On Valerie in the Red Sea

by Jo Waters

In the early hours of St Valentines Day, 12 survivors from the last Billericay SAC Red Sea trip set off for Gatwick with 3 warm water virgins.

Things got off to a slightly wobbly start when we realised that 3 people were booked onto a separate flight from the main group. We then found ourselves panicking when we were told that the rest of us had had our flight cancelled, so the 3 outcasts were suddenly the only lucky ones definitely going on holiday! Eventually, we all squeezed onto the remaining flight and were on our way. Woo hoo !!

We cleared Hurghada airport amazingly quickly without queuing. (I will repeat that for those of you who have spent at least 2 frustrating hours crushed up in the Egyptian summer heat each time you have visited the Red Sea. We cleared customs without queuing !!)Our dive boat staff had an efficient procedure where we paid a little extra for them to have our visa stamps waiting for us when we arrived. Well worth a few dollars extra and a method, which will hopefully catch on with other organisers. Add to that the short hop to the marina and we were on the m/y Valerie in no time at all. A good stress-free start to what would be a well deserved,real chilled-out, week.

So down to the important stuff. What was the diving like ? I have to say dead impressive. This was my 6th trip to the Red Sea and the itinerary for the week was easily the best I have experienced. If I say we dived the Thistlegorm, Giannis D, the Carnatic, the Dunraven and Sarah H, you will understand that even the girlies amongst us are now firmly converted wreckies !!

The first highlight amongst these wrecks stands out as our 2 dives on the Giannis D, which resembles a crooked house resting on the seabed, with ample chances for everyone to enter and explore the inside. It is also a photographer’s dream as the top of the wreck is very shallow, so you have fantastic opportunities for shots of the top deck and superstructure with sunlight shining through the blue. A very, very good dive !

Highlight number two had to be the Sarah H, which remains as pretty as ever – totally encrusted with coral and with more fishlife than any aquarium.

Diving the Thistlegorm is always aspecial experience – this time in particular for Biker Bohr who wanted to sit on every motorbike in the hold. We were treated to three-dive days on what is justifiably still one of the world’s most popular divesites, but as we visited in the winter we were lucky enough not to have to fight our way amongst crowds of other divers.

Easily the dive of the week for eight of us was a night dive on this fantastic wreck. We descended with the current running like a train (and I don’t mean the Fenchurch Street line with leaves on the track !) We were asked not to enter too far, but managed to explore the bridge; an eerie experience, but in no way intimidating. Time to watch a little scuttlefish floating on the deck, and wave our torches at a big crocodile fish before ascending to hang like flags in the wind as the current rattled through our regulators. Somehow this added to an exhilarating experience which will standout amongst the best dives that most of us have enjoyed to date and made a very fitting dive for Jamie to log down as number 500 and for Martin to “come of age” on 21.

With no underwater engagements this year, we had to look for something else to liven up our night dives and we weren’t disappointed as another superb example was a dive on a small wreck at a site called Bluff Point. Only a few of us went in, which was a shame as everywhere we looked under water we saw “big boys”posing for photos. First of all two huge morays (one of whom Lee and Umm...bravely stroked - rather them than me - he looked quite a stroppy geezer as my photos will hopefully testify !) Along the way we saw a large crocodile fish, a big scorpion fish, plus a few lionfish floating here and there and some pretty urchins finally rounded off nicely by a big barracuda observing us as we left the wreck and began our ascent.

Did we dive any reefs ? Well yes but, for me at least, these dives were fairly disappointing. To be fair we missed the best as, with the world’s leaders meeting in Egypt to discuss war, we weren’t able to enter the Ras Mohammed NP. At the sites we dived, far too much of the coral was grey and dead and the life on the reefs really didn’t shape up to expectations.

In keeping with the reputation of Billericay Sub Aqua Club, our last night was party time, and of course we left the crew with a party to remember !! Their first ever on board fancy dress party to be exact ! We had two bunny girls, a cat, a fairy, a hula-hula girl,Long Jim Silver, a 70s scouser, a Star Wars alien, a Hawaiian beach bloke and of course two lovely guys dressed as gals. Tim looked quite fetching in his frock and make up, but top prize had to go to Alan, who made a disturbingly convincing woman in his slinky black number and sexy veiled hat....

The Egyptian crew were first class and took good care of us all week, with some lovely food and a genuinely friendly service. The only down point was on the last but one day when Lee and Michelle H both surfaced with worries that their air tasted bad. That night only Jenny was able to dive (with the guide .. no solo diving !) as everyone else’s air was contaminated. The problem was solved by borrowing cylinders for the final day from other dive boats.

We rounded off the week with a day at leisure, where a large group went for a slightly regimented, but I’m told enjoyable quad bike ride through clouds of dust and sand. The less energetic enjoyed either saunas and massage or just a day relaxing by the pool at the local hotel. So in summary : a superb week was had by all and our special thanks must go to Jenny who, assisted by Mick,organised a holiday to remember.

Photos by Lee Hooper

Billericay Sub Aqua Club

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