After becoming an Open Water Diver this year, Beth jumped at the chance to visit Egypt again and take her first liveaboard trip, continuing her scuba diving journey with an Advanced Open Water Diver course.
When I said I would happily return to the Red Sea, I honestly didn’t expect it to be less than four months after my original visit. New divers don’t usually get the chance to experience liveaboards due to the fast pace at which they are conducted. However, when a space became available aboard Emperor Superior’s “Nice and Easy” itinerary, the whole team agreed it was the perfect chance for me to experience life on a liveaboard. So, just like that, I was off to Hurghada on another scuba diving adventure! Join me as I talk you through my unique and unforgettable experience on my first liveaboard and how I qualified as an Advanced Open Water Diver.
Getting There
Having been introduced to the 2Dive4 dive centre group at Gatwick Airport, I spent the 5-hour flight trying to decide which prospect was more daunting: diving to 30 metres or remembering everybody’s name. Luckily for me the group couldn’t have been more welcoming. There is a certain degree of anxiety that, as a very new diver, you will feel isolated from the rest of the guests. I would like to tell you this is not the case at all and no matter your experience, you can always rely on divers to treat you as an equal.
Our transfer from the airport to the boat was flawless and before we knew it, we were settling into our cabins for some much-deserved rest. I ended up in a twin share, lower deck cabin. My roommate, although new to liveaboards, was the only guest with enough foresight to pack a large stash of Yorkshire teabags. We were already winning!
All Aboard Emperor Superior
If you’re familiar with my previous blog on Learning to Scuba Dive, you’ll remember that divers are very early risers. With that being said, we were woken at 6:30am with a loud knock on the cabin door. Bleary eyed and at least half awake, we managed to make our way into the main saloon where breakfast was being served.
After a detailed dive briefing regarding boat rules and regulations, we conducted a fire drill to ensure everyone was familiar with safety procedures. This was my first time running through the bowels of a liveaboard to escape an imaginary fire all whilst trying to pull on a life vest in under 3 minutes. An odd activity so early in the morning but an altogether necessary one. I was super impressed with both the boat and the crew’s commitment to safety procedures – Superior in every way.
Time for a Check Dive
With safety measures in place, we set off to complete our check dive at Shaar bel Eg, or as most of us know it, Dolphin House. This was my first dive since gaining my Open Water certification and so it was conducted separately from the group with a 1:1 instructor. Despite my initial issues remembering how to do all the key skills, Eslam waited patiently for me to familiarise myself with my new gear and get comfortable in the water. After all necessary checks were complete, we descended to 15m and rested on a sandy bottom to begin Peak Performance Buoyancy skills. Having been previously told a story about an unsuspecting diver kneeling on a torpedo ray, I made sure to check the sand was clear before practising the skills. It turns out that telling Beth scary stories of fish would soon become a regular occurrence of this trip.
The open deck dive plan combined with the general structure of the liveaboard meant it was possible to complete up to four dives per day. This is quite intense for even the most seasoned diver and guests generally completed 2-3 dives per day. It was common to find divers having a catnap in the saloon or sundeck at random points of the day. About three days into the trip, I began to realise that the initial 6:30am wake-up call was rather generous, as most of the days started not so bright and very early at 5:30am sharp.
Drift Diving
As part of my Advanced Open Water Diver course, I needed to complete three adventure dives, each designed to develop my skills and experience to the next level. One of these was an unforgettable drift dive at Ras Mohammed, a renowned dive site teeming with life. The current gently carried us along as we marvelled at the underwater world, spotting three eels weaving through the coral, a large school of pufferfish hovering nearby, and catching a glimpse of a turtle’s tail as it quickly swam away. This dive was particularly special because it marked my first descent to 25 metres, adding both excitement and a sense of accomplishment to the adventure.
Tall Tales and Titan Triggerfish
Throughout the week, I heard so many outrageous stories that I started to think divers might be pathological liars. To my surprise, most of the tales turned out to be true. Here are a few things I learned: Dolphins, for instance, are not always the friendly creatures they may seem. In fact, they can be quite aggressive and territorial. Amphiprion ocellaris, better known as Nemo Fish (though Duxy insists on their scientific name), are fiercely protective of their anemones which they will bite to defend. I even captured a particularly satisfying video of one confronting Duxy’s camera!
I won’t be the first to tell you that divers love sharks, and in the scuba world, a shark encounter is rarely seen as a negative experience. On the other hand, an encounter with a Titan Triggerfish is almost always dreaded. After hearing multiple stories of divers being “chased” and even having chunks taken out of their fins, I vowed to stay as far away from these underwater terrors as possible. It wasn’t until after I finished my last dive at Gubal Island that a fellow diver revealed she’d had to fend off an attack from a Titan Triggerfish that very morning! Whilst mildly terrifying, I suppose it says a lot about my diving progress that I’m now more terrified of a fish than I am of running out of air.
The SS Thistlegorm
My most memorable dive of the trip was undoubtedly the SS Thistlegorm. The wreck is in excellent condition and despite some initial apprehension regarding descending on a rope, it was honestly one of the most unique and thrilling experiences of my life so far.
For this dive, I joined the guided group which meant I was especially nervous about my air consumption. My dive buddy couldn’t have been more understanding; he was always less than an arm’s width away and really taught me the importance of patience and looking out for each other underwater.
By this point, I’d had at least five different people tell me that it’s easiest to control your buoyancy with your breathing. Whilst I (sort of) understood what they meant, I’d never been able to put it into practice or properly understand it until my dive on the SS Thistlegorm. I am fairly confident that this skill was born out of necessity, since there were some very small spaces. When you’re trying to penetrate a wreck, controlling your buoyancy becomes your number one priority. Failure to do this can (and will) result in you hitting your head on some metal. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed diving the wreck, my biggest personal success was surfacing from this 30-metre dive with 80 bar remaining.
Exploring the remains of the SS Thistlegorm was like stepping back in time. Swimming beneath the ship’s machine gun and discovering perfectly preserved Jeeps, motorbikes, and even a Wellington boot in the cargo hold, made this dive site a surreal experience that truly solidified my love for diving.
I dived her twice and loved every minute of it. However, I chose to skip the night dives, figuring that if the wreck felt eerie in daylight, it would be downright unsettling in the dark. In the end, I was glad I sat that one out but look forward to another opportunity in the future when I have a few more dives under my weight belt. When the group surfaced from the night dive, all anyone could talk about was an especially large moray eel that had gotten a little too close for comfort!
Finding My Way
Another key skill I developed was Underwater Navigation, which proved to be both practical and useful. Following a compass heading helped me navigate confidently underwater and find my way back to the correct Emperor vessel, even with two boats moored side by side. Completing this exercise gave me a solid grasp of navigation techniques and will be super helpful for all my dives in the future.
Diving with Duxy
I was lucky enough to dive Gubal Island and Shaab el Erg with the group who were onboard Emperor Superior taking part in a photography workshop with Paul ‘Duxy’ Duxfield. It was a wonderful experience that allowed me to take things nice and slowly – perfect for honing my buoyancy skills. The pace gave me the chance to really immerse myself in the underwater world and become more confident with each dive. I even got the chance to practice using the GoPro to capture some amazing moments, including a video of a Red Sea Walkman (see our Facebook page soon!). Overall, joining the photography workshop, even for a short time, was a fantastic way to grow as a diver and truly take the time to appreciate the beauty beneath the surface.
Dolphins!
Duxy had warned us that there was only a 50% chance of seeing dolphins on our dive at Shaab El Erg. Unfortunately, my dive group ended up in the unlucky half. However, the dive crew were fantastic and after we surfaced from a dive and spotted dolphins nearby, they quickly took us out on the zodiac to see them. With our snorkels in place, we were expertly dropped in front of the dolphins, allowing them to swim past us on three separate occasions. It was an incredible experience that more than made up for our previous miss. Swimming with dolphins should be on everyone’s bucket list!
An Afternoon at Mahmya Beach
Before our return flight home, we spent a relaxing afternoon at Mahmya Beach. It was a convenient and affordable way to pass the time before heading back to Hurghada Airport for our evening flight. The staff at the beach were exceptionally friendly; the food was tasty, and luggage storage was conveniently provided. We enjoyed lounging on the beach and savouring the last moments of sunshine before returning to rainy England. Although it was the only day I got sunburnt during the entire week’s trip, it was a perfect relaxed end to an amazing diving adventure.
Diving Success!
By the end of the trip, I had completed all the dives required for my Advanced Open Water Diver certification. Not only did I gain new skills and confidence, but I explored some of the most stunning underwater landscapes. If you’re considering developing your diving skills, I highly recommend a liveaboard experience like the one I had aboard Emperor Superior. The expert guiding and instruction, diverse dive sites, and camaraderie of fellow divers made it an unforgettable adventure and cemented the diving bug in me.
Whether you’re interested in liveaboard or resort diving, taking an Advanced dive course offers an excellent opportunity to build confidence and gain experience. Being able to dive to 30 metres has unlocked a whole new realm of exciting possibilities. Dive deeper and discover the incredible underwater world that awaits. Happy Diving!
Want to take your diving to the next level? Are you interested in a first time liveaboard experience?
Most of our worldwide resorts offer Advanced Open Water Diver courses and continuing education. Why stop at a AOW certification?! There’s a host of exciting Specialties to learn – everything from Night Diver to Underwater Naturalist. My next step will be the Rescue Diver certification – a crucial one if you’re looking to dive regularly – and also the Drysuit Specialty so I can dip my toes into UK diving too!
We can add on a diving course to your holiday booking so you’re guaranteed a spot and can start on the e-learning before you go. Contact us for more details.
Liveaboards are no longer just for divers with jam-packed dive logs. Let us tell you about new opportunities for liveaboards for novice divers in the Red Sea, Indonesia and the Maldives. We can help you choose the right liveaboard for you to ensure you have the best and safest experience possible. Contact our expert team for more information.
Want to continue your diving adventure? If you would like to chat about dive courses, liveaboard diving, or just scuba diving on holiday in general, please give our dive travel experts a call on 01473 852 002 or email us and we will be happy to tell you more! Keep Diving!
