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Get your diving fix this Autumn with these great value offers from Scuba Travel
Now that Autumn has officially started it’s more important that ever to get your fix of blue sky and warm seas! UK-based Tour Operator Scuba Travel have some fanatastic offers left for October to the Red Sea, Maldives, Indonesia and further afield. Check out the details below…
Indonesia – 26 October I Bunaken Oasis, Manado I 7 nights full board I Save £500, only £2995
Stunning 5 star luxury dive resort with easy access to over 50 superb dive sites. The variety of diving at Bunaken Oasis resort is incredible. This is a purpose built luxury dive resort and as such, everything you need is right here on site. Choose between 3 boat dives per day or 2 morning boat dives and an afternoon spent exploring the house reef.
The team at Bunaken Oasis resort are all experienced dive professionals, having worked at some of the world’s most famous and finest dive resorts. Now they have come together to form a team dedicated to your dive satisfaction, whether you want a guide, a spotter or to continue your dive education. Many visitors to Bunaken Oasis resort are photographers – the dive boats have large rinse tanks and there is a generous camera room on site.
Package includes flights, transfers, 7 nights full board in a traditional cottage, 17 guided boat dives, free nitrox, free house reef diving.
Looking for something different on your next diving adventure? Check out Scuba Travel’s escorted trips to this fabulous resort: 4 September 2018 join Martin Edge and get the best out of your Indonesian Photography, 5 October enjoy Freediving and Yoga with Emma Farrell.
Red Sea – 29 October I Whirlwind I Save £100, only £1295 I Last two spaces
Fill your log book with iconic dive sites… the Thistlegorm, Shark & Yolanda, Abu Nuhas and Tiran…. these and so much more awaits! Whirlwind is a generous 36m from bow to stern and at 8m across, there is ample space for all 20 guests. There are 10 cabins in total, all with twin beds, en suite, air con and safe. The storage is plentiful and the showers are some of the most powerful you will find on a boat!
Whirlwind has everything the modern diver could want on board. The dive deck is one of the most impressive aspects – no more kitting up in a crowd on this boat! There is a camera table, 2 rinse tanks and plenty of space for all your dive kit.
Last 2 spaces available: 1 female share and 1 male share. Package includes Wrecks and Reefs Itinerary, 7 nights full board, return flights to Gatwick, Airport Transfers, up to 22 fully guided dives over the week, all marine park fees, 12 litre tank and weights. Plus day use of a hotel and buffet lunch on the last day. Full ATOL bonding.
Maldives – 14 October I Carpe Vita I Save £500, only £2145
Wend your way between Male and Baa atolls, cherry picking the highlight dive sites and including snorkelling at Hanivaru Bay on board the exceptional Carpe Vita, with her extra value package.
Carpe Vita goes above and beyond the usual Maldives liveaboard. Your package here is one of the most comprehensive we’ve seen, with up to 4 dives a day, alcohol with your evening meal (2 glasses of wine or beer) and additional on board facilities included as standard. At a generous 38m in length and a whopping 10m breadth, she’s as spacious as she is well laid out. Carpe Vita has plenty of space for everyone. See for yourself the attention to detail that makes Carpe Vita a well loved liveaboard with divers.
Package includes: Seasonal Sensations Itinerary, return flights, up to 4 fully guided dives a day, 12 litre tank and weights, full board including 2 glasses of wine or beer with your meal, complimentary tea, coffee and soft drinks. Full ATOL bonding.
Sudan – 22 February I MY Voyager I Save £200, only £1645
Sudan is a remote destination, still visited only by a handful of divers each year; but now you can dive this exciting, untouched part of the Red Sea from the decks of the luxurious liveaboard Voyager. She is operated by an experienced team who have made the Sudan their home and know each reef intimately – there is no one better to guide you through the Sudanese waters. With such an unparalleled knowledge of the dive sites, marine species and their seasonality it is no wonder that divers flock back to this vessel year after year.
Voyager is a luxurious liveaboard with vastly experienced crew, running thrilling dive holidays in Sudan, still visited only by a handful of divers each year.
Package includes: Return flights, transfers, 7 nights full board ,12 litre tank and fills, up to 4 guided dives per day. Full ATOL bonding.
If none of these amazing offers float your boat discover more special offers at www.scubatravel.com/godiving/lastminute
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.
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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