News
Liveaboards don’t have to cost the Earth with Regaldive
As a result of increasingly high demand for liveaboards, diving holiday specialist Regaldive has put together a list of their top three best value liveaboard offerings. Allowing divers to journey to far-flung sites, get away from the crowds, maximise their time in the water and travel with other like-minded people, liveaboards are the ideal option for those whose holidays revolve around scuba.
Thailand from £480 per person
Low budget doesn’t have to mean no liveaboard. Think outside the box and travel for a limited time, ensuring you spend only a limited budget. Regaldive’s three night Similan, Koh Bon, Tachai and Richelieu Rock itinerary on the Scuba Adventure costs from just £480 per person and takes divers to the clear turquoise waters of the Similans, the limestone island of Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock – a submerged pinnacle close to the Burma boarder. Divers will have the opportunity to explore gentle sloping reefs, underwater boulders and submerged plateaus, and dive with Manta rays and large pelagics.
The price includes full board accommodation, snacks and refreshments, 11 dives, air tanks, weights and weight belt. Flights are not included but can be arranged through Regaldive.
Red Sea from £813 per person
For divers looking for a good-value challenge, Regaldive’s Emperor – Fury and Elphinstone itinerary, journeying on the M/Y Asmaa is suitable for experienced divers and costs from just £813 per person. The liveaboard starts in Port Ghalib and travels onto various sites including Fury Shoals Reef System, Sha’ab Maksour, Sha’ab Claudio, Sha’ab Sataya and Elphinstone, where divers can enjoy three to four dives per day. Customers will have the opportunity to go on deep dives, swim in strong currents, admire wrecks, explore steep drop offs and can hope to swim amongst hammerheads, reef sharks, mantas, whale sharks, turtles, barracuda and shoals of dogtooth tuna and jacks.
The price includes flights, transfers, full board accommodation and soft drinks, six days diving, three to four dives a day, two dives on the last day, guide, tanks, weightsm, Nitrox (12l): two tanks per day and marine park fees.
The Caribbean from £917 per person
For divers with a small budget but big ambitions, Regaldive’s seven night St Kitts – Saba itinerary on the Caribbean Explorer II has been recently discounted by £173, and now costs from just £917 per person. With five dives per day, the itinerary is ideal for those looking to admire the underwater charms of the Caribbean. Alongside St Kitts, divers will have the opportunity to spend quality time in Saba Marine Park, where they can explore its flourishing reefs, pinnacles which are home to corals, sponges, and invertebrate, a natural labyrinth, underwater caves, tunnels and rock walls. Divers will also have the chance to explore the above the water highlights, including forts, rainforests and museums.
The price includes full board accommodation, snacks and refreshments, five and a half days diving, air tanks, weights and weight belt. Flights are not included but can be arranged through Regaldive.
For further information or to book, visit www.regaldive.co.uk or call +44 (0)1353 659 999.
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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