sharm, ocean club and info wanted please!!

Hi, a newbie to this site with my first question. I am a single person
travelling to sharm from gatwick in december and have a couple of
questions if anyone could help?

I have booked for a 5 day package with ocean college diving and have
seen a couple of reports here about them which seem to be good. Whats
the boat like does anyone know and also the food? Also when paying
what do they prefer to be paid in? stirling, dollares, egyptian?

as my flight is early am from gatwick they said I can book in the night
before which will be great for me. I called them to ask about hand
luggage as usually I like to carry my regs with me but since all the
recent scares someone told me they are weighing hand luggage as well
and i usually cram a bag with loads of stuff but may not get away with
it this year! If I check in main baggage the night before I asked them
about my carry on bag and they said I dont have to have that with me
when I check in my main case but the person I spoke to wasnt too sure
and had to keep asking someone else.(I am flying with Thompson fly)
and windered if anyone has checked baggage in the night before recently
and could tell me a bit more?

I have a 25K allowance with the extra allowed for diving and hopefully
I can take everything I want but are they really strict with this limit
does anyone know?

sorry for all the questions but I like to know possibles b4 I leave!