Yet another Red Sea report

[MonkeyPony]

Morning all!

For the last week I have been on a liveaboard in the northern Red Sea. Obviously the diving was very nice - fantastic vis, warm water etc but I have come to the following conclusions....

1) The Hyatt is a very nice boat. The plasma screen and surround sound in the salon made whiling away the time between dives bearable if you're not a sun worshipper. Crew couldn't do enough for us. The food was great and the cabins very more than adequate, however, the aircon in the cabins seemed to be pumping chilled diesel fumes in overnight so that got switched off after waking up with a headache 2 mornings in a row!

2) Don’t bother doing the thistlegorm during the day. It makes Stoney cove look empty and the sheer volume of divers just pissed me off the entire dive! If you want to do the thistlegorm do it at night. Its peaceful and more enjoyable 'cos you don’t have to wait half an hour to get into the holds while a train of divers exits!

3) Why oh why have they not provided permanent mooring points for this wreck! Its being pulled apart and wont be there much longer at this rate...

4) If you get the squits at any point take AT LEAST 4 Imodium in one go. You wont have to miss a single dive

5) Deep air..... I'd be interested to hear what others have found but I was amazed at the number of people doing VERY deep dives on a single 12 with not even a pony. The max depth for one pair of divers for the week was 85 METERS! Pretty deep by anyones standards. Is this common for red sea liveaboards or was I just diving with nutters! (that said I did hit 55 in Thomas Reef canyon...... but wouldn't be in a hurry to do it again)

6) Ears - 20+ dives in a week means that your ears take a real pounding. Sore ears are a pain in the arse (eh?). Bring appropriate medication.

7) The amount of dead coral is very sad to see. If you want to take a photo don’t use the coral as a mooring point for your fins

8) Sharm itself now has all the appeal of Southend as a holiday destination. Thank god we only spent the final night there. Don’t go there...ever!

9) Make sure you have diving insurance that will get a helicopter out to you if you have a problem as in-water recompression seems to be the norm....

10) Nitrox on boats in bloody expensive and then they hit you with a ten percent sales tax on everything at the end of the week - be prepared for your all inclusive live aboard to cost an extra £60 - 80 per head at the end of the week if you also go into the national parks.

11) Nitrox is a bit hit and miss on percentages. The same can also be said for the analysers. Bring your own!

12) With reference to the above a bottle of fairly nasty French wine ended up costing me £22 on the boat! After a small row the group ended up not having to pay for the fruit juice and tonic water consumed during the week (it seems 'all soft drink included' does not include this - but they forgot to tell us that...)

As a whole it was a fantastic experience. Would I do it again? Not in the north that’s for sure.

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by MonkeyPony

1) The Hyatt is a very nice boat. .............however, the aircon in the cabins seemed to be pumping chilled diesel fumes in overnight so that got switched off after waking up with a headache 2 mornings in a row!

So not that nice then

Originally Posted by Monkeypony

45) Deep air..... The max depth for one pair of divers for the week was 85 METERS! Pretty deep by anyones standards. Is this common for red sea liveaboards or was I just diving with nutters! (that said I did hit 55 in Thomas Reef canyon...... but wouldn't be in a hurry to do it again)

I hope you are joking about 85m

Originally Posted by monkeypony

10) Nitro on boats in bloody expensive and then they hit you with a ten percent sales tax on everything at the end of the week - be prepared for your all inclusive live aboard to cost an extra £60 - 80 per head at the end of the week if you also go into the national parks.

Free on Sea Serpent boats and Marine park fees included in the cost if booked with Tony Backhurst.

Originally Posted by monkeypony

After a small row the group ended up not having to pay for the fruit juice and tonic water consumed during the week (it seems 'all soft drink included' does not include this - but they forgot to tell us that...)

Also included in the price with TB's bookings

[MonkeyPony]

Originally Posted by Fiona

I hope you are joking about 85m

I Wish I was but no - DEAD SERIOUS!

[Richie]

It is do-able but highly dangerous.

This gives a PPO2 of just under 2.

I was speaking to a guide in Hurghade earlier this year and he did a bounce to 75m on air only to discover that he actually had a 32 on hs back - a single 12 of course. A PPO2 of 2.56

I suggest all were lucky but remember Hans Hass used to dive to 20m regularly in The Red Sea on pure O2 in his rebreather

[MonkeyPony]

Originally Posted by Richie

It is do-able but highly dangerous.

This gives a PPO2 of just under 2.

I was speaking to a guide in Hurghade earlier this year and he did a bounce to 75m on air only to discover that he actually had a 32 on hs back - a single 12 of course. A PPO2 of 2.56

I suggest all were lucky but remember Hans Hass used to dive to 20m regularly in The Red Sea on pure O2 in his rebreather

Its definately dangerous!

In the canyon one guy had a freeflow at 76 meters. Lost 60 bar in a few seconds and had to bolt for the surface (no buddy) by the time he arrived at 6 meters where we were doing our stops he was completely empty and had missed all his deep stops!

He got away with it but it really does reinforce the need for the right equiptment for the dive planned even if you haven't got the right gas....