News
Join Duxy in Mexico for a photo workshop and other great deals from Scuba Travel
In addition to some great deals on Red Sea liveaboard diving, UK-based tour operator Scuba Travel currently have a brilliant offer that underwater photographers won’t want to miss.
Here are the details:
Mexico Photography Tour / 16th July / 11 nights / £2695 inc flights (Save £200)
- Fully escorted by photo pro Duxy
- 2 locations to optimise your diving opportunities
- Dive at the unique underwater museum
- Snorkel with vast numbers of whale sharks
- 3 days diving in Mexico’s famous Cenotes
There is simply so much to photograph in Mexico that Duxy had to custom build a dedicated photo itinerary, taking in not only the famous cenotes but the unique underwater museum and an opportunity to snorkel with whalesharks. The adventure begins when you land in Cancun. From here you will be transferred to your first home, Isla Mujeres. After a check dive, you have 8 dives (4 x 2 tank) including the underwater museum plus 1 morning snorkelling with the massive whale sharks that aggregate just off the coastline at this time of year. Your next stop is Tulum, where the famous Mexican cenotes await (6 dives) as well as 1 reef check dive. Flights are with British Airways direct from Gatwick. Excluded are any additional dives, kit hire, meals and beverages outside of your room basis and departure tax.
Find out more about this trip here.
Northern Red Sea Relaxed Itinerary / 21st May / Whirlwind / £995 inc flights
5 Star Red Sea Diving at affordable prices; dive the Red Sea at you own pace. Return flights to Hurghada, 7 nights full board on Spacious Liveaboard Whirlwind.
Scuba Travel’s photography expert Duxy will be on board to help you capture your best photos.
A very rewarding, but more relaxing and slower paced alternative to the more usual wrecks and reefs itinerary. With the same amount of dives available but at fewer locations, allowing you to see the best sites at different times of the day, this works brilliantly for photographers but is also proving to be a big hit with people that prefer to take things easier and with less rushing about. Some sites during the week will be “Open Deck” like The Barge and also the Thistlegorm. Once you’re initially briefed you stay for the day or longer and you can dive whenever you want. So from about 05:30 until 19:30 in the evening you have the usual four dives, but the timings are up to you and your buddy.
Find out more about this trip here.
Southern Red Sea / 25th May / Hurricane / £845 inc flights
Save £330. Sail the Southern Red Sea in complete comfort with 7 nights full board aboard the Stable Steel hulled Hurricane. Direct Flights to Marsa Alam.
Scuba Travel’s ‘Simply the Best’ itinerary shows you the best of the Southern Red Sea.
Dive the fabled Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone with the most experienced team on board the stable steel hulled Hurricane. Avoid long transfers with Scuba Travel’s direct flight to Marsa Alam. Night diving is prohibited on the Brothers and Daedalus so expect around 18 dives in total. All fees, 12 L tank & weights and free Nitrox are included in your package – additional kit and tank hire need to be prebooked. All trips are fully guided with 2 expert guides. Flights are with Thomson from Gatwick and transfers are included. At the end of the week a day use room and lunch at a hotel while you wait for your flight home is also included. The only costs not included are the Egyptian entry visa, alcohol, additional kit hire and any on board souvenirs. Let Scuba Travel know if you would like to pre-book any PADI courses on board or have any dietary requirements.
Find out more about this trip here.
To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer, visit www.scubatravel.com.
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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