Pack up your BCD and Regs .... we're off to the red sea again!

We have just booked the MV Whirlwind for a week of luxurious Red Sea Diving departing Shaarm El Sheik on Saturday 30th October 2010.

It seems like a lifetime away but we booked this far ahead deliberately - it will give everyone time to save up for the trip and will allow some of our less experienced divers time to get some dives under their belt. The trip has been scheduled to coincide with school half term (I know .... we are spoil sports!!)

We haven't got full details yet regarding the itinerary and departure times etc as these haven't been confirmed by the operators. The price is expected to be in the region of £1025 per person and as this is an all inclusive holiday on what is widely regarded as the best boat on the Red Sea, this represents excellent value for money.

On our last Red Sea Safari in 2007 we used the Whirlwind and we feel that the fact that, for the first time ever, we have re-booked the same boat really says it all about the standard of trip which you can expect from the Tornado fleet and Whirlwind in particular.

We will update this page once we have full details, however places are limited and we would urge anyone interested in joining us to make contact so that we can reserve a place for you for a short time while you decide if you will definitely go.

Oh ..... and don't forget NON DIVERS are very welcome!!

Please get in touch if you need any further details.

FROGNUTS RED SEA 2010

Whirlwind was launched in May 2006 and is the latest addition to the Tornado Marine Fleets expanding "family". Tornado Marine Fleet are the owners and builders of the award winning Hurricane, Typhoon and Cyclone. One glance at Whirlwind and her impressive design and use of space proves that yet again Tornado Marine Fleet are the pioneers in building boats within the Red Sea.
First impression of Whirlwind is that of comfort and space. All the outer areas are teak laid with the upper sun-deck almost the entire length of the boat. Along with a jacuzzi /spa there is ample room for sun bathers and those seeking shaded areas. Leading down from the upper sun deck is another level known as the cocktail deck. Ideal for briefings and sundowners this area has plenty of wicker tables and chairs to enjoy lunch, dinner or the odd post dive drink.
The dive deck offers up spectacular amount of space, enough for the whole boat to comfortably kit up.
The impressive saloon area is well equipped with comfortable chairs and tables, plasma screen, DVD, a multi channel sound system, juice and hot drink station and of course the popular licensed bar making this an ideal spot to relax in the evening. The Saloon leads out onto the cocktail deck, so whatever the weather there is somewhere to relax after a long days diving.
Below the Saloon is the dining area which is reached by an attractive spiral stair case or from the dive deck. Circular tables offer up more space and create the ambiance of a large continental cafe.
There are plenty of charging facilities throughout the boat including each cabin. All cabins are en-suite with individually controlled A/C. The design of the en-suites allow for more comfort as they incorporate a separate shower from the other facilities. All cabins are twin cabins allowing for 20 guests with 3 cabins on the main deck and the rest below deck.
The latest Iridium Satellite communications system provides facilities for guests to use both telephone and email.


Why Whirlwind?

The latest boat from the award winning fleet; Whirlwind surpasses all other Red Sea boats. With space and comfort a pre requisite, spectacular branding and elegant design the bar has yet again been raised to measure luxurious red sea liveaboards. In 2007 the Frognuts Team cruised the Northern red sea aboard Whirlwind and, quite frankly, we wouldn't go back to any other ship!

Insurance

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate cover. It is a condition of booking that you have insurance against such risks as medical costs,personal accident,risks,personal liability and legal expenses. You are especially advised to insure against cancellation and loss of deposit. You need to make sure that your policy has an endorsement for scuba diving. Hyberbaric treatment can be very very expensive. We can help to arrange insurance which is very comprehensive towards travel and diving.

Equipment

12L Cylinders, Air Fills and Weights are included in the price of the boat (Nitrox extra). You need to bring your own dive gear (we can arrange competitive rental rates if you need to hire any of the Frognuts dive gear).

All divers require a torch and an SMB should be carried by each buddy pair.

Experience

To get the most from this holiday it is recommended that all divers are qualified to at least PADI Advanced Open Water Level with experience of at least 30 logged dives - don't worry if you're not there yet you have the whole of the 2009/2010 seasons ahead of you and we will work with you to make sure you're ready for this trip.

Cost of Trip - £1025 per person (TO BE CONFIRMED).

What's included: return flights from Manchester or Gatwick to Egypt. Full Board Accommodation on board including all meals, unlimited tea, coffee, snacks and soft drinks.
12 Litre Cylinders, Weights, Air Fills and all diving. Marine Park fees, Airport Transfers.

What's not included:

Connecting flights from Belfast to Manchester or Gatwick (we will arrange a competitive rate nearer the time of the trip). Insurance, Egyptian Visa (£10).
Nitrox is available on board at £60 for the week or £5 per fill (look out for the Frognuts Nitrox Course over the winter!).
Dive equipment - you must bring your own ( we can arrange a competitive rental rate for any gear which your don't have).
If you want a 15Litre cylinder these are available for a small fee but need to be booked in advance.

Deposit:

£200 required As soon as possible. The tour operator WILL NOT reserve any spaces without a deposit. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first-served basis. Some spaces are already allocated. Unallocated spaces will be sold to other groups. These conditions are imposed by the tour operator.

FROGNUTS RED SEA 2010 -

WRECKS & REEFS ITINERARY

Departing from Sharm el Sheikh this itinerary takes you to some of the most notorious wrecks that the Red Sea has to offer, along with some world famous reefs and Marine parks this itinerary really is the best of both worlds with a huge amount of variety.
The Sinai Peninsular is an incredibly mountainous region which often seems mirrored underwater with monumental drop off's, vertical walls and canyons, truly stunning topography.
The area around the Sinai is a major shipping channel and gateway from Europe to Africa. Throughout the years the combination of hundreds of reefs and boats (often driving at night with no GPS) has resulted in a number of shipping accidents, thus creating a tremendous amount of diveable wrecks.
The Itinerary is fairly varied and will cover a number of wrecks and reefs - weather plays a large factor in what gets visited when, however the following sites are covered:

WRECKS - The wrecks at Abu Nuhas; Ghiannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K, Marcus. The Thistlegorm, Dunraven, Ulysses, The Barge, Rosie Moller (experience required)
REEFS- Straits of Tiran; Jackson, woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon. Ras Mohammed, Ras Um Sid, Shag Rock and Ras Katty.
This itinerary is suitable for all levels - beginners and experienced alike. All our boats have experienced dive guides who can teach a range of courses including PADI and TDI.

Abu Nuhas

The reef of Abu Nuhas lies 3 hours away due north on the edges of the Suez Canal and over the centuries has claimed the lives of dozens of vessels. There are 4 wrecks which are dived regularly lying against her northerly edge.

The Giannis D

Launched in 1969 as the Shoyo Maru, the Giannis D was built by the Kuryshima Dock Company of Imabari, Japan. In April 1983 on a trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with a cargo of teak planks, thinking that there was nothing but the Red Sea to traverse, the captain fell asleep in his cabin after ordering 'full speed ahead'. He had, however, not reckoned on Abu Nuhas and it was not long before he was very rudely awoken by the sound of the ship being driven hard onto the north west corner of the reef. Today she is broken in 3 pieces, the bow by itself, parts of the midships with teak planks scattered around and lastly, the intact stern of the ship which really makes the dive. Full of rooms and passageways that run off at strange angles as she is lying at 45 degrees at the base of the reef. A well mangled prop marks the deepest point at 23 meters.

The Chrisoula K

A 'General Cargo Vessel' of 3,720 tones, the ship was built in the German Baltic port of Lubeck and launched in 1954. Lloyd's List for September 1981 included the following item under "Casualty Report": "Chrisoula K (Greek). Suez, Aug 31 - MV Chrisoula K, ran aground yesterday in the Red Sea, sustaining serious damage but no casualties, shipping sources said today. The vessel hit coral reefs near the Egyptian naval base at Ras Banas. Rescue units from the naval base picked up the 21 member crew unscathed and took them to Suez. The vessel, carrying floor tiles from Italy, was on her way to Jeddah. The seriously damaged vessel was considered a total loss". Just like the Giannis D a few years later, the captain had fallen asleep on a trip to Jeddah after thinking he had cleared any danger after exiting the Suez Canal, only to be rudely awakened as the ship went full steam onto the reef. Today the front half is very broken up and scattered through wave action, as a considerable part of the front end rode up and onto the reef. The stern section is good for penetration but seems a little unstable and with large waves above you, there is a lot of creaking and movement from within.

The Carnatic

The Peninsula & Oriental Passenger Steamer "Carnatic" was built by Samuda Bros of London and classified as an 'iron framed planked passenger steamer of 1776 tons'. Her dimensions were 89.8m x 11.6m with a draught of 7.8m. In addition to square-rigged sails, she was powered by a single 4 cylinder compound inverted engine which produced a very handsome 2,442 hp. In September of 1869 she gently struck the reef but did not sink immediately, in fact the captain and the 210 passengers and crew spent the night on board as no one believed that a steel hulled ship, sitting gently on a coral reef, would be in too much trouble. After 36 hours on the reef though, due to the pivoting of the boat with the rise and fall of the waves causing stresses on the keel, she snapped in half with the stern sliding off the reef taking 5 passengers and 26 crew with it. The aft followed shortly afterwards and diving the wreck today you can see that the two halves have seemingly joined up again underwater. She lies on her port side in 30 meters of water. A great wreck with plenty to see including her single prop, masts, square portholes and lots of broken wine bottles in the bottom of the hold in the aft section.

SS Thistlegorm

The world famous Thistlegorm wreck sunk in 1941 in the area of Sha'ab Ali in the Gulf of Suez. She was packed to the gunwales with a cargo of supplies destined for the British Army based in Alexandria, however she was bombed by the Germans on her way to port. She is in good condition where much of the cargo still remains. Time seems to have stood still for this impressive wreck. BSA Motorcycles, jeeps, trucks, rolling stock, areoplane parts, stacks of rifles, radio equipment and a plentiful supply of wellington boots are still in pristine conditions. Located at 30m and 400 ft long she requires several dives to experience the monumental ship. The Thistlegorm is heaven for wreck enthusiasts with so much to see and so much history attached to the ship. Along with the beauty of the wreck there it is also one of the most underrated fish dives in the area, attracting schooling barracuda and providing a hunting ground for giant tuna and snapper. An excellent ship wreck that is a must see in the Red Sea. The Thistlegorm requires some level of experience beyond open water training.

Ras Mohammed

Ras Mohammed peninsula separates the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. Currents flow out of both gulfs and bathe Ras Mohammed in rich nutrients, which assures plentiful and varied marine life. At Shark Reef and Yolanda wreck, many fish species can be found: groupers, barracuda, batfish, Napoleon wrasses, blue-spot stingrays and a special treat, crocodile fish! It is also known to attract some of the bigger fish that come to the Sharm region, Black tip oceanic sharks, the occasional manta and at some time of years Tiger sharks have been spotted. Yolanda sank with a cargo of bathtubs and toilets. It's an amusing and memorable site to see groupers swimming around a huge mountain of toilets at the bottom of the sea.

The Straits of Tiran

The Straits of Tiran rank among the finest attractions of the Red Sea thanks to their crucial historical and geographical importance, their distinctive topography and, of course, their first-rate diving sites. The straits are formed by the island of Tiran to the east, and the Sinai coastline to the west.
The confluence of deep waters, continental plate, and narrow passage creates a bottleneck through which a strong, dense flow of plankton is funneled to the coral reefs associated with these mountain peaks.
A food chain is set in motion which links the plankton, coral organisms and reef fish to the ever ravenous sharks which find easy pickings here. Indeed, this is one spot where it is still possible to encounter sharks on virtually every dive.

Gordon Reef

The most southerly reef of the four has a different topography from the others. This site has both a shallow plateau area and drop offs, and can be done as a mooring or a drift dive. On the northern edge of the reef is the remains of the wreck Lovilla which has been on top of the reef for a long time. It only remains there by habit as most of the hull has corroded away .
The current on the south edge of Gordon is rarely strong but be aware for it as it can cut across the plateau.
The boats moor up on the southern plateau in about 8m of water. The dives are usually conducted from the mooring and heading in a easterly direction to the drop off which starts at about 16m (worth keeping an eye out into the blue here!).
From the drop off heading North following the edge is a small garden eel area along with coral encrusted drums. At the turn round point of the dive plan you ascend to about 8m and follow the reef back to the boat on the plateau area.
If this is done as a drift dive the boat drops you at the mooring and will pick up on the northern edge. This follows the same area as a mooring dive but then continues along the drop off which turns more into a plateau as it reaches the corner. This is a regular for the sharks and can be a very high speed drift.

Thomas Reef

This is the smallest reef in the Straits, but also one of the most popular. The dive is governed by the weather conditions as the western side is often impossible to pick divers up from. The dive is done as a drift dive with potentially strong currents on the southern and northern ends of the reef. The ends are vertical walls with a large plateau at about 25m on the south eastern side.
This plateau often has sleeping sharks on the sand patches and the coral has a fence of Gorgonia fans at the end. After the Gorgonia fans the reef returns to a wall before coming to the corner of the reef, watch the currents. If conditions allow it is possible to go round to the other side of the reef, which is a wall disappearing into the deep.

  Woodhouse Reef

This is the longest reef of the four in the Straits of Tiran and is dived as a drift dive usually from South to North.
Jumping at the southern part of the reef is a wall to about 30m. It is worth looking on to the sand patches below to try and spot sleeping sharks. The coral covers all the way from the surface down the wall which becomes more of a slope as the dive progresses. Half way through the dive there is a canyon going along the reef at about 25m which spreads out into a coral garden with sand alleys. This is usually where the current starts to pick up.
If the conditions on the west side of the reef are rough the dive has to be ended at the end of the coral garden, which is usually reached after about 50 minutes.
If weather conditions allow it is sometimes possible to continue the dive beyond this point. Where the reef leaves the surface and funnels down towards Jackson Reef. This area is referred to as the washing machine due to the very strong currents going in all directions.

Jackson Reef

This is the most northerly reef in the Straits of Tiran. The dives are usually conducted from the moorings on the south side which is sheltered from the main swell and currents. The boats moor up in a lull spot of the current where the wall is around 40m.
After descending down the wall to your planned depth the dive is to the south western corner, keeping the reef on the right. Towards the corner the reef levels out to a gentle slope from about 6m with the corals in this area being some of the best in the area. It is around here that the current can pick up.
On the way back, which is done in shallow water, there are many inlets into the reef which are full of soft corals, making an excellent place to conduct the safety stop.
This site can also be done as a drift dive heading from the mooring towards the East with the reef on the left where it is mostly wall diving with excellent corals. This can get to be a high speed drift!