Red Sea Diving Safari
 

Full speed ahead, towards a new adventure!

A diving safari (Live Aboard) usually only lasts a week. During this time, you almost become part of the marine ecosystem. Here the sea dictates the conditions. Either it is gracious or it gives you lessons to learn. During the cruise, you not only enjoy the charms of life on a ship, but you are also subject to the rules and laws that govern here. Learning a few rules that will help you feel at ease during this extraordinary adventure.

Who are safari trips organized for and how to prepare for them?

A diving safari is probably the most convenient way to spend a diving holiday. In just a week, you can make 20 to 25 dives or more. Each dive can take place in a different location as the boat moves to a new location. There is no need to carry equipment or clean it every dive. Just unscrew the first stage to fill the cylinder with air and you are ready for the next immersion. The food is always fresh, and the appetite after diving is good. Between dives, you can lie on a cot and in the evenings enjoy the view of the setting sun. Is there anything more beautiful?

In the article I will focus on the Red Sea safari, because it is the most frequently chosen destination.

On safari, the day starts at 5:30. A knock on the cabin door and the words “morning” mean a new day and new adventures.  The wake-up time seems cruel for a holiday trip, but diving at 6:00 and waking up underwater fauna make up for the lack of sleep. As the day continues, the water is turning from gray to deeper blue. The corals become colorful, basking in the morning sun. A moray eel yawns lazily after a night of hunting. The lionfish are slowly going to rest.

 
 

Around 11 it’s time for the second dive. At this hour the sun is at its highest and brings out the colors of the reef best. This is the perfect moment for photo sessions and video recording. Dancing fish jump into the coral now and then as if in sync, only to swim out a moment later and shimmer with rainbow colors in the sun’s rays. The rays reach the deepest at this hour, so you can do a deep dive on a wreck and admire the sunken steel giants in all their glory.

A moment after leaving the water. The bell that everyone has been waiting for rings. It’s a call for dinner. Everyone smells the kitchen aromas on every deck, so we head to the dining room immediately. The sound of the bell can announce three eventualities: a call for a briefing, a meal, or an alarm.

Some people take a nap before the next - third dive. The afternoon dive is like the previous one. The sun is still high, so we enjoy the wonderful colors underwater. During afternoon dives, there is a stronger current. In such situations, a zodiac (a small pontoon motorboat) takes us to the other end of the reef.

The swift current pulls us towards the boat, and we effortlessly enjoy the views, letting the elements carry us along. Let the current carry you; relax and enjoy the moment. Sometimes, when you turn your eyes away from the reef wall, you will see a manta ray, a shark or a turtle in the endless blue. Longman sharks, tiger sharks or reef sharks are common. Those who are even luckier may even come across a whale shark.

 
 

After the third dive, a meal arrives. Fruit, toast, pizza, sweets - a veritable feast. On the family safari, after afternoon tea, there is time for other joyful attractions for the youngest. For example, a banana pulled by a zodiac. The competition to see who can stay in the saddle the longest evokes a lot of emotions, applause and laughter. The techniques are very diverse and the children’s imagination is endless. The girls put on a mono-fin and become mermaids for a moment, and the boys become tritons.

When the fun in the water accompanied by the setting sun ends (even in summer, sunset in Egypt occurs quite early, around 6:30 p.m.) it’s time for ... Whoever was betting on dinner is wrong. We won’t go to bed without dinner either ... Because we haven’t said good night yet ...

The last, fourth, exceptional dive is ahead of us. When darkness covers the Red Sea, it’s time for the last dive. The currents subside and the water is like a sheet of glass. Fish and squid, attracted by the light, swim near the boat.

We jump in. The undisturbed peace at this hour does not yet foretell the bloody scenes of night predators’ hunts. It is on this dive that we can observe the hunting of moray eels and lionfish. Schools of silver fish sparkle in the depths, reflecting the moon’s rays. This dive is the cherry on the cake at the end of an exciting day.

The reward is a delicious dinner and evening conversations in the company of diving enthusiasts. No one goes to bed late because they know that the next day will bring fresh adventures for which they need to save their strength.

 
 

How to endure the rocking boat?

Many people do not consider spending a week on a boat because of rocking and seasickness. There is nothing to be afraid of. Medicine comes to the rescue. Just one tablet of Dramenex in the morning or the night before you go to bed (the Egyptian equivalent of aviomarin) will easily calm the labyrinth, and the effects of rocking are under absolute control. Every live aboard is equipped with this substance in abundance, so you can take care of this problem ;)

Which direction to choose?

There are many possibilities. Choose according to your qualifications or passion. If you are fascinated by the reef, colorful, fabulous dives - sail to Sataye or Jonsy.

You love adrenaline and want to stand face to face with a shark, I invite you to Brathersy and Elphistone. You love exploring sunken wrecks - the northern wreck route is for you. You are passionate about the history of World War II - you will fall in love with the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm and other places in history. Everyone will find something for themselves here.

What you need to know when going on safari?

The Red Sea is available all year round. There is no season here. They organize trips practically every month. The only differences are the water temperature and winds. In winter, the water temperature oscillates between 23-24 degrees. You could say it is very warm. However, when diving four times a day, our body cools down.

 
 

From November to April, I suggest diving in a dry suit. Because the winds are the strongest during this period, it intensifies the feeling of cold and prevents you from warming up.

From May to June, a 5 mm wetsuit should be enough. For people who get cold, I recommend 7mm.

From July to the end of September, the water is like soup and has about 29-32 degrees. Lycra or a wetsuit max. 3mm will be absolutely enough. I advise against diving in short sleeves and shorts, because they can cause you to brush against the reef, and such scratches take a long time to heal.

In October, the water cools down, but a 5 mm wetsuit will provide adequate thermal protection.

Who is this trip for?

Safari trips are available to all licensed divers, regardless of skill level. It is worth adapting your skills to the level of difficulty of the diving route - the organizer of the trip will always provide all the information. On family safaris, organizers choose picturesque routes with shallow, simple dives suitable for families with beginner and young divers. More experienced divers can choose more difficult routes.

Don’t forget! Since you’ll be doing 20 plus dives in 5 days, be sure to protect yourself from any possible chafing. Even the most comfortable shoes and fins can harm with such a long time underwater, and subsequent dives only make things worse. Wear lycra or neoprene socks to avoid chafing. A regular shopping bag or plastic bag will help you put on your wetsuit. Thin gloves will also protect your hands from chafing. Sunscreen will protect you from getting burned. A hat will protect your sensitive ears on windy days. Sunglasses are a must. Take a flashlight for night dives and the simplest buoy, because it’s a must.

You won’t need them!

Elegant clothes, because you’ll spend most of your time in a swimsuit anyway. Socks, because you’ll be walking barefoot on the ship. Jewelry, because why worry about valuables? Online work, because there’s no signal, anyway. Before leaving, be sure to check all your diving equipment. The regulators must be in working order and preferably serviced. Replace and lubricate the connector in the pressure gauge, because it often “bubbles” when in contact with salt water. Check the BCD to see if it’s tight and adjust the straps to the thickness of the wetsuit. Remember how to release a buoy. Relax, because you’re in for the adventure of a lifetime. Remember that the safari motto is: Eat, dive, sleep - repeat

 
 
Contact Przemyslaw Zyber
 
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