Hurricane or Whirlwind for the Brothers

[davepazzer]

I am in a dilemma

We have booked on Whirlwind to go on a Brothers Wreck Special next year, Whirlwind is based in Sharm and I am wondering if I am going to get the same excuse I have had twice before about the weather being too bad for a trip to the Brothers and doing the normal Northern Wreck Tour.

The other altrnative is to change to the Hurricane which is a steel boat and is based in Hurghada giving us a better chance of getting to the Brothers and then back up to do some of the Northern Wrecks.

Has anyone been to the Brothers on any of these trips with success and are there any faults with Hurricane, food, tummy upsets, crew, I have been on Whirwind before and found it excellant.

[Rod]

Hurricane is an excellent boat and won liveaboard of the year in 2005 and 2006. The guides that were running it then have left but it is still an excellent boat.
Steel boats are so much better in a Red Sea swell as they do not bob around like the wooden boats which roll quite horribly in a beam sea.

[Ding Dang Doo]

I did 'Simply the best' on Hurricane, taking in The Brothers, out of Marsa... boat, crew, food, oh, and diving, excellent! It was with the previous guides, but the new ones are supposed to be great too! As Rod says, it did get voted Liveaboard of the Year two years running, so can't be too bad.

Although the trip north to the Brothers was a 'lumpy' overnight steam... I dread to think what it would have been like in a wooden hulled boat!

You'll enjoy the diving whichever you decide on.

Pete

[Roobydoo]

Another vote for Hurricane! I did it 2005 (Simply The Best tour) and the guides were really good. Th diving was worth it and the service was tremendous!

[deepestandy]

We just got back from simply the best on Hurricane the new gides and crew are great and the boat feels so stable. Another thumbs up for Hurricane here.

[scuba_smithy]

Deepestandy - I'm off on Hurricane at the end of next week - couple of questions for you seeing as you've just got back

Are the dive guides David and Tracy?

Are the Oceanic White Tips around yet?

Ta

[Darren555]

Went on Hurricane in July.
Boat, crew and food were spot on.
The guides were Nicole and Thijs. They were laid back, knowledgeable and good fun. Nicole is also great eye candy

[Scubapimp]

Originally Posted by scuba_smithy

Deepestandy - I'm off on Hurricane at the end of next week - couple of questions for you seeing as you've just got back

Are the dive guides David and Tracy?

Are the Oceanic White Tips around yet?

Ta

I was with Andy on that trip. The guides are a Dutch couple called Thijs and Nicole. They were really good. I was very ill on board and they went out of their way to help me.

[David D]

Just come back from Hurricane last Friday on a Simply The Best route.

Hurricane as a boat is still a fantastic liveaboard, though showing her age in some areas. As a boat it's slowing up a bit and gets overtaken by nippier boats on long passages, but very stable. We had very calm conditions, but in rougher conditions the heavy steel hull makes for a nicer passage.

The crew were ok, I've had better, but I've certainly had worse. By the end of the week I was referring to the chef as the Red Sea Poisoner. A lot of people suffered at his hands, including Nicole the guide. Always a bad sign when a guide, who should be used to it, gets a dodgy stomach. The chefs were new apparently. Take care what you eat, Scuba_smithy.

As to the guides, they're a Dutch couple, Thijs and Nicole. Can't say enough about them. I was on a Hurricane trip three years ago with Grant and Sonia, and (my opinion) Thiijs and Nicole are far better. Very switched on, both very friendly, on-time briefings, brief briefings, well organised zodiacs and groups, hands-off once they're sure of your skills. Couldn't have been better.

As to sharks, plenty of oceanic white tip action at Daedalus, a few reef sharks on Brothers and Elphinstone, no hammerheads.

Not sure about a 'Brothers Wreck Special' ... there are only two wrecks that I know of on the Brothers, the Aida and the Numidia. Could get a bit samey for a week, but if it was me I'd do it on Hurricane. Actually, if it was me I'd find out what boat Thijs and Nicole were going to be on and then choose, but that's me.

[David D]

Originally Posted by Scubapimp

I was with Andy on that trip. The guides are a Dutch couple called Thijs and Nicole. They were really good. I was very ill on board and they went out of their way to help me.

Interesting. So it wasn't just a bad week that I suffered through.

The chefs were a particularly iffy looking pair to be fair.

I spent six hours on the verge of throwing up, and another day or so with stomach cramps. Then they got me again towards the end of the week. They got a lot of people.

I spoke to Nicole about it. Hopefully something will get done.