News
Fantastic Savings with Regaldive at LIDS 2016
Save a minimum of 10% on most holidays and liveaboards worldwide
To celebrate the London International Dive Show (LIDS 2016) taking place at ExCel London, UK-based diving holiday specialist Regaldive has unveiled a range of exciting new Dive Show Offers. Regaldive will be exhibiting at LIDS on Stand D310 from 11-14 February and the team will be on standby to help divers to plan their scuba diving adventures in more than 25 exciting worldwide destinations.
With a great value 10% off diving holidays and liveaboards around the world, in addition to some superb dive pack deals and extra savings, Regaldive’s offers are available throughout LIDS, and for a limited period after the show.
Liveaboard Savings:
- SAVE up to £715 on Indonesian liveaboards
Access some of the best diving in the world from aboard Indo Aggressor - SAVE up to £179 on Red Sea liveaboards – flights included
Red Sea itineraries starting from just £716 per person - SAVE up to £455 on Philippines liveaboards
Great savings on selected Philippine Siren trips throughout 2016 - SAVE up to £490 on Palau liveaboards
Palau Siren, a spacious Phinisi yacht, offers great savings on trips throughout 2016 - SAVE up to £580 on Sudan liveaboards
Superb savings on selected February, March and April 2016 trips aboard Royal Evolution - SAVE up to £479 on Fiji liveaboards
Terrific savings on selected 2016 trips aboard the spacious Phinisi yacht Fiji Siren
Land-based Holidays:
- Lanzarote holidays starting from just £282 per person
Great drop offs, caves, reefs and wrecks and an award winning dive centre - Red Sea holidays starting from just £366 per person
Wide choice of resorts with spectacular marine life, warm climate and stunning scenery - Malta and Gozo holidays starting from just £230 per person
Superb conditions ideal for underwater photography and deep diving, along with fantastic wrecks - Caribbean escapes from just £929 per person
Save up to £125pp on selected 2016 dates at Grafton Beach Resort, Tobago
Divers should book by 26 February 2016 to take advantage of the 10% savings.
Red Sea Dive Pack Offers including ‘Buy One Get One FREE’
Regaldive are also offering a range of dive pack offers including:
- Aquarius in Hurghada: ‘Buy One Get One FREE’ on Dive Packs and Courses
- Emperor Divers: Diving from £26 per day in El Gouna, Marsa Alam & Sharm
- Orca Dive Club in El Gouna, Soma Bay, Safaga, Marsa Alam & Hamata:
Save 20% on Dive Packs and Courses
For further information, or to book, visit www.regal-diving.co.uk or call 01353 659999.
Photo: John Butland
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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