop, or is it okay to find the cheapest accommodation from where we can then walk around and find a dive operator?
Cheers
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