Red Sea - Hurricane Elphinstone/Daedelus/St Johns/Fury Shoal September 2004.
by Paul Leyland

Wednesday 1st
Having arrived at Gatwick the evening before, and managing to convince the hotel into giving me a complimentary bottle of wine, the trip started off extremely well!!!

Thursday 2nd
I was travelling alone (Nobby No Mates me...) but met up with a few people at check-in.
Usual bedlam in the departure lounge, very pleased that I had booked into the Executive lounge - a haven of peace and tranquillity and Rum, and Gin, and coffee and cakes.
Good flight, glad I booked extra leg room.
Quick and slick at Marsa airport, onto the coach for the short drive to the building site, sorry Marina...
Greeted by Grant then onto the Big White Boat!
Shoes off, into the lounge and the meet and greet spiel!
NO SONIA! She was in foreign parts visiting family, we only had Grant for the week... Bummer...(No offence Grant) I along with all the others had been looking forward to Sonia being on board.
Room allocation read out - no scramble to grab the cabins.
Told we would leave at 05:30 in the morning for first dive at 06:30.
"Hello Bob - you must be the poor bugger to have to share with me!!!"

Friday 3rd
Everyone up, on deck and sort of awake by 06:15 - to find we are still moored up in the Marina! The 15litre cylinders had not been delivered. Finally left port at 07:15 and off to

Dive number 1...Abu Dabab.
Check out dive with Grant sneaking up in his stealth rig to watch...
Usual weight check, but - the water was all clear and warm and full of fishes and I was relaxed and enjoyed it and everyfing...
Back up the ladder, two ladders on the stern, central spine jobs with not much fin room for the last step, onto the BIG stern deck, "That was cool... er…, where’s my fins?" the crew had already taken them off for me and grinned as the handed them back...
Breakfast in the BIG dining room. You must have a Sam special chilli omelette - I was recommended to before I went. I told Sam (Housekeeping manager) he was now famous in England for his chilli omelette. he was so chuffed I got extra Chilli!!!

Dive number 2... Elphinstone West wall
Dropped in from back of Hurricane, and swam to reef. I was adopted by a Pipe fish who just followed me throughout the dive. Wonderful wall, strong current. Took Bob back to Hurricane after 40 mins. then rejoined another group for 15 more mins. Blue Spotted rays, Antithus galore!
Lunch - buffet style and excellent. Every meal was good. I put on weight on this trip.

Dive number 3... Elphinstone North end
Taken up by RIB. There are two 5.5m RIBs with 85hp Yamaha outboards and excellent boathandlers. Always in Radio contact with the other RIB and Mothership.
A negative entry waited off the point to be rewarded by Mum and baby Dolphin, and shark!
Swam along the wall against a slight current and climbed back onto Hurricane.
Cast off, supper, DVD's and beer in the lounge during and overnight run to the next site. Sea none too calm with a lot of up and down motion - not too much sleep gained!

Saturday 4th
Dive number 4... Daedelus Reef
Knock on the cabin door at 06:30 "Diving" said Grant "groan" said I
Out by RIB negative entry and out into the blue - NO Sharks! Lots & Lots of Jelly fish though (and litter in the water) Back along the reef against a slight current, difficult to see the reef 'cos the fish kept getting in the way!

Dive number 5... Daedelus Reef
RIB trip again. Current had dropped so gentle swim along the reef, Hump head Wrasse hanging out with us...

After lunch a chance to stretch the legs and a trip up the Old lighthouse! Wonderful views, the thought of the engineering skills that went into the building of this 150 years ago just made me think WOW!
We were very honoured 'cos Capt. Nagy drove the RIB to take us back to Hurricane..

Dive number 6... Daedelus Reef Anemone garden
This was my 2999th dive... You know what’s to come...
Sheer walls, lots of Nemo look-a-likes. Enormous Coral pinnacle. Managed to puke in my reg in this one! I don't know why!
Cast off and away for another lumpy long night crossing to Rocky island.... No booze for me tonight - a big day tomorrow...
Sunday 5th

Dive number 7... Rocky
MY 3000TH DIVE!!!! (Yes I am a sad git that has logged all his dives...)
20th June 1973 (Devils Bridge) - 5th September 2004 (Rocky Island)
Rough trip out in the RIB, very choppy but the spray was at least warm!
Clear Blue Water, Down slowly to 50m, look around and a very personal poignant moment. Back up slowly to 30m and along to the point - a strong current, so back, Moray eels, and Giant Barracuda.
Celebrated this special dive with a chunder (Mal-De-Mer) over the tubes of the RIB.

Back for breakfast, then a time of quiet reflection and a chat with Grant. I had told him that I would celebrate on the trip, but had kept it quiet from most of the group. I still remember that evening dive in the Yorkshire Dales with great affection.

Dive number 8... Rocky
Swim out from back of Hurricane to the Reef then down and to left of Island. Good coral, and fish life. Current changed so drifted back with it. Almost back to Mothership, but Bob was knackered so surfaced and got picked up by RIB.
Cast off and onto the next site

Dive number 9... Zabahgred island (El Gebel)
Easy entry form back of boat. Lovely corals, swim through, Barracuda, Humpheads. Into a large cavern. Like entering a Cathedral with Cloisters coming off. An excellent dive.

Dive number 10... Zabahgred island (El Gebel)
Night Dive.
Feather Stars do not like being Zapped by a Light Cannon! They think is daylight and curl up. Sleeping Parrot fish in the coral, Spanish Dancers on the seabed. Into the cave again, colours with the torch are excellent. The dive made complete by meeting "Barney" a baby turtle swimming around at the stern of the boat. He was Sooo.. cute!
And so it continued...Another over night passage and into St Johns...
Monday 6th
Dive 11 Habili Ali
Drop off, vertical walls, fish fish fish...you get the picture?

Dive 12 Habili Gafar
A small reef, and for me the best of the trip.
Immediately after jumping in and swimming to the reef, I thought of Cousteau describing the Red Sea as the worlds Aquarium.
To me this was it. A small reef, which I swam slowly around three times. Moray Eels, Shoaling Barracuda, Grey Reef shark. Swimming along in a shoal of fish - as if I was one of the gang. The top of the reef was at 3m a perfect way to carry out a safety stop - which I made last 15 mins.
I rate this as one of my best dives EVER!

And then the shout..
WHALE SHARK!!!!

Fastest ever launch of a RIB, kitting up in snorkel kit and off...
Wonderful! WOW! !!!!!! Do not even get near this experience.

Dive 13 Umm Kuff
Time to get rid of the wetsuit T-Shirt from now on...
Swim through a cavern into the lagoon, Coral heads making a wonderful garden. Warm, clear, calm and sunny. A lovely easy, relaxing dive.
More over night motoring and off to Fury Shoal

Tuesday 7th
Dive 14 Sha' ab Maksur
Dropped in at the North end of the reef onto a 20m plateau. Over the edge and down to 40m, and a very slow ascent back up the wall.
What a dive Dolphins, White tip reef shark, safety stops swimming along the reef wall. But a bloody rough trip back in the RIB!

Dive 15 Sha' ab Claude
Wonderful easy dive site. Off the stern of the boat and through a cleft in the reef into the lagoon. Lots of passageways in and out of the reef; coral heads, Blue Spotted Rays. Hangin' around below the boat was a Giant Barracuda. "I sees ee', ee' sees I - buggered if I don't get up the ladder fast!"
More travel and onto..

Dive 16 Sha' ab Hagris
Dropped off by RIB on far side of the reef and drifted with the current. An old cable running out from the reef, well colonised by coral. "WRECK" I think and after following it for a couple of hundred meters I gave up and swam back to the reef.
A large coral garden the heads all but touching each other, a very impressive sight. A strong current made it hard work to get back to the boat.

Almost there!
Another overnight passage and awake on...

Wednesday 8th
Dive 17 Elphinstone
South East side. Dropped in off the stern and an easy swim to the reef. Immediately picked up by a new/old buddy - the pipefish from my first dive at Elphinstone (well I think it was him again...) Swam out and around the south point, on turning into the West wall a very strong current, so back into the calm waters - calm current wise - bloody great swell on the surface!
Sadly on to our last dive site...

Dive 18 Shouna Bay
We all voted to dive here in the hope of seeing the Manatee.
Worse viz of the trip - 20m. Swam over the sea grass for 15 mins. Saw a ray swimming along and not much else. Turned around and headed back to the boat. Then it was there! No not a Manatee... But a GIANT Turtle, complete with TWO remora on its shell, quietly munching the grass. It must have been well over 5 ft across the shell, a grand old resident of the sea.
It stayed around for about 5 mins. before gently swimming off into the distance. Sadly back to the boat and a hang underneath to get the most of the time underwater. A sad farewell wave to the undersea and then slowly back up the ladder.

Lunch and then pack the kit on the trip back to the marina.

We were transferred to the Club Hotel for the last night.
Into the room, dump my bag, and Bob asked if I was going to have a rest and a shower, then a walk around before dinner... I was already halfway out of the door by this time calling "Bar, Beer..."
Found the bar and a beer, the rest of the gang arrived and we had to "endure " the Italian young ladies performing Aquarobics, and then Yoga exercises... It was not good for a group of blokes having been at sea for a week... but we stoically forced ourselves to watch, drink beer, then drink more beer....
Dinner in the evening at the hotel was good, the people who had not dived hard enough had the energy to go to the club.. me I was knackered and had more than enough to drink, so I collapsed into bed.

Thursday 9th
Finally got out of my pit in time to walk down to the beach pool and Pizza cafe for lunch.
A final splash in the pools (there are three cascading into each other) then back to the hotel, bags onto the coach and back to Gatwick. The in-flight movie - Garfield. Take my advice and sleep through it!

The Boat
She is big, well designed, but not as advertised when I booked! No hydraulic platform, the RIBs have 85hp outboards not jet drives. Twenty two guests, not twenty as advertised.
The cabins - I was on the dining deck, room three
It was the smallest of the cabins but had the biggest windows. Bathroom is a bit on the compact and bijou style, but I managed OK.
Fridge kept my chocolate cold! TV & DVD player I never used them. Not a lot of storage space. They put your dive bags in a hold somewhere for the trip.
Bathrobes, "Beach" towels and a hand and bath towel provided. Usual waste bin arrangement for loo paper!
Beds made during the morning - a great sense of humour from Sam...

Avoid room 11 like the plague! right next to the engine room. Impossible to sleep in!!!

Dining room - excellent! Food - well, I put on weight during the trip! No tummy problems! The kitchen was immaculate, they were always cleaning the public areas.

Lounge - 42" Plasma TV on the wall, good DVD's, help yourself to Orange juice, Coke, Sprite, Water, Tea and Coffee; and always snacks available. Beer $3 or $4 depending on type. Wine available $15 I think.

Nitrox - membrane system 32% or 36% just put a tag on your cylinder. Either £5 per fill or £60 for the week. I did 17 dives on Nitrox. Analyser on board.
Drager Rebreather for hire or Try A Dive (check the price first)
Crate under the bench for your kit, Hangers for suits, Table for camera's computers, bottles of water odds and sods. A well laid out system.
Dive platform (Stern). BIG, fresh water tanks for camera's, two fresh water showers. The water from these was HOT!
Two spine ladders.

Crew - I tried to persuade them to come to the UK and look after me when I'm diving. The were extremely helpful, knowledgeable, excellent boat handlers. The best I have ever come across.

Grant - such a cool laid back, switched on guy! Very good at assessing divers, cutting through the usual verbal diving bul*s*it. With 22 guests to look after, he did well, but did look a bit stained at times.

And finally the other guests... Being Nobby No Mates I was concerned as to who I would have to spend a week in a confined area with...
No worries they were all great, and everyone seemed to get along with no discernable friction.

Would I do the trip again? What would I change?

September 2005 here I come

With my own Dive buddy/room mate

Sonia on board please (She arrived back for the trip on after us... bummer..)


Egypt main page