[KASHA]

Hi
Looking to go to Marsa Alam later in the yr and get a week on a liveaboard and so far I'm leaning towards:
Simply the Best
and have looked at the following boats:
Tranquility, Blue Fin, Grand Sea Serpant, Hurricane
Can anyone offer any info on any of the above? Good or bad?
Look forward to hearing from anyone with any feedback.
Thanx
Kasha

 

[Mal Bridgeman]

I'd go with Hurricane though I know others who have had a good time on the other boats....why? because she is steel and therefore much more stable

Read about my recent trip on her here....and what ever you decide....have a great time

Mal

P.S. Welcome!

 

[BSH]

Can't help you with Tranquility and Blue Fin seem to have a few problems unless you are booking the whole boat.

Having been on both Hurricane and Grand Sea Serpent, I think you would have a good time on both although you should consider other things other than the boat.

What sort of diving do you do, Hurricane is more on the technical side if you are requiring trimix or lime for breathers.

And which itinerary did you want to do ? I would look for itinerary first then the boat unless you don't mind where you go.

 

[JKS]

Grand Sea Serpent

I highly recommend GSS. I did the St Johns and Elphinstone itinery last April.
As others have said Hurricane is a great boat too. I have always booked with Tony Backhurst and have been delighted with the service.

 

[Rod]

Hurricane, Hurricane, Hurricane !

 

[reef hook]

September '05 Grand Sea Serpent Deep South

September '06 Hurricane Deep South

 

[mixdiver]

'Simply the Best' is a great trip, the only thing to point out is that the trip does involve a large amount of boat travel at night. I did not have a problem with it but if you are looking for a relaxing week of diving you might want to pick another route.
As with some of the other postings I cannot fault any of the boats mentioned, have been on 2 or three of them and am going back for more!

Enjoy the South (I did!)

Mixdiver

 

[Cobby]

Another vote for Hurricane from me - couldn't fault it!

 

[David D]

I have been on both the Hurricane and Grand Sea Serpent. Both are excellent boats, with minor differences. Hurricane cabins had their own TV and DVD players, GSS bathrooms were superior.

For me the big difference was the guides.

On the Hurricane when I was aboard, the guides were Grant and Sonia, since departed. Their attitude to the divers was excellent, very hands-off, though they made themselves available to anyone who wished to dive with a guide.

The GSS guides are (or were last October) Egyptian and were a complete waste of space, in my opinion. How could these guys, seemingly prefessional guides, make a mess of organising divers and dives? They did, again and again. And forget about diving with your buddy without a guide. They insisted on accompanying each group regardless of diver experience or the site. And it wasn't as if their skills were anything to write home about.

This is a huge factor for me and when I return it will be aboard the Hurricane.

 

[Mal Bridgeman]

On the Hurricane when I was aboard, the guides were Grant and Sonia, since departed. Their attitude to the divers was excellent, very hands-off, though they made themselves available to anyone who wished to dive with a guide.

The current guides are Joe & Karin who operate in the same way as Grant & Sonia.....Only Joe is not as quiet as Grant
HTH
Mal

 

[KASHA]

Marsa Alam - thanx

Thanx to all of you who replied, from replies and some more research we were leaning towards Hurricane; that was until we seen some info on Djibouti...and now we are back to the thinking board!

Any feedback is always welcome.
Take care & thanx once again
Kasha

 

[Peripatetic]

Hurricane pros: Very stable in the water. Excellent food. Great itineries. Large cabins. Equipped for tech diving.

Hurricane cons: Very noisy boat. Slow, so more time spent motoring. Cold showers/brown tap water. Lots (20) of divers on board.

The 2 dive guides put most of their effort into tech training and making the video of the week. So mostly all you get off them is the briefings. This is perfect if you are happy to get on with your own diving. Not so good if you need your hand holding.