Photos underwater & above water
Sunday 30th May 2010
Well the crew all met at some ungodly hour at Gatwick South, the check in experience was not as bad as expected then in true BUDC fashion the die-hards went for fry up. Flight was bearable unlike arrival in Sharm where the queue for passport control extended back to Cairo, after much jostling , with bags collected, it was on to the coach to El Mina port. Boarded the good ship Cyclone, unpacked, set up dive kit then supper and bed, it was a long day.
Monday 31st May 2010
0400 UK time, knocked up for the dive briefing, at least it was warm after the frigid conditions back home, Alan was able to wear his sandals without socks for the first time!
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Ras Katy |
Shakedown Dive |
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Stingray station/Alternatives |
Shakedown Dive |
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Giannis D |
Wreck Dive |
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Sha’ ab Abu Nuhas |
Night Dive |
Ras Katy where Alex was attacked by amorous Trigger fish. Amongst the coral islands, tropical fish and happy divers Alex had drifted into the unmarked territory of Mr Trigger. Unfortunately Alex wasn’t quick enough on the draw and the angry fish proceeded to chase Alex, attack his fins and generally cause a nuisance! (AK)
Ras Katy was the first dive of our first Red sea live aboard holiday. It is a shallow dive, I went to 3m, with lots of fish and coral to see. The main reason for this dive is to check your buoyancy and get a feel for diving in the Red Sea and for the guides to be sure you are a capable diver. We were lucky enough to see a manta ray on this dive which, as it is quite close to Sharm el Sheik, isn’t that common. The dive lasted for 31mins and was a lovely introduction to Red Sea diving. (JM)
Tuesday 1st June 2010
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Chrisoula K |
Wreck |
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Carnatic |
Wreck |
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Ullyses |
Wreck |
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The Barge (alternative) |
Wreck |
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The Barge |
Night Dive |
Wreck Confusion
All briefed for the Carnatic we bumped along in the zodiacs to the windward side of Abu Nuhas, on arrival Sarah (who was already in the water) advised that we were on the wrong wreck and in fact was the Chrisoula K! What transpired was that the zodiac boys had got confused between zodiac 1/2/3 and wreck 1/2/3/4 as they know them by number not name. Rommel was apparently half way through the dive before he realized! Oh we did laugh…
Barge night dive.
Our first planned night dive with fish including George (who keeps on moving wreck to wreck) and getting bigger each time! What a sight, schools of scorpion fish, octopi and so many fish, this is what out training was about. everything I’d hoped for. Alex couldn’t stop talking afterwards….ok so what’s new! (AK)
Wednesday 2nd June 2010
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Rosalie Muller |
Wreck |
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Kingston |
Wreck |
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Thistlegorm |
Wreck |
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Thistlegorm |
Night Dive |
Thursday 3rd June 2010
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Thistlegorm |
Wreck |
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Small Crack |
Reef |
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Dunraven |
Wreck |
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Beacon Rock |
Night |
Dunraven (max depth 28.4 metres)
I hadn’t done this wreck before so elected to follow the guide along with Malcolm and Steve, dropped in on the bow at 15 metres, swam into the wreck through the hole there (large Moray eel) and into the upturned hull, the two boilers lie straight ahead and you can either go over the top or pass on the starboard side. The guide had told me to stop on the top of the boilers, stop breathing and listen for the sound of the engines, although naturally sceptical I did as suggested and spookily I could hear the low rev of a steam engine (Red Sea X File?)
Swam along with the prop shaft above our heads then out the stern entrance then up to the prop and rudder, drift along the reef until current encountered and swam back at 6m for the safety stop, then surfaced for a RIB pick up (FJ)
Friday 4th June 2010
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Shark & Yolanda |
Reef |
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Jackfish Alley |
Reef |
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Gordon Reef |
Reef |
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South Laguna |
Night Dive |
Saturday 5th June 2010
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Jackson Reef |
Reef |
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Thomas Reef |
Reef |
Jackson Reef
5th June was a date to remember, an eventful drift dive where it seems the whole crew saw the shark except myself. Instead I was focusing on achieving my 35m dive. With no need to equalize my ears between from 20m I was lulled into a false sense of security. Seem to remember Jenny telling me this in my training! Still it was good to be a member of the 35m club, the diver’s version of the mile high equivalent, so Paul tells me! Now I just need to learn to drift dive upside down and I’ll be sorted! (AK)
Thomas Reef was the final dive of a fantastic holiday, this meant it was also the last opportunity Steve and I would have to progress to 35m. After a chat with a club instructor we ‘planned our dive’ with great care.
Yasser lead the dive which began with a penguin entry and slow descent of the coral reef face. There was plenty of different types of coral, including gorgonian coral, black coral and abundant animal life, cornetfish, lionfish, anemonefish and masked pufferfish to name a few.
Our dive plan included a slow descent to 35m followed by a gradual ascent. We accomplished this before the ‘Canyon’ an area where there is a slight plateau at 35m then a drop off into the blue. As I began to ascend a look to my left revealed Jenny, who had clearly watched us, shaking her head and waggling her finger. We had, after all, dived to 35m in a national park where the limit is 30m!
We then joined the other divers and gently drifted along the reef face, our final dive over after 45mins was as enjoyable as all the others of the trip. (JM)
After the mornings diving, kit wash down and festooned around the boat to dry the skipper opted to moor up in a bay next to Sharm rather than return to port, swimming , water polo against the crew, jumping, bombing, fighting all ensued!
Sunday 6th June 2010
Day ashore, wandering around Sharm, lying by the pool, yet more antics and tomfoolery then to the airport, usual chaos, back to Blighty.
Food on Board
The stewards did a first class job of looking after us always, eggs for breakfast 5 different ways and ‘chicken surprise’ for dinner most nights all lovingly prepared by ‘Chemical Ali’ Saddam Hussein’s long lost cousin (did anyone else notice the resemblance?) his trouser and vest liberally covered with stains, some of which were rather dubious.
This obviously led to an outbreak of ‘Cyclone’s revenge’ with all but the most stout constitution suffering from tummy troubles, the most severe casualty being Jacqui whose condition at one point had us weighting a sail canvas bag with cannonballs and reading up on the burial at sea service.
Rush for the depths
Some of the Red Sea virgins (RSV’s) had not disclosed their plans to push the boundaries of sport diving, they doubted the need for observance of a PP02 of 1.4 and it was rumoured that some RSV’s even adjusted their computers so they could exceed the MOD for 32% (33.7 metres) and attain the holy grail at 35 metres although some suspected that that they were off to the first arch in the canyon at 41 metres on Gordon Reef!
The Mod father did get close at 37.4 metres but am glad to say he was able to make a safe return without suffering oxygen toxicity although am not sure if his computer is speaking to him ever again.
( Main Report by Paul Clunas, with contributions by other members)
