Red Sea Info Plz

[julied]

HI All As i said in my introduction post we operate a dive centre here in NSW OZ. Normally we do most of annual overseas trips through the south pacific/ new guinea and venture a little ways into the bottom of asia. we have been offered a great group deal through one of the dive travel mobs here in australia to dive off a live aboard out of sharm el sheikh in 2009. As this trip will be almost double what our divers normally pay, and as it is a long way to travel we would like to ensure that our group get some fair to decent dives in.
SOOOO my question after all this waffling does any one have any idea as to the better time of year to travel to the red sea for a scuba trip. any advice would be greatly appreciated
Julie

[Red Sea Shadow]

Julie,
IMHO, best diving out of Sharm is during August.

[puddlediver]

Us Brits probably wouldn't go in August 'cause it's the most expensive time of the year for flights. Right slap bang in the middle of the school holidays. Probably too hot for our fair skin too.

I normally go either in November or April.

Cheers

Lyv

[scuba_smithy]

I've done Sharm in April, May, July and August - I have to say that the diving is best in July and especially August.

1) Ras Mohammed - biggest shoals of fish around in the summer (e.g thousands of snappers at that time of year

2) Jackson Reef (Tiran) - it is possible to see Hammerhead sharks out in the blue in the summer on the backside of the reef here (although not guaranteed).

Also water temp is lovely that time of year (28 or above) - Ok so it is hot, but there is also a bank holiday in August so it does save you a day out of your annual leave allowance.

Personally I'd avoid easter as it seems really crowded at that time and the water is still a bit chilly (about 23C)

[David D]

I've never been to Australia, but if my 'local' dive site was the Great Barrier Reef i don't think I'd be in a hurry to spend a small fortune to travel to the Red Sea.

Sharm is a dump, but as you would be on a liveaboard you wouldn't spend too much time there. Some of the sites were becoming dived out even when I last dived there a few years ago. There are some nice wrecks at Abu Nuhas, Ras Mo was still a fantastic site, and the Tiran reefs were still worth a visit.

My preference would be the South on liveaboards leaving from either Hurghada or Marsa Alam, sites like the Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone. Not so many wrecks, but the sites are cleaner, the reefs nicer.

The boat and the operator are also important. You really don't want to spend a week on a Red Sea liveaboard with questionable hygene, especially in the kitchen.

August will be hot, more so in the South than the North (Sharm), but manageable on the water. If the boat is reliable the air con will be available when it gets silly.

If I knew that the diving might not be spectacular (or more spectacular than I'm used to) , and I still chose to travel just to dive somewhere else, I'd probably enjoy the trip, otherwise I might come away thinking I'd wasted a lot of money.

[steve6690]

I've only been to Sharm once and that was August 2006. Ras Mohammed and Tiran are favourites, and the wrecks of The Dunraven and the Thistlegorm. These are all accessible by day boat from Sharm so I'd imagine would be on your liveaboard itinerary. I was told that June till September is the time to go. Can you get a list of planned dive sites ?