News
The latest dive holiday deals from the Scuba Travel team
We’re loving the sunshine and it certainly puts us in the holiday mood. If you’re ready to getaway from it all, look no further than the latest dive holiday deals from our friends at UK-based Tour Operator Scuba Travel.
WOW save £400 – only £795 each – Last 2 spaces – Hurricane 31st May
See Spring in St Johns! It’s a super time of year for world-class reef diving. See for yourself the plunging walls, picture perfect pinnacles and cool cavern dives – all with one of the most experienced dive crews in the Red Sea. Alongside the remote St Johns region dive Wadi Gamal, Fury Shoal and Elphinstone.
The ever popular Hurricane was Winner of the 2016 liveaboard of the year title. She is the right liveaboard in the right place at the right time. Dive the Southern Red Sea from this outstanding steel hulled vessel.
Package includes return flights to Marsa Alam, 7 nights fullboard, 18-20 fully guided dives, marine park fees, 12 ltr tanks, weights and NITROX.
For more information on this trip click here
New October Northern Red Sea Dates – only £1295
New dates added! With October Red Sea trips filling up fast, Scuba Travel are excited to announce that they have added some extra Sunday departure dates on the Wrecks and Reefs Itinerary in the Northern Red Sea.
Dive in and see the diversity that is on offer. With world class wreck dives and breathtaking reef dives every day, why not take a trip to the best of both worlds. Endlessly flexible, Wreck and Reefs has become a classic route and yet no two trips are ever the same. The route can be adapted easily to ensure you visit the right dive sites… at any time of the year. The underwater scenery is ever changing and guaranteed to leave you breathless.
All trips include return flights to Hurghada, 7 nights full board, up to 22 fully guided dives, marine park fees, 12 ltr tanks, air fills and weights.
New added dates: 15th October Cyclone, 22nd October Cyclone and 29th October Whirlwind.
Sail away to the Maldives – 9th June onboard Leo – only £1595
Find out why Leo is a popular choice for those looking for a great, affordable liveaboad. She is a stylish vessel with contrasting wooden decor throughout the entire boat including the cabins. The communal areas on board are generous, with a large air conditioned saloon and dining area with bar where all meals and briefings take place. Spend your surface intervals drinking in the sun’s rays on the fly deck.
Best of the Maldives is a popular itinerary with year round departures that delivers what it says on the tin – the Best of the Maldives! Dive the classic sites that made the Maldives so famous. Focusing on the hottest sites around Male & Ari atolls, there are pelagics a plenty, with manta, sharks and even whalesharks.
This fantastic price includes return flights to Male, 7 nights full board, an average of 16 fully guided dhoni dives and 1 night dive, marine park fees, 12 ltr tanks and weights and NITROX and full Atol bonding.
Click here to find out more about this trip.
To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer, call 0800 0728221, email dive@scubatravel.com or 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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