stew
13-11-06, 01:01
Just spent a great weeks diving in Egypt, setting out from Hurghada.
The tour operator was Blue O’Two, MY Bluefin was the boat, equipped with 2 zodiacs, an onboard membrane compressor capable of 220 bar fills up to 40% mix, a big feck off plasma TV in the saloon linked to a PC for briefings & 5 star quality food.
Prior arrangements for additional kit was book-able in advance i.e. twin sets, side slings, ponies, O2 etc.
This was sold to us as a technical diving wreck safari & lived up to its name in every sense of the word.
We were picked up from the airport & swiftly taken to meet the boat at Hurghada harbour where we spent the night before casting off early the following morning.
Day 1.
The first dive was on the T43 Minesweeper just outside the harbour, lying in 30m of seawater.
Dropped down the shot, did a bubble check at 5m, then descended.
Got to 10m where my inflator button jammed causing a bit of a problem by dragging me back up.
I managed to dump air, disconnect it & play around with it for a time before managing to right it; a nice friction on the leg was earned from the shot line.
Swam along the wreck, in through the blast hole, along the corridor & out through a small passage door way. The anti aircraft gun can still be seen on the starboard side of the wreck.
Nice warm-up dive.
Good visibility, around 25 meters.
Run time 49 minutes.
2nd dive of the day took in two wrecks, the Chrisoula & the Marcus.
The Chrisoula was a roomy swim through, stern to bow before exiting along the reef wall at 20 meters & swimming a few hundred yards to discover the Marcus.
This entailed a 10 minute penetration, down a whole host of corridors down into the engine room in now almost zero viz as I was luckily enough to be in 5th position by that time.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 65 minutes.
3rd dive was a bimble on the Barge wreck at 13m, which was host the almost every waking sea creature in the red sea. Four wreck in one day, what a start!
Good visibility, around 20+ meters.
Run time 35 minutes as we were thinking about beer.
Day 2.
The Rosalie Moller.
We awoke to some terrible high winds & sea conditions but the dive was still on.
This was a guided dive for me by Peter Collings. This guy knows his stuff.
We descended the shot to the mast to be met by a 5-foot barracuda; I rather hoped he had had breakfast.
Down the mast we travelled to the deck at 35 meters, along the starboard side towards the bow passing the emblem ‘M’ for Moller on her side, in through a small opening doorway which led us down through some narrow tangled metal openings, difficult to pass with twin 12’s & a side slung 7. We eventually emerged inside a cargo hold which I dropped into like a stone & silted the place up much to the annoyance of the guide who by this time was cursing rather loudly through his DV, I won’t write what he said; but I can tell you it isn’t something you would even call your dog.
We soon left!
Good visibility, around 20 meters.
Run time 47 minutes.
Dive2
Rosalie Moller.
After a 4 hour surface interval where the crew retied & reset 4 moorings lines which were in turn ripped from our bow, then stern with the now almost un-dive able sea conditions we eventually managed to enter the water.
Now diving with my buddy again; we had done out homework prior with drawings on locating the engine room, which consisted of a rather long swim inside the ship, down a few passage ways, down some stairs which I always find easier under water than on land, we eventually reached the switch room at 46 meters. The engine room was right next door.
I have experienced narcosis before at such depths, but this was the first time I had experienced euphoria, I felt super-charged, wish I could have bottled it!
The visibility inside was rather good, but the return leg was cast in a hail of iron ore dripping from all above, the feeling of euphoria soon left.
I took video the whole dive which looks O.K. I will edit it & post the details later.
Returning to the deck area, I had 29 minutes of deco commitments, as per plan it’s now time to leave.
Ascending the shot line towards our first deco stop we switched from air to nitrox on the run. Up to the 2nd deco stop we became aware that another diver who had also done the same dive but on a single 15-litre cylinder was rather low on air.
I deployed my 2 meter reg hose & let him sup on my back gas while I used my deco bottle. This extended our deco stops far longer than planned!
Once clear of deco at 6 meters we awaited the other diver to clear, he rather luckily switched back to his cylinder with one minute of deco left just as the bow line snapped sending all 3 of us travelling through the water like superman clutching the shot line, upwards we went to the surface.
His computer now looked like it was teatime; 5.0.5 but it was still mid afternoon.
Luckily he had been diving a 28% mix on an air profile or his computer would not have been the only thing that was bent. A lot to be said for good dive planning!
Good visibility, around 25 meters.
Run time 75 minutes.
Dive 3.
17m bimble in a coral garden loaded with lionfish & moray eels.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 35 minutes.
Day 3.
The wind was so bad we could not move so we did a dive on Bluff Point.
Very strong changing currents made this dive a real chore, even the marine life took shelter.
The dive lived up to its name.
Good visibility, around 20 meters.
Run time 32 minutes.
Dive 2.
The Gianni’s-D
Did this dive before but was luckily enough to have a guide who took us not only into the engine room, but actually through the engine compartments, we spent around 10 minutes inside the passageways of twisted metal with upward currants & swirls made it feel like a washing machine ride.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 72 minutes.
Dive 3.
Gota-Abu-Romada.
Bimble reef dive to 13 m, ‘puffer fish city’.
Good visibility, around 20 meters.
Run time 33 minutes.
Day 4.
The Salem Express.
Swim around the outside, down by the props, through the cafeteria & in via what we soon realised was the wrong door to penetrate.
We travelled upwards in single file from 30 meters to 15 meters to find we could not exit through a small hatch; shame faced all the way back down we went.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 64 minutes.
Dive 2.
The Salem Express
Penetrated the small open port side door at 12 meters, dropped down to 32 meters, which was under the seabed attempting to locate the car deck.
The bottom was littered with 50 litre J’cylinders & oxy/acetylene bottles; we were to tread carefully over these now rusty bottles.
We swam to the stern only to find suit cases. Then returned back.
We swam to the bow only to find suit cases. Then returned back.
We did this on 3 levels until we found the car deck, the penetration time was now 28 minutes & now my conscience was catching up with me.
Discovering so many personal possessions of the people who perished inside there was becoming sickening.
A suitcase was found etched with the words ‘Have a nice holiday’, kids toys. This ferry is a graveyard & one, which I will never penetrate again.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 55 minutes.
Dive 3.
Another ferry, I forget the name.
Sitting upturned on a reef at 26 meters most of the wreck was still moving in the strong currant.
No penetration was attempted.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 54 minutes.
Day 5.
Al Kafhain.
Located within a no dive zone of ports authority we dived this early morning to avoid being seen!
Large cargo ferry on a sandy bottom at 32 meters made this look like we were swimming in a sand storm.
Hardly worth getting out of bed early for.
Poor visibility, around 10 meters.
Run time 40 minutes.
Dive 2.
Panorama reef.
Like swimming in an aquarium, absolutely abundant with fantastic sea life.
Every fish in the red sea was there!
Saw a large free-swimming moray eel, even got a few snaps of it.
The reef is almost bottomless; the rebreather deep dive was set there a few years ago.
We dived to 22 meters, as this was where the best life was.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 58 minutes.
Dive 3.
20-meter bimble reef dive.
Stonefish everywhere, got a few snaps.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 40 minutes.
Day 6.
Hebat Allah.
Cargo ship lying in 46 meters of seawater.
Terrible surface swell made this difficult to hit the shot line from the surface so we descended & I hit the shot at 12 meters.
I looked back for my buddy, couldn’t see him. Looked down, there he was at 30 meters!
I descended down to the bridge at 32 meters to meet up only to discover that was not my buddy!
I treated the dive as a search but could not locate him so switched to a bail out plan and ascended.
I wish I could have spent time on this wreck as the visibility was astounding, over 40 meters, I could see the ship sitting bolt upright as soon as I hit the water.
Sadly back on board I discovered my buddy, for no apparent reason & without warning, had burst his eardrum.
I skipped the last dive back on the T43 minesweeper in favour of getting my kit dry & heading for the Marriot hotel for some post dive drinking.
If you actually read all this bumf your a trooper, well done.:)
The tour operator was Blue O’Two, MY Bluefin was the boat, equipped with 2 zodiacs, an onboard membrane compressor capable of 220 bar fills up to 40% mix, a big feck off plasma TV in the saloon linked to a PC for briefings & 5 star quality food.
Prior arrangements for additional kit was book-able in advance i.e. twin sets, side slings, ponies, O2 etc.
This was sold to us as a technical diving wreck safari & lived up to its name in every sense of the word.
We were picked up from the airport & swiftly taken to meet the boat at Hurghada harbour where we spent the night before casting off early the following morning.
Day 1.
The first dive was on the T43 Minesweeper just outside the harbour, lying in 30m of seawater.
Dropped down the shot, did a bubble check at 5m, then descended.
Got to 10m where my inflator button jammed causing a bit of a problem by dragging me back up.
I managed to dump air, disconnect it & play around with it for a time before managing to right it; a nice friction on the leg was earned from the shot line.
Swam along the wreck, in through the blast hole, along the corridor & out through a small passage door way. The anti aircraft gun can still be seen on the starboard side of the wreck.
Nice warm-up dive.
Good visibility, around 25 meters.
Run time 49 minutes.
2nd dive of the day took in two wrecks, the Chrisoula & the Marcus.
The Chrisoula was a roomy swim through, stern to bow before exiting along the reef wall at 20 meters & swimming a few hundred yards to discover the Marcus.
This entailed a 10 minute penetration, down a whole host of corridors down into the engine room in now almost zero viz as I was luckily enough to be in 5th position by that time.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 65 minutes.
3rd dive was a bimble on the Barge wreck at 13m, which was host the almost every waking sea creature in the red sea. Four wreck in one day, what a start!
Good visibility, around 20+ meters.
Run time 35 minutes as we were thinking about beer.
Day 2.
The Rosalie Moller.
We awoke to some terrible high winds & sea conditions but the dive was still on.
This was a guided dive for me by Peter Collings. This guy knows his stuff.
We descended the shot to the mast to be met by a 5-foot barracuda; I rather hoped he had had breakfast.
Down the mast we travelled to the deck at 35 meters, along the starboard side towards the bow passing the emblem ‘M’ for Moller on her side, in through a small opening doorway which led us down through some narrow tangled metal openings, difficult to pass with twin 12’s & a side slung 7. We eventually emerged inside a cargo hold which I dropped into like a stone & silted the place up much to the annoyance of the guide who by this time was cursing rather loudly through his DV, I won’t write what he said; but I can tell you it isn’t something you would even call your dog.
We soon left!
Good visibility, around 20 meters.
Run time 47 minutes.
Dive2
Rosalie Moller.
After a 4 hour surface interval where the crew retied & reset 4 moorings lines which were in turn ripped from our bow, then stern with the now almost un-dive able sea conditions we eventually managed to enter the water.
Now diving with my buddy again; we had done out homework prior with drawings on locating the engine room, which consisted of a rather long swim inside the ship, down a few passage ways, down some stairs which I always find easier under water than on land, we eventually reached the switch room at 46 meters. The engine room was right next door.
I have experienced narcosis before at such depths, but this was the first time I had experienced euphoria, I felt super-charged, wish I could have bottled it!
The visibility inside was rather good, but the return leg was cast in a hail of iron ore dripping from all above, the feeling of euphoria soon left.
I took video the whole dive which looks O.K. I will edit it & post the details later.
Returning to the deck area, I had 29 minutes of deco commitments, as per plan it’s now time to leave.
Ascending the shot line towards our first deco stop we switched from air to nitrox on the run. Up to the 2nd deco stop we became aware that another diver who had also done the same dive but on a single 15-litre cylinder was rather low on air.
I deployed my 2 meter reg hose & let him sup on my back gas while I used my deco bottle. This extended our deco stops far longer than planned!
Once clear of deco at 6 meters we awaited the other diver to clear, he rather luckily switched back to his cylinder with one minute of deco left just as the bow line snapped sending all 3 of us travelling through the water like superman clutching the shot line, upwards we went to the surface.
His computer now looked like it was teatime; 5.0.5 but it was still mid afternoon.
Luckily he had been diving a 28% mix on an air profile or his computer would not have been the only thing that was bent. A lot to be said for good dive planning!
Good visibility, around 25 meters.
Run time 75 minutes.
Dive 3.
17m bimble in a coral garden loaded with lionfish & moray eels.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 35 minutes.
Day 3.
The wind was so bad we could not move so we did a dive on Bluff Point.
Very strong changing currents made this dive a real chore, even the marine life took shelter.
The dive lived up to its name.
Good visibility, around 20 meters.
Run time 32 minutes.
Dive 2.
The Gianni’s-D
Did this dive before but was luckily enough to have a guide who took us not only into the engine room, but actually through the engine compartments, we spent around 10 minutes inside the passageways of twisted metal with upward currants & swirls made it feel like a washing machine ride.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 72 minutes.
Dive 3.
Gota-Abu-Romada.
Bimble reef dive to 13 m, ‘puffer fish city’.
Good visibility, around 20 meters.
Run time 33 minutes.
Day 4.
The Salem Express.
Swim around the outside, down by the props, through the cafeteria & in via what we soon realised was the wrong door to penetrate.
We travelled upwards in single file from 30 meters to 15 meters to find we could not exit through a small hatch; shame faced all the way back down we went.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 64 minutes.
Dive 2.
The Salem Express
Penetrated the small open port side door at 12 meters, dropped down to 32 meters, which was under the seabed attempting to locate the car deck.
The bottom was littered with 50 litre J’cylinders & oxy/acetylene bottles; we were to tread carefully over these now rusty bottles.
We swam to the stern only to find suit cases. Then returned back.
We swam to the bow only to find suit cases. Then returned back.
We did this on 3 levels until we found the car deck, the penetration time was now 28 minutes & now my conscience was catching up with me.
Discovering so many personal possessions of the people who perished inside there was becoming sickening.
A suitcase was found etched with the words ‘Have a nice holiday’, kids toys. This ferry is a graveyard & one, which I will never penetrate again.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 55 minutes.
Dive 3.
Another ferry, I forget the name.
Sitting upturned on a reef at 26 meters most of the wreck was still moving in the strong currant.
No penetration was attempted.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 54 minutes.
Day 5.
Al Kafhain.
Located within a no dive zone of ports authority we dived this early morning to avoid being seen!
Large cargo ferry on a sandy bottom at 32 meters made this look like we were swimming in a sand storm.
Hardly worth getting out of bed early for.
Poor visibility, around 10 meters.
Run time 40 minutes.
Dive 2.
Panorama reef.
Like swimming in an aquarium, absolutely abundant with fantastic sea life.
Every fish in the red sea was there!
Saw a large free-swimming moray eel, even got a few snaps of it.
The reef is almost bottomless; the rebreather deep dive was set there a few years ago.
We dived to 22 meters, as this was where the best life was.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 58 minutes.
Dive 3.
20-meter bimble reef dive.
Stonefish everywhere, got a few snaps.
Good visibility, around 30+ meters.
Run time 40 minutes.
Day 6.
Hebat Allah.
Cargo ship lying in 46 meters of seawater.
Terrible surface swell made this difficult to hit the shot line from the surface so we descended & I hit the shot at 12 meters.
I looked back for my buddy, couldn’t see him. Looked down, there he was at 30 meters!
I descended down to the bridge at 32 meters to meet up only to discover that was not my buddy!
I treated the dive as a search but could not locate him so switched to a bail out plan and ascended.
I wish I could have spent time on this wreck as the visibility was astounding, over 40 meters, I could see the ship sitting bolt upright as soon as I hit the water.
Sadly back on board I discovered my buddy, for no apparent reason & without warning, had burst his eardrum.
I skipped the last dive back on the T43 minesweeper in favour of getting my kit dry & heading for the Marriot hotel for some post dive drinking.
If you actually read all this bumf your a trooper, well done.:)