News
GoGoGo Tobago and save £225 with Regaldive
There’s never been a better incentive to escape the spring showers thanks to UK based diving holiday specialist Regaldive. For a limited time only*, the dive operator is offering a minimum of £100 and maximum of £225 saving per person on all Tobago departures between May and September 2014. The offer applies to all hotels including the new five-acre Grafton Beach Resort which was added to Regaldive’s portfolio just this week. With seven night Tobago holidays now costing from just £648 per person including flights, there’s never been a better time to GoGoGo Tobago.
Offering something for all divers, Tobago has a well-deserved reputation for some of the most spectacular drift diving in the Caribbean. Its proximity to South America places the island in the path of the Guyana current, which feeds the area with nutrients from Venezuela’s Orinoco River. This attracts an explosion of marine life and results in outstanding hard coral formations, including what is purportedly the world’s largest brain coral at Kelleston Drain, off Speyside, and immense barrel sponges. Divers exploring the Caribbean coast are in for a treat with more sheltered reefs, huge plate coral colonies and the wreck of the Maverick.
All departures between 1st May and 30th September 2014 are discounted by £100 per person. Divers can save an additional £75 on 9th July departures, or an additional £125 on 16th July departures.
For those on a budget, seven night stays at the Toucan Inn cost from just £648 per person for a limited time only. The Toucan Inn is one of Tobago’s most popular hotels and is located just a short walk away from the bars, restaurants and water sports facilities. The price includes return flights, transfers and B&B accommodation.
Alternatively, for those looking to sample the new Grafton Beach Resort, seven night stays currently cost from just £701 per person including discount, to include return flights, transfers and B&B accommodation. The resort is located above the palm-fringed stretch of beach known as Stonehaven Bay on the Caribbean coast and benefits from an onsite dive centre, freshwater swimming pool, games room, shopping arcade, various bars and restaurants and the use of the sports and spa facilities at the neighbouring Le Grand Courlan Spa Resort.
Over in Speyside on the Atlantic coast, seven nights’ at Nabucco’s Resort currently cost from £845 per person, to include return flights, transfers and B&B accommodation. The resort is located on the edge of Speyside village and commands fabulous views over the bay towards the Goat Island, former residence of Ian Fleming, and the island of Little Tobago.
Also located in the Speyside area is the Blue Waters Inn. For a limited time only, seven night stays currently cost from £794 per person, to include return flights, transfers and B&B accommodation.
A five day dive pack at any of the above resorts costs from £237 per person when diving with Extra Divers, to include two boat dives per day, air tanks and weights. The contrast between the two Atlantic and Caribbean coasts makes Tobago an ideal twin centre destination and Regaldive can arrange for dive packs to be split between both sides of the island for the best all-round diving experience.
For further information, or to book, visit www.regaldive.co.uk or call +44 (0)1353 659 999.
* The offer is valid until 31st May 2014, so get in there quick to take advantage.
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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