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A Liveaboard for all budgets with Regaldive
For divers who are keen to maximise their time in the water on their next holiday, why not consider a liveaboard with diving holiday specialist Regaldive? With a wider range of liveaboards on offer than anyone else and some great value offerings including discounts of up to £900 per person, Regaldive has something for all interests, desires and budgets.
For those with limited funds or simply wanting just a taster of liveaboard life, then Regaldive’s three night mini safari combined with a hotel-based stay in Sharm-el-Sheikh is the perfect option. Costing from just £599 per person, the trip takes in some of the Red Sea’s top dive sites. Divers will explore the legendary WWII wreck of the Thistlegorm as well as the stunning Ras Mohammed National Park, where strong currents and nutrient rich waters attract large schools of snappers, barracuda, jacks and sharks. This seven night package includes flights, transfers, three nights full board accommodation on the King Snefro 5 liveaboard and all diving, plus four nights’ B&B accommodation at the Falcon Naama Star. Other hotels and extra land-based diving are available on request.
For those in search of a trip of a lifetime, Regaldive is currently offering huge savings of £750 per person in the Galapagos. The discount is valid when booking a place on Regaldive’s seven night Galapagos Sky itinerary departing on 28 February 2015. The liveaboard visits Wolf and Darwin Islands where divers can experience some of the best diving in the world. They will have the opportunity to admire mantas, sharks, whale sharks and vibrant Galapagos invertebrates, as well as the chance to go on land to follow in Darwin’s footprints. Now costing from just £4,245 per person, the liveaboard includes flights, transfers, hotel and boat accommodation, all meals and soft drinks on board, national park fees, 17 – 19 dives and Nitrox if qualified.
Looking to travel soon? Regaldive is also offering fantastic last-minute discounts of up to £900 per person off liveaboards travelling on the SY Fiji Siren departing between now and the end of September 2014. Divers can now explore the underwater wonders of Fiji from just £1,728 per person to include seven nights’ full board boat accommodation, soft drinks, local beer, three to four dives per day, equipment, air/nitrox tanks and weights*. Get in there soon though, as discounts on SY Fiji Siren are only valid until 31st August, 2014.
For further information, or to book, visit www.regaldive.co.uk or call +44 (0)1353 659 999.
* SY Fiji Siren liveaboards prices do not include flights, however they can be arranged through Regaldive.
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.
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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