Red Sea liveaboard questions

My boyfriend and I are thinking of diving the Red Sea around April and
are looking for some advice as to best locations, boats etc. We are
both fairly experienced divers but coming back to it after a 2 year
break.

Money is not really an issue, we are looking for a top boat with top
diving.

Is April a good time to dive there?

Also, We are thinking of joining a dive club here in England, and
wondered if anyone had any experience of Brighton Marina divers??

Thanks in advance

Vicks

"Vicks" <vicky_stevens@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:90103f08.0312100751.2d87f6c6@posting.google.c om...
> My boyfriend and I are thinking of diving the Red Sea around April and
> are looking for some advice as to best locations, boats etc. We are
> both fairly experienced divers but coming back to it after a 2 year
> break.

I was in the Red Sea on a livaboard end October. I booked through Hayes &
Jarvis. Got a 10% BSAC discount. They put me on MY Sea Serpent running from
Hurghada. We did Brothers, Elphinstone and Daedalus Reefs amongst others.
There were a few things I did not like. One of them was the poor check out
dive site. Very poor start. In general the diving was great and I hope to go
again.

Eddie


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I have been on the Valerie, excellent boat, great dive guide, good food,
would definitely use it again.

"Eddie" <Eddie@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:br7jv0$r54$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>
> "Vicks" <vicky_stevens@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:90103f08.0312100751.2d87f6c6@posting.google.c om...
> > My boyfriend and I are thinking of diving the Red Sea around April and
> > are looking for some advice as to best locations, boats etc. We are
> > both fairly experienced divers but coming back to it after a 2 year
> > break.
>
> I was in the Red Sea on a livaboard end October. I booked through Hayes &
> Jarvis. Got a 10% BSAC discount. They put me on MY Sea Serpent running
from
> Hurghada. We did Brothers, Elphinstone and Daedalus Reefs amongst others.
> There were a few things I did not like. One of them was the poor check out
> dive site. Very poor start. In general the diving was great and I hope to
go
> again.
>
> Eddie
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.548 / Virus Database: 341 - Release Date: 05/12/03
>
>

Dave wrote:
> I have been on the Valerie, excellent boat, great dive guide, good
> food, would definitely use it again.

ditto.

nigelH

"Vicks" <vicky_stevens@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:90103f08.0312100751.2d87f6c6@posting.google.c om...
> My boyfriend and I are thinking of diving the Red Sea around April and
> are looking for some advice as to best locations, boats etc. We are
> both fairly experienced divers but coming back to it after a 2 year
> break.
>
> Money is not really an issue, we are looking for a top boat with top
> diving.
>
> Is April a good time to dive there?
>
> Also, We are thinking of joining a dive club here in England, and
> wondered if anyone had any experience of Brighton Marina divers??
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Vicks

Try http://www.oysterdiving.com/main.html
Dived with them last October, but April will be a good time too. Probably
the best dives in the Red Sea I have ever had. The highlight being a Whale
Shark that came out of the blue to "inspect" us, then just glided off again,
truely a moment to treasure!

Its been 4 years since the ship had a major refit and is beginning to show
its age but is still very comfortable and the rooms all have their own
bathrooms. Food good and the crew excellant. Most dives begin at 30+ metres
so your level of experiance should be OK. Oyster state a minimum of 50 dives
and PADI Advanced Open water as a minimum experiance level.

Enjoy your holiday and no matter where you go enjoy your diving!

regards
Malcolm Cole

"Eddie" <Eddie@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:br7jv0$r54$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>
> "Vicks" <vicky_stevens@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:90103f08.0312100751.2d87f6c6@posting.google.c om...
> > My boyfriend and I are thinking of diving the Red Sea around April and
> > are looking for some advice as to best locations, boats etc. We are
> > both fairly experienced divers but coming back to it after a 2 year
> > break.
>
> I was in the Red Sea on a livaboard end October. I booked through Hayes &
> Jarvis. Got a 10% BSAC discount. They put me on MY Sea Serpent running
from
> Hurghada. We did Brothers, Elphinstone and Daedalus Reefs amongst others.
> There were a few things I did not like. One of them was the poor check out
> dive site. Very poor start. In general the diving was great and I hope to
go
> again.
>
> Eddie


Thanks for the reply Eddie. Would you recommend the Sea Serpent as a whole?
ie what was the accomodation, diving, crrw like?
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.548 / Virus Database: 341 - Release Date: 05/12/03
>
>

"Vicky Stevens" <vicky_stevens@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:mYiDb.427$Th5.197@newsfep1-gui.server.ntli.net...
>

> > Eddie
>
>
> Thanks for the reply Eddie. Would you recommend the Sea Serpent as a
whole?
> ie what was the accomodation, diving, crrw like?

Yes! I would go on the Sea Serpent again. Tomorrow if I cud! )))

As I wrote previously there a few minor glitches but overall I enjoyed the
Sea Serpent immensely. The crew were great. I boffed up on a little Arabic
and they seemed to really appreciated it.

Accommodation was good. Two birth cabins. Because I travelled on my own I
shared the forward cabin with another chap. The forward cabins have double
beds. I grabbed the double bed and he got the higher ship side bunk bed.
Food was excellent. We divers had quite a jokey relationship with the
waiters. Their way of admonishing us if we did something out of line was
quite amusing. They gave us telling offs with the tongue very much in
cheek. I got on so well with my arabic and a little light joshing that I got
to be envied a little by the other divers as I always seemed to get an extra
soft drink as I departed the water. Stupid, I know, but nice to remember! If
you go remind them of diver granddad Eddie. One of the barmen/waiter/crew
reckoned I was his English Father. (don't ask)
)))

Diving, in general, was great! Elphinstone and The Brothers were out of this
world. A shoal of hammerheads and surfacing on the boat ladder to find a v.
large Oceanic Whitetip circling around behind me was something I will
remember for a long time.

Daedalus was somewhat spoiled as there were ferocious currents running which
gave us two great drift dives but not a lot else. It is also very close to
Marsa Alam with loads of day running boats. I don't go on a liveaboard to be
surrounded by loads of other boats. That being said it could have been the
currents that made us gather all in one little spot.

One low spot was the fast return over night to Hurghada. The boat hammered
into the waves all the way. Being in the forward cabin it was awful with the
constant dropping of the bow into the waves. I was in the RN for 34 years
and that is the one sea motion I cannot stand. I slept on the upperdeck the
last night at sea.

Our last night was spent alonside at Hurghada. The next morning we were
allocated rooms in the hotel very close to the boat. Spent a very pleasant
morning and afternoon around the hotel before being taken to the airport
which I must say is loads better organised than Sharm.

Look at: www.SeaSerpentFleet.com

Hope this helps.

Eddie


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"Steven Tolleneer" <steevke@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:qnfttvgjieurqmg7fgeq6vo28k55m8tbeb@4ax.com...
> "Eddie" <Eddie@btinternet.com> wrote:
> >Daedalus was somewhat spoiled as there were ferocious currents running
which
> >gave us two great drift dives but not a lot else. It is also very close
to
> >Marsa Alam with loads of day running boats. I don't go on a liveaboard to
be
> >surrounded by loads of other boats. That being said it could have been
the
> >currents that made us gather all in one little spot.
>
> I guess you're confusing Elphinstone and Daedalus. Daedalus is way to
> far for day boats to reach. Elphinstone OTOH is only 10 miles from the
> coast.

You are of course completely right. Thanks for that.

Guess Granddad Ted's memory is getting a little erratic! (((

Nevertheless. As a whole experience I enjoyed my diving from the Sea Serpent
immensely and will go again!

Eddie


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"Eddie" <Eddie@btinternet.com> wrote:

>Nevertheless. As a whole experience I enjoyed my diving from the Sea Serpent
>immensely and will go again!
>
>Eddie

I've seen the boat and it looks nice, but I'll never go for a wooden
liveaboard again if I can get a steel one for the same money.

Steven
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Just (sat) returned from a week on Oyster. Fantastic boat and the food was
excellent. She does need a lick of paint but that is all. The diving,
mainly in the north was very good. Dive guides were attentive but allowed us
freedom to enjoy the diving.

Next time I would go further south to look at the bigger fish.

HTH

Mark

--


"Steven Tolleneer" <steevke@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:l77utvs1a0q3uec725jjpn2n2rf0vrqvm1@4ax.com...
> "Eddie" <Eddie@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
> >Nevertheless. As a whole experience I enjoyed my diving from the Sea
Serpent
> >immensely and will go again!
> >
> >Eddie
>
> I've seen the boat and it looks nice, but I'll never go for a wooden
> liveaboard again if I can get a steel one for the same money.
>
> Steven
> +------------------------------------------------+
> | Please use steevke at hotmail dot com to reply |
> +------------------------------------------------+
> | Nunc Plaudite Manibus |
> +------------------------------------------------+