Brothers Islands - is it too difficult?

Hi,

My girlfriend and I are considering a diving cruise to Brothers Islands.
We're both AOWD with 55-65 dives but we're a bit rusty not having dived for
a year. We read that this location is for experienced divers only, so we're
a bit worried. Has anyone been there? How difficult is it really and why?

Thanks

Mauro

"mauro cipparone" <mauro@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:OySde.98334$zZ1.2773794@twister1.libero.it...
> Hi,
>
> My girlfriend and I are considering a diving cruise to Brothers Islands.
> We're both AOWD with 55-65 dives but we're a bit rusty not having dived
> for
> a year. We read that this location is for experienced divers only, so
> we're
> a bit worried. Has anyone been there? How difficult is it really and why?

It depends on the day and time of day as well as which Brother you are
diving.

Little Brother doesn't seem to carry as much current because the area dived
is on the Northeast corner and is usually in the lee.

At Big Brother, some days are rippers and some days are not. I don't believe
there is any way to predictably know in advance nor is there anyway to tell
which way the current will run. At Aieda II and Numedia wrecks the current
has always been strong when I was there. Strong enough to have to hold on,
unless dipped down behind something to break the current for you. All three
times I have been to Aieda II the current was so strong that the approach
and dive down to the wreck was somewhat taxing, and in all cases the slow
swimmers were blown by the wreck before reaching it.

Along the Southeast tip of BB, the diving is quite nice and the current
again, unpredictable but not as strong as on the wrecks.

You can drift along the Southwest Wall of BB, but can only know which
direction upon getting there. I have drifted it Northwest in the morning and
then Southeast in the afternoon, so the current will shift. This is the
nicest dive on either island because the softcoral stands are impressive in
size, but also in depth of color. I would go back to Red Sea again, just to
shoot the soft corals of Big Brother. there are always a lot of divers at
the Brothers....so many that they get in the way of each other. If you shoot
pictures you will have to wait a long time for the bubbles of the divers
below you to clear for a shot or two, and then wait again for the bubbles to
stop as another group swims by.

The current seems to move better in the early morning and wane a bit after
12:00PM. Of course the soft corals aren't feeding unless the current is
running pretty good so that isn't such a great time to dive. But I have seen
it rip all day before too.

The liveaboards I have dived in red Sea all spend about 3 days getting to
the Brothers so you dive along the way, and apart from Panorama reef, none
of it is heavy current. If you are on one of these types of boat I suspect
you'll get in a number of dives before hitting the brothers.

In my opinion the brothers is not real difficult diving, but the possibility
of strong currents exists. If an inexperienced diver went and stayed off
both wrecks (and subsequently avoided the strongest currents) they should do
well.

But I would also say that if you are "worried" then maybe it is not the
place for you at this time.

Currents can differ from time to time at the Brothers
I have been there many times and it is never the same!
Take a good live aboard boat with a good dive giude
He/she will lead you through the wonderful Brother Islands
And don't forget... you need current to seen the big fish!

Have a look at my non commercial web site about the Brothers
www.redsea-diving.info

happy bubbles Peter

Op Tue, 03 May 2005 22:03:26 GMT schreef "mauro cipparone"
<mauro@nospam.com>:

>Hi,
>
>My girlfriend and I are considering a diving cruise to Brothers Islands.
>We're both AOWD with 55-65 dives but we're a bit rusty not having dived for
>a year. We read that this location is for experienced divers only, so we're
>a bit worried. Has anyone been there? How difficult is it really and why?
>
>Thanks
>
>Mauro
>

mauro cipparone wrote:

> Hi,
>
> My girlfriend and I are considering a diving cruise to Brothers Islands.
> We're both AOWD with 55-65 dives but we're a bit rusty not having dived for
> a year. We read that this location is for experienced divers only, so we're
> a bit worried. Has anyone been there? How difficult is it really and why?
>

You'll need some divemanship to read the currents.
When the inf/de/flatable drops you at the northernst point of either
island, be dead sure you have taken the right bearing towards the shore,
in case you are a wee bit far and cannot see the ground. If you still
can't after 2 minutes, surface and blow your SMB to alert the Dinghi or
ship. Otherwise you may get adrift into the laminar currents leading to
Sudan.

Once you in and good ( still at the north capes), there may be a fierce
current trying to wash you away. There is shelter from the wreck at BB.
Still you seem unable to get there.
Now have a look at the fish. There is a zone above and outside of the
wreck where there are no currents, the fish standing still without fin
movement. Get there, enjoy. Don't piss of the sharks.
When you have enjoyed enough, get down into the wreck, do what you like
( you can get deeper than you might want to, it goes down to 80m. Beware
of possible downward currents from 45-50 on downwards to ??.
Leave the wreck with the current to dive alongside the western wall,
till you have reached the mooring line joining your boat to the island.
Good divers get the right line ( there will be at least 5 different from
other boats)
You may choose the eastern side of either island. To get there, fight
against the current and win, or let the dinghi drive by the corner cape.
Struggling below over the ridge is by far more fun. The water is most
clear there. At the east side there may be some cold updwellings, or in
the shallow, coldish fresh water streams. At the southern cape, you will
have to fight the current again, to get round the corner to your mooring
line.

At the little brothers southeternst end, there is a fantastic gorgone
garden from 41m on downwards, with a disused aluminium kettle.

Don't mind the lingering sharks under your boat. They belong there.

Matthias