TRAVELSPECIAL
Diver silhouetted on the Dunraven
It ’ s a family affair
Welshman Alun Evans began his BSAC diving journey back in 1984 in Port Talbot with wife Moyra , becoming a Dive Leader a few years later . After several years working at Sharm ’ s Ocean College from 2002 he made the decision to go it alone in 2005 , forming Elite Diving .
“ I felt that I could provide a more personal service . We like to keep things small to retain the quality rather than become like a factory ,” Alun says .
While many of his customers are from the UK , there ’ s an eclectic mix of other nationalities who dive with Elite and everyone appears to enjoy the easy-going atmosphere on board . There ’ s plenty of friendly ribbing between the regular guests
and staff , and newcomers are more than welcome to join in .
“ We ’ re more like a big dive club with people coming back year after year . We have a great social side and encourage solo travellers to meet up . They then form friendship groups and return to dive with us again together .”
After acquiring Divers United in 2008 , they purchased Elite in 2016 . Son Gwyn trained under BSAC in the UK , eventually joining Elite full-time and now manages day-to-day operations while Alun and Moyra deal with marketing and administration .
The life and soul of Elite , Gwyn believes in “ honesty and friendship ”, summarising his working ethos as : “ Making customers happy . Safety first – with fun a very close second !”
Father and son Alun and Gwyn
Essentials
GETTING THERE : Flights to Sharm El Sheikh are available from most major airports in the UK and through most popular airlines , budget and otherwise . I flew from Bristol with EasyJet . It ’ s definitely worth taking a bit of time to seek out the best deals .
WHEN TO GO : Red Sea temperatures peak in the period July to September , which is also the optimum season for spotting whale , tiger and hammerhead sharks . Diving is possible year-round .
Dive Centre : Elite Diving run the full gamut of BSAC courses and offer a seven night , five-day-diving Dive & Stay package from as little as £ 350 per person ( based on two people sharing ) in three-star accommodation . Flights are not included . Diving packages consisting of transfers to and from accommodation , two guided boat dives with cylinders and weights included , cost from £ 45 per day . A one day , two-dive boat dive is £ 60 ( including tanks / weights ) with a six-day dive pack £ 300 . Full equipment rental ( excluding computer ) is € 25 per day . A National Park entry fee is payable daily at € 7 Euros / day and a cooked lunch , including mineral water , tea , coffee and soft drinks on Elite is available for € 7 . Website : elite-diving . com Email : info @ elite-diving . com Telephone : 0020 1224 308 780
Accommodation : The four-star Il Mercato Hotel & Spa provides a variety of accommodation for both solo travellers and families . Its facilities are ideal for après-dive relaxation , or for non-diving partners . Regular two-way transfers to a variety of Sharm ’ s best beaches are also available . A ground floor single room , with pool view starts at $ 71 ( approx £ 55 ) per person / per night on a half board breakfast & dinner basis . All rooms feature air conditioning , television and free WiFi . Website : ilmercatohotelsharm Email : reservation @ ilmercartohotelsharm . com Telephone : + 20 69 366 436 / 9
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