1st July 07
Egypt - Diving with Dive Tribe
by  :Sarah Lee

As published on http://www.bsac.com

 On arrival at the hotel we had a letter from Dive Tribe informing us of our pick up time (08.00hrs) and what we needed to bring to the centre with us on our first day. We were duly picked up at 08.00hrs and taken to the Movenpick where we signed all the usual paperwork and packed our kit into boxes which were whisked away to the boat by road. The guests meanwhile got a shuttle boat ride to the Abydos Marina about 10 mins away. On arrival at the dock we checked in with the Dive Tribe team and were pointed in the right direction for the boat we are on for the day, our kit was already on board. For subsequent days the start time is around 08.30 and you are taken straight to the marina (except those guests staying at the Movenpick who go to the dive centre each morning and get the shuttle boat over to the marina). Return journeys are by minibus to the hotels from the marina or shuttle boat back to the Movenpick. There were 3 dive tribe boats most days and we were allocated to Abydos 3 for our first day's diving. It was low season and with only about 8 divers on board we had loads of room to spread out and relax. All the sites were around 1 hr 30mins to 2hrs away so this meant lots of time to relax, sunbathe, read etc on the way out, during the surface interval which was around 1hr, and on the return journey. When you check in each morning you confirm if you would like lunch on board - at £2.50 its excellent value. Hot and cold drinks are available on all boats which must be paid for along with lunch at the end of each day. At the same time you confirm if you are diving the next day and any requirements i.e. 15lt tank, nitrox etc (nitrox 32% is provided free to certified divers and we had it all week).

 El Gouna quickly disappeared into the distance due to its low rise nature (not the speed of the boat) as we chugged out towards the open sea and its reefs. The first days diving was to be on Dolphin reef, a popular spot for dive boats and snorklers because of the frequent encounters with dolphins. Before all the dives there was a comprehensive dive brief and diagram . We did 2 dives on the reef of no more than 20m. On the first dive we were to have our best encounter of the week with dolphins, a pod of 5 swam and played with us for most of the dive which was great fun. Having been checked out on our first dive we were cleared to dive in our buddy pairs independently from the guide and group. The second dive took us on a slightly different route traversing the channel between the two small reefs. Nothing too taxing after a late night.  The second day's diving found us allocated to a different boat (still not crowded) which we were to remain on for the next 3 days. Procedures and briefs were just as thorough with a few more other divers being allowed to dive without a guide. Diving was on a reef called Siyoul Kebir with a max depth of 26m.