Techie Dives On A Backhurst Trip?

[yellowduke]

I know Tony Backhurst trips are agreeable to divers renting manifolded twins and using independant twins but I would like some feedback from people who have actually done this. I am doing the North Wrecks and Reefs itinerary on the new boat, Whirlwind, in August. A few of us, fingers crossed, will have TDI Adv Nitrox and Deco tickets by then so are obviously interested in doing some deco dives.

I was thinking of sites like the Rosie and the Thistlegorm and perhaps Tiran for some shark spotting. Obviously the vast majority of those onboard will be purely recreational divers so we don't want to make them hang around for us all the time.

How have people managed before and are there any sites you would particularly recommend for some deco?

Thanks,

Jim

[SimonK]

I've just come back from a trip on Hurricane out of Marsa Alma. We had several people doing 80 - 100 m dives on rebreathers. Up to 3 hours run time. No problem except for the cook getting a bit peeved that not everyone was out of the water for meal time. So long as you are out of the water, unbent, when the boat is ready to move you can do pretty much what you want. Just talk to the guides before disappearing for a couple of hours!

Simon

[Fiona]

The length and depth of your dives will very much depend on the dive guides, the Hurricane guides have a technical speciality and have RB facilities, if your guides are not in to this sort of thing then you may be in for a few disagreements on dive time and depth.

Did you ask TB about this before you decided on the boat ?

I have to say if I was on Simon's trip and divers where doing 3 hour dives which may effect my diving then I wouldn't be too pleased.

[Dave R]

I did some trimix dives from Hurricane last October. We had already had agreement from TB and the guides on H ( Joe & Karin ) that we could do a couple of mix dives.

They laid down some rules such as only 1 dive per day and we had to use the Ali 80s. Not a problem for stages, but twinning them up could only be done as indies.

I would ensure I had made contact with the guides on the boat, so they can agree your plans and advise of any equipment you may need - such as stage rigging and twinning bands etc.

One of the problems with using twinsets from the large RS boats is getting into the RIBS they mainly use to ferry you out to the sites. Easy jumping into the RIBS when it is fairly calm, but when it roughs up a bit, can be a bit hairly & saw one guy slip over in the boat.

For nitrox diving, I prefer to use a single and take a separate stage of 50% for deco. It keeps it all simple and you still get plenty of in water time. They will limit you to 1 hour top-top time anyway for most ofthe dives, where they move from reef to reef. However, if you get on the Thistlegorm and they moor up for 2 dives, then you could opt to do one big dive rather than 2.

[SimonK]

Originally Posted by Fiona

I have to say if I was on Simon's trip and divers where doing 3 hour dives which may effect my diving then I wouldn't be too pleased.

Thats where being out of the water when the boats ready to move comes in. Non of the long dives affected the guys doing 1 hour single tank dives. Many times there are several dives on one site which gives plenty of oppertunity for doing one big dive instead of two shorter ones.

Simon

[yellowduke]

According to Tornado Marine the guides are Steve and Malin and the boat is equipped with membrane nitrox and trimix. Don't know how they feel about tech but the boat seems ready for it!

I have absolutely no interest in rib diving with twins, back of the boat only for me. I hate ribs at the best of times but they are a no no carrying that much gear.

Jim

[Sparky]

There are only a few sites when you get to go off the back of the boat, on most occasions the boat moors round the back of a reef in the calm and you go and get dropped in by the ribs most of the time you will also have to get back into the ribs, otherwise it is a very long swim back.

[yellowduke]

Originally Posted by Sparky

There are only a few sites when you get to go off the back of the boat, on most occasions the boat moors round the back of a reef in the calm and you go and get dropped in by the ribs most of the time you will also have to get back into the ribs, otherwise it is a very long swim back.

Oh I know that a lot of sites use ribs. I'm no Red Sea virgin! Sometimes the decision to use ribs is dependant on sea state and sometimes you can be dropped off by the boat on one side of a reef and meet it moored up on the other side after a drift.

I'm not looking to make every dive a deco one. I have the Rosie and the Thistlegorm in mind, maybe the Kimon M if we go there and a drop in the blue by Jackson (or is it Thomas) to visit the Hammerheads. Unless there are any suggestions for other sites then I am quite happy on a single lying in the sand at 12m watching a partner Goby with its shrimp friend!

Jim