The liveaboard
Refitted to support Tek Diving in 2018 with a diver lift , gas mixing and plenty of cylinders to support different makes of CCR , plus ensuring a good supply of sofnolime , MV Legends runs with nine well trained and multitasking crew , plus two dive guides / technical instructors , Alex and Amr .
The cabins are all en-suite , the food good and plentiful and there was no problem with the fresh water for showers aprés dive . Running with two Zodiacs means that all sites are accessible . The crew have been trained to give you just as much help as you need , without the feeling of interfering which you get in some parts of the world – just a perfect balance , and the right size for a whole club to book .
Liveaboard life
For those who have not been to the Red Sea before , liveaboards leave port after completing customs declarations ; you don ’ t set foot on land until you return a week later . The day consists of three or four dives from early morning until late evening , interspersed with great food and sunbathing . There are no shops , so , if you need spares , take them with you !
Our voyage was discussed with us the evening before departure but the actual route and timings were dictated by weather . With quieter winds earlier in the week we headed north from Hurghada concentrating on wrecks and taking the opportunity to cross over the Strait of Gubal towards Ras Mohammed while the seas were calmer .
On the way northwards , we visited Sha ’ ab Abu Nuhas and the wrecks of Chrisoula K ( sunk in 1981 ); SS Carnatic ( 1891 ), Giannis D () 1983 , and then headed north towards Sha ’ ab Ali near the southern tip of the Sinai and the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm ( 1941 ). We then headed back across the Strait of Gubal to Jazirat Jubal and the final wreck of the trip , the Rosalie Moller sunk two days after the Thistlegorm .
While this was not planned as a training trip , opportunities presented themselves for skills to be signed up – there were mid water DSMB deployments , drift dives , nitrox dives with the necessary gas analysis in abundance . In addition to the paperwork required by the MV Legends team , Lunesdale have their own dive logs and paperwork to record and this job was taken on by a different buddy pair each day , giving everyone the chance to be ‘ the boss ’ for day – a task that was acted upon with just a little too much enthusiasm by some !
Find out more on the official website mvlegends . com
Phil and Jim on the Chrisoula K wreck
The Reefs
Umm Qamar : Although this was a site used for checkouts and weighting , for first time divers in the Red Sea this is an amazing introduction for the dives to follow . Litte Gubal – the Barge : Great site at around 14 metres with free swimming moray , lots of variety and a few dolphins passing by .
The imposing stern of the Giannis D wreck
UKDIVING
Sha ’ ab El Erg . Great reef and ideal for a night dive . Sha ’ ab Al Ruhan : Coral Pillars and morays ! Carless Reef : Spectacular drop offs and table corals , pinnacles and coral gardens . Gota Abu Ramada : In the Hurghada marine park – large coral pillars hosting an abundance of life and ideal for a night dive .
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