New pics from Deep South Sudan made with Pana Gx7 in Nauticam housing

[scipionems]

Amazing pics! I will probably go there in April for the first time.

Thank you ClairevL ,
it is a fantastic place for diving, surely you will enjoy Sudan
Scipionems

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Thanks for the pics. I am looking for options for a 14 day liveaboard and Sudan is definately worth looking into. What dates were you at over there and how does it compare to Egyptian Red Sea?

 

[scipionems]

Thanks for the pics. I am looking for options for a 14 day liveaboard and Sudan is definately worth looking into. What dates were you at over there and how does it compare to Egyptian Red Sea?

Hi Captain Sinbad.
I went 6 times in Sudan, two times making liveboard in the nortthern part of Sudan, the other 4 times going deeper and deeper in the south.
Going in the south is amazing because you can find semi inexplorate divespots, so it is possible to see a lot of schools of fishes...hammerheads and so on....
The problem is that going in the south you have to do a lot of navigation (180-200 miles , you reach the borders of Eritrea)... so you have to choose the right period of the year to avoid wind and rough sea....
I went everytime between the end of april and the mid of may.....because in this period wind and sea are little better (if you are lucky).
The good of Sudan is that it is less crowded (especially in the south) , less boats = less divers.....more fishes
In Egyptian sea often there are too much boats and divers in every dive spot....especially in Summer time....
The dives in Sudan are very heavy... quite enough deep (35-45meters) if you find the Hammerheads.... and often with a lot of current...... You need some experience to manage very well DECO time and current....
Consider that in Sudan there is NO iperbaric chamber (if you have some MDD or other deco problems)......
I went always with this specialized tour operator Home
Good guides, and well organized boats and crew.
Now the flights to reach Sudan are sure and safe because you flight by Emirates ...(long flight but safe...)
If you need other info i am here
Scipionems

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hi Captain Sinbad.
I went 6 times in Sudan, two times making liveboard in the nortthern part of Sudan, the other 4 times going deeper and deeper in the south.
Going in the south is amazing because you can find semi inexplorate divespots, so it is possible to see a lot of schools of fishes...hammerheads and so on....
The problem is that going in the south you have to do a lot of navigation (180-200 miles , you reach the borders of Eritrea)... so you have to choose the right period of the year to avoid wind and rough sea....
I went everytime between the end of april and the mid of may.....because in this period wind and sea are little better (if you are lucky).
The good of Sudan is that it is less crowded (especially in the south) , less boats = less divers.....more fishes
In Egyptian sea often there are too much boats and divers in every dive spot....especially in Summer time....
The dives in Sudan are very heavy... quite enough deep (35-45meters) if you find the Hammerheads.... and often with a lot of current...... You need some experience to manage very well DECO time and current....
Consider that in Sudan there is NO iperbaric chamber (if you have some MDD or other deco problems)......
I went always with this specialized tour operator Home
Good guides, and well organized boats and crew.
Now the flights to reach Sudan are sure and safe because you flight by Emirates ...(long flight but safe...)
If you need other info i am here
Scipionems

Thanks so much. Very useful info.

 

[ClairevL]

Thanks for the useful information, scipionems!
Sounds excellent. Did you often see large schools of hammerheads? And did you see many silky sharks on the Deep South trip? And you said you went end of April/beginning of May...would you say the sea is probably still rough in the beginning of April?

 

[ClairevL]

And I'm also really curious to hear if it's somewhat likely to see Tiger sharks on the deep South route I saw them in the Maldives and it was such an amazing experience.

 

[ClairevL]

And for who went there with Don Questo: do they also have some space to relax in the shade - I saw there large deck for sun bathing, but I personally prefer shade;-)?

 

[Nasser]

You will very likely see a variety of sharks during April/May. I have seen Tigers a few times in the South but they are a little more difficult to spot than other species.

Don Questo has a shaded area but it is more the outdoor dining area so there aren't actually lounge chairs in that spot. But it does have padded benches (where I mostly lie down). There is also an indoor lounge area, and some of the other lounge chairs in the sunny area have a built in adjustable canopy.

I think more than anything what differentiates Don Questo from other liveaboards is the captain, crew and dive guides. They were the first to discover (and continue to discover) the numerous reefs in the Deep South Suakin. Maurizio is an outstanding dive guide and knows exactly where and when to drop off the divers so that there is a lot to see... and he's ready to do 2-3 current checks until he finds the perfect spots for the divers to descend. He and Captain Lorenzo are the goto source on all the reefs in Sudan - particularly the Deep South and I've seen several guides ask them for advice.

I've been on other very good liveaboards in Sudan but in my experience Don Questo is the most knowledgeable, experienced, and flexible - not as luxurious as other vessels but a team that is second to none.

 

[ClairevL]

Nasser, Thank you so much for all the information (and also for telling me about Sudan in another post a while ago)! It sounds amazing...you convinced me, so I booked the trip with Don Questo The good diving is exactly what I care about; that much more important for me than a luxurious ship.

I'm really looking forward to go there!

 

[Nasser]

You're welcome ClairevL - you made a good choice!

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or need some more info.

Cheers!