Red Sea Liveaboard
Safari Frequently Asked Questions
1.
I'm not a certified diver; can learn to dive on a
Red Sea Livraboard safari?
2. Do you offer scuba diving courses on Red
Sea Livraboard safari?
3. Can my non-diving travel companion join me
on a Red Sea Livraboard safari holiday?
4. What Kind of Red Sea Livraboard safari is
best for me?
5. How can I prepare before I arrive for my
Red Sea Livraboard safari?
6. Should I bring my own linen and towels for
a Red Sea Livraboard safari?
7. Do you offer Red Sea Livraboard safaris
that are less than a week long?
8. What is included and not included in the
price of a Red Sea Livraboard safari?
9. What type of meals are typically prepared
on a Red Sea Livraboard safari?
10. I have special meal requirements, can you
accommodate me?
11. How many dives can I make each day on a
Red Sea liveaboard safari?
12. Is diving better in the north or south
Red Sea?
13. Do you visit different dive sites each
day?
14. What is the water temperature in the Red
Sea?
15. Are there strong currents in the Red Sea?
16. What type of clothing should I bring for
a Red Sea liveaboard safari?
17. What type of wetsuit should I use for a
Red Sea liveaboard safari?
18. How much money and what currency should I
bring?
19. Where do your Red Sea liveaboard safaris
start and end?
20. When is the best time to go a Red Sea
liveaboard safari holiday?
I'm not a
certified diver can I learn to dive on a Red Sea
liveaboard safari? Yes, but only on our northern
route liveaboard safaris and with advanced
reservations so our instructor can prepare to make
your course during the liveaboard safari.
Do you offer
Nitrox diving on Red Sea liveaboard safaris?
We do offer Nitrox diving on some of our Red Sea
liveaboard safaris but not on every trip. If you are
interested in making Nitrox dives during a
liveaboard safari please contact us for additional
details.
Can my non-diving
travel companion join me on a Red Sea liveaboard
safari?
Yes, it is possible for non-divers to come with you
on a Red Sea liveaboard safari holiday however, keep
in mind that liveaboard safaris are for experienced
divers so special requirements and activities for
non-divers is limited. Some dives sites (mainly in
the north) have coral reefs that are within a meter
of the surface and offer excellent diving and
snorkeling conditions at the same site. Contrast to
the northern dive sites, the dive sites in the south
Red Sea are primarily in open seas and subject to
strong currents and other possible hazards. We
strongly advise divers who want to bring non-diving
companions with them consider only northern route
liveaboard safaris since it is not likely a
non-diver would have much opportunity to swim or
snorkel on a liveaboard in the south Red Sea.
What kind of Red
Sea liveaboard safari is best for me?
This would depend on several factors such as your
level of training, experience and what type of
diving interest you. If you want to join a Red Sea
liveaboard safari the most important considerations
should be your training and qualifications for
obvious safety reasons. In addition, the Egyptian
government is striving to improve safety conditions
for divers in the Red Sea and continue to make
changes to diving policies that dive operators must
adhere to. One recent change was all divers on
liveaboard safaris must have a minimum of 50 logged
dives and be a certified advanced diver or higher.
Not all but many of the dive sites in the north Red
Sea are more suitable for novice divers; there are
many large islands and coral reefs near the surface
which offers more protection from winds and strong
currents. Whereas in the south Red Sea most dive
sites are situation in the open sea and far more
distance between each site. Divers are exposed to
much more challenging conditions such as strong
winds and currents. For these reasons as well as the
continuing changes in diving policies set by the
Egyptian government we suggest you contact us
directly for the latest information. If you are not
sure if you have the minimum qualifications to join
a Red Sea liveaboard safari please contact us for
advice.
How can I prepare
before I arrive for my Red Sea liveaboard safari?
To help you prepare for your liveaboard safari
before you arrive we will provide you with
additional documents that include guidelines,
helpful tips and suggestions as well as liveaboard
safari safety guidelines. These documents explain in
detail about what to expect during your liveaboard
safari, what to bring, boat briefings and safety
guidelines you are expected to follow. If you have
additional questions or concerns not covered in
these documents we are available to assist you any
time.
Should I bring my
own linen and towels on a Red Sea liveaboard safari?
All your linen is provided for you onboard so it is
not necessary for you to bring your own. We do
suggest you bring your own personal towel for
showers and a beach towel for after dives.
Do you offer Red
Sea liveaboard safaris that are less than a week
long?
Yes we do offer shorter trips; 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 day
liveaboard safaris. We refer to these trips as mini-liveaboard
safaris. We offer these shorter trips primarily on
smaller boats like Terri II and the routes are
typically northern including the Hurghada region and
south down to Safaga. We do not make mini-liveaboard
safaris south of Safaga. Although it is possible to
make a shorter trip in the south we would have to
use one of our larger boats which are chartered on a
weekly basis only.
What is
included and not included in the price of a Red Sea
liveaboard safari?
Following is
what's included in our liveaboard safaris:
-
Arrival &
departure airport transfers 4 Round trip
transfers from to embarkation points.
-
PADI certified
dive guides (English speaking) 4 Full board
meals & snacks.
-
Mineral water,
soft drinks, tea, coffee & juices.
-
Unlimited diving
(average 3 to 4 dives each day).
-
Weights and tanks
*12-liter aluminum 4 6 days diving*2 morning
dives on last day.
-
7 nights onboard
*last night may be onboard or in 3 star hotel.
Following is
what's not included in our liveaboard safaris:
-
International &
domestic flights 4 Tourist VISA.
-
Scuba
gear*available for rent.
-
Gratuities for
dive guides & boat crew.
-
Alcoholic
beverages.
-
Nitrox refills.
-
Red Sea
environmental taxes.
-
Marine park &
off-shore island permission fees*as applicable.
What type of meals
are prepared during Red Sea liveaboard safaris?
Typically chefs prepare 3 full course meals
daily which consists of a meat, chicken or fish,
salads, hot vegetables and pastas, rice or potatoes.
Fresh fruit and snacks including sweets are offered
in the afternoons. Breakfast includes cereals,
cheeses, marmalades, breads, fruit drinks and
yogurt.
Surprisingly the chefs onboard are able to prepare
very tasty meals, in sufficient quantities in a
variety of cuisines; meals onboard generally receive
excellent compliments from divers!
I have special
meal requirements, can you accommodate me?
Absolutely; we are happy to accommodate special
meal requirements upon request such as vegetarian,
low salt or non-dairy meals. We ask that you tell us
at least one day in advance about your special meal
requirements so we can prepare accordingly to meet
your needs.
How many dives can
I make each day on a Red Sea liveaboard safari?
Diving on Red Sea liveaboard safaris is unlimited
however, the actual number of dives feasible in a
given day may depend on the distance between dive
sites, weather conditions and other factors.
Normally divers are able to make 3 to 4 dives each
day when all conditions are ideal.
is diving better
in the north or south Red Sea?
This depends on what type of diving you like. If
a poll of opinions was gathered from divers who have
dived in the north and south Red Sea the majority
would probably say diving in the south Red Sea is
better.
The north Red Sea is most noted for the wreck diving
and Ras Mohammed which remains very popular with
divers today. For novice divers the north Red Sea is
much better since it is more protected and less
challenging in most sites although there are also
sites that are only suitable for veteran divers.
The south Red Sea seems to dominate popularity for
liveaboard safari diving, especially for seasoned
divers. Chances for sightings of large marine life
and shark are significantly better; combine
magnificent soft coral and large sea fans, these
special features are some of the reasons divers
prefer the southern dive sites over the northern
dive sites.
Do you visit
different dive sites each day?
For each route there is a 'planned diving itinerary'
which is designed to give you the best possible
diving opportunities within a given number of days.
How closely we can follow the planned itinerary
depends on weather conditions, how much time is
spent on each dive and other factors.
For the Brother's Island route it is not possible to
make night dives at the islands, it is prohibited
but there is more than one dive worth making so few
dives may be made when diving the Brother's Islands.
Otherwise, every effort is made to make the very
most of the every day so divers can make as many
dives as possible with compromising safety. We
consider that quality of dive more important than
the number of dives.
What is the water
temperature in the Red Sea?
During winter months water temperatures average
around 22 Celsius, whereas the average temperatures
in the summer months is around 27 Celsius. To see
our chart for yearly average air and water
temperatures click here.
Are there strong
currents in the Red Sea?
In some places and sometimes yes, there are strong
currents however these places are rare for daily
diving. In some places such as the Thistlegorm
wreck, you count on currents be present but
depending on the time of day you dive this area will
depend on the current strength, any where from mild
up to moderately strong. Our dive guides are very
experience and will escort you on dives with
currents.
What type of clothing should I bring for a Red
Sea liveaboard safari?
We recommend you bring along a few T-shirts, shorts,
long-sleeve cotton shirts, long cotton pants
(similar to jogging sports wear) and a light cotton
jacket for the evenings. It is not permitted to wear
shoes inside the common areas (salon and cabins).
What type of
wetsuit should I use for Red Sea liveaboard safari
diving?
We strongly suggest you wear a 5mm suit during the
warmer months (May through October) and 7mm during
the cooler months (November through April). Two
piece suits (farmer john style) are most suitable.
How much money and what currency should I bring?
You will not need a lot of money on the boat during
your liveaboard safari; only for tips for your dive
guide and boat crew. Any currency is accepted but
most commonly used in Egypt is US dollars or Euros
or Egyptian pounds.
When is the best
time to go on a Red Sea liveaboard safari holiday?
The high season months for Red Sea liveaboard
safaris are April through May and September through
October. During these months Red Sea liveaboard
safaris are more expensive, boats have more divers
onboard, and of course dive sites can be over
crowded with divers. Although the summer months are
much warmer, June through August, this is low season
and the diving is excellent. November is also a good
time for diving in the Red Sea; less divers and the
weather is usually still quite comfortable. December
is a bit cooler but still tolerable with the proper
wetsuit protection. January through March is
normally quite a bit cooler but the biggest concern
during these months is the strong winds.
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